The map above shows California and West Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs West Virginia Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while West Virginia has 24,041 square miles (62,266 km²). California's land area is 6.5 times (548%) larger than West Virginia's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs West Virginia: 24,230 square miles (62,755 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 6.8 times (576%) larger than West Virginia's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; West Virginia is 245 miles (394 km). California's north-south length is 3.1 times (211%) longer than West Virginia's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; West Virginia spans 276 miles (444 km). California's east-west width is 2.6 times (156%) wider than West Virginia's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); West Virginia's is Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet (1,482 m). Mount Whitney is 9,621 feet higher than Spruce Knob.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; West Virginia's is Potomac River at 240 feet. California's lowest point is 519 feet lower.
California vs West Virginia Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while West Virginia has 1,769,979 (2024). California's population is 22.3 times larger than West Virginia's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs West Virginia: 73.6. California's population density is 3.4 times (244%) higher than West Virginia's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; West Virginia's is Charleston with 46,482. Los Angeles' population is 83.4 times larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs West Virginia's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 2.0 times (101%) larger than Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. West Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, as the 35th state. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 13 years.
California vs West Virginia Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs West Virginia's $106.5 billion. California's economic output is 38.0 times larger than West Virginia's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs West Virginia: $60,156. California's GDP per capita is 1.7 times (71%) higher than West Virginia's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs West Virginia: $55,351 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.6 times (56%) higher than West Virginia's.
California vs West Virginia Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while West Virginia has 55. California's county count is 1.1 times (5%) higher than West Virginia's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; West Virginia's is Randolph County at 1,040 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 19.3 times larger than Randolph County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs West Virginia: Hancock County (83 sq mi). Hancock County's land area is 1.8 times (77%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs West Virginia: Kanawha County (173,906 people). Los Angeles County's population is 56.1 times larger than Kanawha County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs West Virginia: Wirt County (4,924 people). Wirt County's population is 4.5 times (348%) larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Jefferson County ($70,542). Marin County's income is 2.7 times (171%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Webster County ($35,039). Trinity County's income is 1.2 times (20%) richer than Webster County's.
California vs West Virginia Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while West Virginia has a top income tax rate of 4.82%. California's top rate is 8.48 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs West Virginia: 0.52% of home value per year. California's rate is 0.19 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs West Virginia: 6.6%. California's combined rate is 2.43 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · West Virginia official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All West Virginia 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.