The map above shows Maine and North Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Maine vs North Carolina Geography
Land area: Maine has a land area of 30,845 square miles (79,888 km²), while North Carolina has 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²). North Carolina's land area is 1.6 times (58%) larger than Maine's.
Total area: Maine: 35,380 square miles (91,634 km²) vs North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²), including inland and coastal water. North Carolina's total area is 1.5 times (52%) larger than Maine's.
Length: Maine is 311 miles (501 km) long from north to south; North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km). Maine's north-south length is 1.2 times (21%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width: Maine spans 203 miles (327 km) east to west; North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km). North Carolina's east-west width is 2.4 times (140%) wider than Maine's.
Highest point: Maine's highest point is Mount Katahdin at 5,253 feet (1,601 m); North Carolina's is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m). Mount Mitchell is 1,421 feet higher than Mount Katahdin.
Lowest point: Maine's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; North Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Maine vs North Carolina Population and History
Population: Maine has a population of 1,405,012 (2024), while North Carolina has 11,046,024 (2024). North Carolina's population is 7.9 times (686%) larger than Maine's.
Population density: Maine: 45.6 people per square mile vs North Carolina: 227.2. North Carolina's population density is 5.0 times (398%) higher than Maine's.
Biggest city: Maine's biggest city is Portland with 69,568 people; North Carolina's is Charlotte with 943,476. Charlotte's population is 13.6 times larger than Portland's.
Largest metro area: Maine's largest metropolitan area is Portland-South Portland, ME metro area (571,534 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 5.0 times (404%) larger than Portland-South Portland, ME metro area's.
History: Maine: Admitted to the Union on March 15, 1820, as the 23rd 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 31 years.
Maine vs North Carolina Economy
GDP: Maine's GDP is $99.2 billion (2024) vs North Carolina's $844.2 billion. North Carolina's economic output is 8.5 times (751%) larger than Maine's.
GDP per capita: Maine: $70,586 per person vs North Carolina: $76,427. North Carolina's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (8%) higher than Maine's.
Average income: Maine: $68,932 vs North Carolina: $65,634 average income per person (per capita personal income). Maine's average income is 1.1 times (5%) higher than North Carolina's.
Maine vs North Carolina Counties
Number of counties: Maine has 16 counties, while North Carolina has 100. North Carolina's county count is 6.3 times (525%) higher than Maine's.
Biggest county by area: Maine's largest county is Aroostook County at 6,671 square miles; North Carolina's is Robeson County at 947 square miles. Aroostook County's land area is 7.0 times (604%) larger than Robeson County's.
Smallest county by area: Maine: Sagadahoc County (254 sq mi) vs North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi). Sagadahoc County's land area is 1.5 times (47%) larger than Chowan County's.
Most populous county: Maine: Cumberland County (313,809 people) vs North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people). Wake County's population is 3.9 times (293%) larger than Cumberland County's.
Least populous county: Maine: Piscataquis County (17,432 people) vs North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people). Piscataquis County's population is 5.0 times (396%) larger than Tyrrell County's.
Richest county: Maine: Cumberland County ($90,142 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638). Cumberland County and Chatham County have about the same income.
Poorest county: Maine: Franklin County ($52,725 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932). Franklin County's income is 1.3 times (29%) richer than Warren County's.
Maine vs North Carolina Taxes
State income tax: Maine has a top income tax rate of 7.15%, while North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%. Maine's top rate is 3.16 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Maine: 0.91% effective rate vs North Carolina: 0.61% of home value per year. Maine's rate is 0.3 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Maine: 5.5% combined state and average local rate vs North Carolina: 7.1%. North Carolina's combined rate is 1.6 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Maine official website · North Carolina official website
More Size Comparisons
All Maine 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.