The map above shows California and Ohio side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Ohio Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Ohio has 40,859 square miles (105,824 km²). California's land area is 3.8 times (281%) larger than Ohio's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Ohio: 44,826 square miles (116,098 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 3.7 times (265%) larger than Ohio's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Ohio is 291 miles (468 km). California's north-south length is 2.6 times (162%) longer than Ohio's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Ohio spans 317 miles (510 km). California's east-west width is 2.2 times (123%) wider than Ohio's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Ohio's is Campbell Hill at 1,547 feet (472 m). Mount Whitney is 12,937 feet higher than Campbell Hill.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Ohio's is Ohio River at 455 feet. California's lowest point is 734 feet lower.
California vs Ohio Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Ohio has 11,883,304 (2024). California's population is 3.3 times (232%) larger than Ohio's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Ohio: 290.8. Ohio's population density is 1.1 times (15%) higher than California's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Ohio's is Columbus with 933,263. Los Angeles' population is 4.2 times (316%) larger than Columbus'.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Ohio's Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 5.6 times (461%) larger than Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Ohio: Admitted to the Union on March 1, 1803, as the 17th state. In its current form, Ohio is the older of the two by 47 years.
California vs Ohio Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Ohio's $923.1 billion. California's economic output is 4.4 times (339%) larger than Ohio's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Ohio: $77,684. California's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (32%) higher than Ohio's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Ohio: $64,464 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.3 times (34%) higher than Ohio's.
California vs Ohio Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Ohio has 88. Ohio's county count is 1.5 times (52%) higher than California's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Ohio's is Ashtabula County at 702 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 28.6 times larger than Ashtabula County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Ohio: Lake County (229 sq mi). Lake County's land area is 4.9 times (391%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Ohio: Franklin County (1,356,303 people). Los Angeles County's population is 7.2 times (619%) larger than Franklin County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Ohio: Vinton County (12,545 people). Vinton County's population is 11.4 times larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Ohio: Delaware County ($96,573). Marin County's income is 2.0 times (98%) richer than Delaware County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Ohio: Noble County ($34,940). Trinity County's income is 1.2 times (21%) richer than Noble County's.
California vs Ohio Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Ohio has a top income tax rate of 2.75%. California's top rate is 10.55 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Ohio: 1.22% of home value per year. Ohio's rate is 0.51 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Ohio: 7.29%. California's combined rate is 1.74 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Ohio official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Ohio 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.