The map above shows California and New Hampshire side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs New Hampshire Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while New Hampshire has 8,954 square miles (23,190 km²). California's land area is 17.4 times larger than New Hampshire's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs New Hampshire: 9,350 square miles (24,216 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 17.5 times larger than New Hampshire's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; New Hampshire is 180 miles (290 km). California's north-south length is 4.2 times (323%) longer than New Hampshire's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; New Hampshire spans 95 miles (152 km). California's east-west width is 7.4 times (643%) wider than New Hampshire's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); New Hampshire's is Mount Washington at 6,277 feet (1,913 m). Mount Whitney is 8,207 feet higher than Mount Washington.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; New Hampshire's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
California vs New Hampshire Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while New Hampshire has 1,409,032 (2024). California's population is 28.0 times larger than New Hampshire's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs New Hampshire: 157.4. California's population density is 1.6 times (61%) higher than New Hampshire's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; New Hampshire's is Manchester with 116,386. Los Angeles' population is 33.3 times larger than Manchester's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs New Hampshire's Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (5,025,517). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 2.6 times (157%) larger than Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. New Hampshire: Admitted to the Union on June 21, 1788, as the 9th state. In its current form, New Hampshire is the older of the two by 62 years.
California vs New Hampshire Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs New Hampshire's $119.3 billion. California's economic output is 33.9 times larger than New Hampshire's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs New Hampshire: $84,694. California's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (21%) higher than New Hampshire's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs New Hampshire: $83,192 average income per person (per capita personal income). California and New Hampshire have about the same average income.
California vs New Hampshire Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while New Hampshire has 10. California's county count is 5.8 times (480%) higher than New Hampshire's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; New Hampshire's is Coos County at 1,795 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 11.2 times larger than Coos County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs New Hampshire: Strafford County (368 sq mi). Strafford County's land area is 7.9 times (687%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs New Hampshire: Hillsborough County (430,462 people). Los Angeles County's population is 22.7 times larger than Hillsborough County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs New Hampshire: Coos County (31,094 people). Coos County's population is 28.3 times larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs New Hampshire: Rockingham County ($100,216). Marin County's income is 1.9 times (90%) richer than Rockingham County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs New Hampshire: Coos County ($60,657). Coos County's income is 1.4 times (44%) richer than Trinity County's.
California vs New Hampshire Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while New Hampshire has no state income tax. California's top rate is 13.3 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs New Hampshire: 1.46% of home value per year. New Hampshire's rate is 0.75 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs New Hampshire: 0%. California's combined rate is 9.03 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · New Hampshire official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All New Hampshire size comparisons
Area, elevation and boundary figures come from official national statistics and US Census Bureau and Natural Earth boundary data; US state population, economic, county and tax figures come from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Tax Foundation. Figures are rounded and for general reference.