The map above shows California and Texas side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Texas Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Texas has 261,259 square miles (676,657 km²). Texas' land area is 1.7 times (68%) larger than California's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Texas: 268,599 square miles (695,668 km²), including inland and coastal water. Texas' total area is 1.6 times (64%) larger than California's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Texas is 808 miles (1,300 km). Texas' north-south length is 1.1 times (6%) longer than California's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Texas spans 777 miles (1,250 km). Texas' east-west width is 1.1 times (10%) wider than California's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Texas's is Guadalupe Peak at 8,730 feet (2,661 m). Mount Whitney is 5,754 feet higher than Guadalupe Peak.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Texas's is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet. California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
California vs Texas Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Texas has 31,290,831 (2024). California's population is 1.3 times (26%) larger than Texas'.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Texas: 119.8. California's population density is 2.1 times (111%) higher than Texas'.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Texas's is Houston with 2,390,125. Los Angeles' population is 1.6 times (62%) larger than Houston's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Texas's Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area (8,344,032). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 1.5 times (55%) larger than Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Texas: Admitted to the Union on December 29, 1845, as the 28th state. In its current form, Texas is the older of the two by 5 years.
California vs Texas Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Texas's $2,769.8 billion. California's economic output is 1.5 times (46%) larger than Texas'.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Texas: $88,517. California's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (16%) higher than Texas'.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Texas: $69,823 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.2 times (24%) higher than Texas'.
California vs Texas Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Texas has 254. Texas' county count is 4.4 times (338%) higher than California's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Texas's is Brewster County at 6,184 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 3.2 times (225%) larger than Brewster County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Texas: Rockwall County (127 sq mi). Rockwall County's land area is 2.7 times (172%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Texas: Harris County (5,009,302 people). Los Angeles County's population is 1.9 times (95%) larger than Harris County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Texas: Loving County (48 people). Alpine County's population is 22.9 times larger than Loving County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Texas: Loving County ($220,625). Loving County's income is 1.2 times (16%) richer than Marin County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Texas: Starr County ($34,180). Trinity County's income is 1.2 times (23%) richer than Starr County's.
California vs Texas Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Texas has no state income tax. California's top rate is 13.3 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Texas: 1.31% of home value per year. Texas's rate is 0.6 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Texas: 8.2%. California's combined rate is 0.83 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Texas official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Texas 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.