The map above shows California and Rhode Island side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Rhode Island Geography
Land area
- California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Rhode Island has 1,034 square miles (2,678 km²).
- California's land area is 150.7 times larger than Rhode Island's.
Total area
- California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Rhode Island: 1,545 square miles (4,002 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- California's total area is 105.9 times larger than Rhode Island's.
Length
- California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Rhode Island is 61 miles (98 km).
- California's north-south length is 12.5 times longer than Rhode Island's.
Width
- California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Rhode Island spans 42 miles (67 km).
- California's east-west width is 16.8 times wider than Rhode Island's.
Highest point
- California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Rhode Island's is Jerimoth Hill at 811 feet (247 m).
- Mount Whitney is 13,673 feet higher than Jerimoth Hill.
Lowest point
- California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Rhode Island's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet.
- California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
California vs Rhode Island Population and History
Population
- California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Rhode Island has 1,112,308 (2024).
- California's population is 35.4 times larger than Rhode Island's.
Population density
- California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Rhode Island: 1,075.8.
- Rhode Island's population density is 4.3 times (325%) higher than California's.
Biggest city
- California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Rhode Island's is Providence with 194,706.
- Los Angeles' population is 19.9 times larger than Providence's.
Largest metro area
- California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Rhode Island's Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area (1,700,901).
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 7.6 times (660%) larger than Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area's.
History
- California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state.
- Rhode Island: Admitted to the Union on May 29, 1790, as the 13th state.
- In its current form, Rhode Island is the older of the two by 60 years.
California vs Rhode Island Economy
GDP
- California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Rhode Island's $80.4 billion.
- California's economic output is 50.3 times larger than Rhode Island's.
GDP per capita
- California: $102,662 per person vs Rhode Island: $72,265.
- California's GDP per capita is 1.4 times (42%) higher than Rhode Island's.
Average income
- California: $86,232 vs Rhode Island: $70,622 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- California's average income is 1.2 times (22%) higher than Rhode Island's.
California vs Rhode Island Counties
Number of counties
- California has 58 counties, while Rhode Island has 5.
- California's county count is 11.6 times higher than Rhode Island's.
Biggest county by area
- California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Rhode Island's is Providence County at 410 square miles.
- San Bernardino County's land area is 49.0 times larger than Providence County's.
Smallest county by area
- California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Rhode Island: Bristol County (24 sq mi).
- San Francisco County's land area is 1.9 times (94%) larger than Bristol County's.
Most populous county
- California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Rhode Island: Providence County (675,912 people).
- Los Angeles County's population is 14.4 times larger than Providence County's.
Least populous county
- California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Rhode Island: Bristol County (50,145 people).
- Bristol County's population is 45.6 times larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county
- California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Rhode Island: Bristol County ($99,923).
- Marin County's income is 1.9 times (91%) richer than Bristol County's.
Poorest county
- California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Rhode Island: Providence County ($61,040).
- Providence County's income is 1.4 times (45%) richer than Trinity County's.
California vs Rhode Island Taxes
State income tax
- California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Rhode Island has a top income tax rate of 5.99%.
- California's top rate is 7.31 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- California: 0.71% effective rate vs Rhode Island: 1.07% of home value per year.
- Rhode Island's rate is 0.36 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Rhode Island: 7%.
- California's combined rate is 2.03 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Rhode Island official website
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More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Rhode Island 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.