The map above shows Illinois and North Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Illinois vs North Carolina Geography
Land area
- Illinois has a land area of 55,513 square miles (143,778 km²), while North Carolina has 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²).
- Illinois' land area is 1.1 times (14%) larger than North Carolina's.
Total area
- Illinois: 57,913 square miles (149,995 km²) vs North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Illinois' total area is 1.1 times (8%) larger than North Carolina's.
Length
- Illinois is 390 miles (628 km) long from north to south; North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km).
- Illinois' north-south length is 1.5 times (51%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width
- Illinois spans 283 miles (456 km) east to west; North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km).
- North Carolina's east-west width is 1.7 times (72%) wider than Illinois'.
Highest point
- Illinois's highest point is Charles Mound at 1,232 feet (376 m); North Carolina's is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m).
- Mount Mitchell is 5,442 feet higher than Charles Mound.
Lowest point
- Illinois's lowest point is Mississippi River at 292 feet; North Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet.
- North Carolina's lowest point is 292 feet lower.
Illinois vs North Carolina Population and History
Population
- Illinois has a population of 12,710,158 (2024), while North Carolina has 11,046,024 (2024).
- Illinois' population is 1.2 times (15%) larger than North Carolina's.
Population density
- Illinois: 229.0 people per square mile vs North Carolina: 227.2.
- Illinois and North Carolina have about the same population density.
Biggest city
- Illinois's biggest city is Chicago with 2,721,308 people; North Carolina's is Charlotte with 943,476.
- Chicago's population is 2.9 times (188%) larger than Charlotte's.
Largest metro area
- Illinois's largest metropolitan area is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (9,408,576 people) vs North Carolina's Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370).
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area's population is 3.3 times (226%) larger than Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's.
History
- Illinois: Admitted to the Union on December 3, 1818, as the 21st state.
- North Carolina: Admitted to the Union on November 21, 1789, as the 12th state.
- In its current form, North Carolina is the older of the two by 29 years.
Illinois vs North Carolina Economy
GDP
- Illinois's GDP is $1,148.1 billion (2024) vs North Carolina's $844.2 billion.
- Illinois' economic output is 1.4 times (36%) larger than North Carolina's.
GDP per capita
- Illinois: $90,330 per person vs North Carolina: $76,427.
- Illinois' GDP per capita is 1.2 times (18%) higher than North Carolina's.
Average income
- Illinois: $74,522 vs North Carolina: $65,634 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Illinois' average income is 1.1 times (14%) higher than North Carolina's.
Illinois vs North Carolina Counties
Number of counties
- Illinois has 102 counties, while North Carolina has 100.
- Illinois and North Carolina have about the same county count.
Biggest county by area
- Illinois's largest county is McLean County at 1,183 square miles; North Carolina's is Robeson County at 947 square miles.
- McLean County's land area is 1.2 times (25%) larger than Robeson County's.
Smallest county by area
- Illinois: Putnam County (160 sq mi) vs North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi).
- Chowan County's land area is 1.1 times (8%) larger than Putnam County's.
Most populous county
- Illinois: Cook County (5,182,617 people) vs North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people).
- Cook County's population is 4.2 times (321%) larger than Wake County's.
Least populous county
- Illinois: Hardin County (3,550 people) vs North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people).
- Hardin County and Tyrrell County have about the same population.
Richest county
- Illinois: Cumberland County ($104,890 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638).
- Cumberland County's income is 1.1 times (14%) richer than Chatham County's.
Poorest county
- Illinois: Lawrence County ($43,606 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932).
- Lawrence County's income is 1.1 times (7%) richer than Warren County's.
Illinois vs North Carolina Taxes
State income tax
- Illinois has a top income tax rate of 4.95%, while North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%.
- Illinois's top rate is 0.96 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Illinois: 1.92% effective rate vs North Carolina: 0.61% of home value per year.
- Illinois's rate is 1.31 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Illinois: 8.98% combined state and average local rate vs North Carolina: 7.1%.
- Illinois's combined rate is 1.88 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Illinois official website · North Carolina official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Illinois size comparisons · All North Carolina 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.