The map above shows Iowa and North Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs North Carolina Geography
Land area
- Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while North Carolina has 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²).
- Iowa's land area is 1.1 times (15%) larger than North Carolina's.
Total area
- Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Iowa and North Carolina have about the same total area.
Length
- Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km).
- North Carolina's north-south length is 1.2 times (19%) longer than Iowa's.
Width
- Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km).
- North Carolina's east-west width is 1.5 times (45%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point
- Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); North Carolina's is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m).
- Mount Mitchell is 5,005 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point
- Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; North Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet.
- North Carolina's lowest point is 480 feet lower.
Iowa vs North Carolina Population and History
Population
- Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while North Carolina has 11,046,024 (2024).
- North Carolina's population is 3.4 times (241%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density
- Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs North Carolina: 227.2.
- North Carolina's population density is 3.9 times (292%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city
- Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; North Carolina's is Charlotte with 943,476.
- Charlotte's population is 4.4 times (343%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area
- Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs North Carolina's Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370).
- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's population is 2.9 times (188%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History
- Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th 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 57 years.
Iowa vs North Carolina Economy
GDP
- Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs North Carolina's $844.2 billion.
- North Carolina's economic output is 3.2 times (218%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita
- Iowa: $81,998 per person vs North Carolina: $76,427.
- Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (7%) higher than North Carolina's.
Average income
- Iowa: $65,225 vs North Carolina: $65,634 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Iowa and North Carolina have about the same average income.
Iowa vs North Carolina Counties
Number of counties
- Iowa has 99 counties, while North Carolina has 100.
- Iowa and North Carolina have about the same county count.
Biggest county by area
- Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; North Carolina's is Robeson County at 947 square miles.
- Kossuth County and Robeson County have about the same land area.
Smallest county by area
- Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi).
- Dickinson County's land area is 2.2 times (120%) larger than Chowan County's.
Most populous county
- Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people).
- Wake County's population is 2.4 times (139%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county
- Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people).
- Adams County and Tyrrell County have about the same population.
Richest county
- Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638).
- Mitchell County's income is 1.1 times (7%) richer than Chatham County's.
Poorest county
- Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932).
- Decatur County's income is 1.1 times (13%) richer than Warren County's.
Iowa vs North Carolina Taxes
State income tax
- Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%.
- North Carolina's top rate is 0.19 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs North Carolina: 0.61% of home value per year.
- Iowa's rate is 0.68 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs North Carolina: 7.1%.
- North Carolina's combined rate is 0.16 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · North Carolina official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Iowa 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.