The map above shows California and New Mexico side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs New Mexico Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while New Mexico has 121,313 square miles (314,198 km²). California's land area is 1.3 times (28%) larger than New Mexico's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs New Mexico: 121,593 square miles (314,925 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 1.3 times (35%) larger than New Mexico's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; New Mexico is 395 miles (635 km). California's north-south length is 1.9 times (93%) longer than New Mexico's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; New Mexico spans 498 miles (801 km). California's east-west width is 1.4 times (42%) wider than New Mexico's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); New Mexico's is Wheeler Peak at 13,150 feet (4,008 m). Mount Whitney is 1,334 feet higher than Wheeler Peak.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; New Mexico's is Red Bluff Reservoir at 2,842 feet. California's lowest point is 3,121 feet lower.
California vs New Mexico Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while New Mexico has 2,130,256 (2024). California's population is 18.5 times larger than New Mexico's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs New Mexico: 17.6. California's population density is 14.4 times higher than New Mexico's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; New Mexico's is Albuquerque with 560,326. Los Angeles' population is 6.9 times (592%) larger than Albuquerque's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs New Mexico's Albuquerque, NM metro area (926,303). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 14.0 times larger than Albuquerque, NM metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. New Mexico: Admitted to the Union on January 6, 1912, as the 47th state. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 62 years.
California vs New Mexico Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs New Mexico's $147.1 billion. California's economic output is 27.5 times larger than New Mexico's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs New Mexico: $69,046. California's GDP per capita is 1.5 times (49%) higher than New Mexico's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs New Mexico: $58,249 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.5 times (48%) higher than New Mexico's.
California vs New Mexico Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while New Mexico has 33. California's county count is 1.8 times (76%) higher than New Mexico's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; New Mexico's is Catron County at 6,924 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 2.9 times (190%) larger than Catron County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs New Mexico: Los Alamos County (109 sq mi). Los Alamos County's land area is 2.3 times (134%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs New Mexico: Bernalillo County (671,747 people). Los Angeles County's population is 14.5 times larger than Bernalillo County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs New Mexico: Harding County (635 people). Alpine County's population is 1.7 times (73%) larger than Harding County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs New Mexico: Los Alamos County ($98,378). Marin County's income is 1.9 times (94%) richer than Los Alamos County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs New Mexico: Cibola County ($36,397). Trinity County's income is 1.2 times (16%) richer than Cibola County's.
California vs New Mexico Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while New Mexico has a top income tax rate of 5.9%. California's top rate is 7.4 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs New Mexico: 0.63% of home value per year. California's rate is 0.08 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs New Mexico: 7.68%. California's combined rate is 1.35 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · New Mexico official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All New Mexico 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.