The map above shows Massachusetts and North Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Massachusetts vs North Carolina Geography
Land area: Massachusetts has a land area of 7,801 square miles (20,204 km²), while North Carolina has 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²). North Carolina's land area is 6.2 times (523%) larger than Massachusetts'.
Total area: Massachusetts: 10,554 square miles (27,335 km²) vs North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²), including inland and coastal water. North Carolina's total area is 5.1 times (410%) larger than Massachusetts'.
Length: Massachusetts is 123 miles (198 km) long from north to south; North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km). North Carolina's north-south length is 2.1 times (110%) longer than Massachusetts'.
Width: Massachusetts spans 185 miles (297 km) east to west; North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km). North Carolina's east-west width is 2.6 times (163%) wider than Massachusetts'.
Highest point: Massachusetts's highest point is Mount Greylock at 3,489 feet (1,063 m); North Carolina's is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m). Mount Mitchell is 3,185 feet higher than Mount Greylock.
Lowest point: Massachusetts'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.
Massachusetts vs North Carolina Population and History
Population: Massachusetts has a population of 7,136,171 (2024), while North Carolina has 11,046,024 (2024). North Carolina's population is 1.5 times (55%) larger than Massachusetts'.
Population density: Massachusetts: 914.8 people per square mile vs North Carolina: 227.2. Massachusetts' population density is 4.0 times (303%) higher than North Carolina's.
Biggest city: Massachusetts's biggest city is Boston with 673,458 people; North Carolina's is Charlotte with 943,476. Charlotte's population is 1.4 times (40%) larger than Boston's.
Largest metro area: Massachusetts's largest metropolitan area is Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (5,025,517 people) vs North Carolina's Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370). Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area's population is 1.7 times (74%) larger than Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's.
History: Massachusetts: Admitted to the Union on February 6, 1788, as the 6th state. North Carolina: Admitted to the Union on November 21, 1789, as the 12th state. In its current form, Massachusetts is the older of the two by 1 years.
Massachusetts vs North Carolina Economy
GDP: Massachusetts's GDP is $778.5 billion (2024) vs North Carolina's $844.2 billion. North Carolina's economic output is 1.1 times (8%) larger than Massachusetts'.
GDP per capita: Massachusetts: $109,095 per person vs North Carolina: $76,427. Massachusetts' GDP per capita is 1.4 times (43%) higher than North Carolina's.
Average income: Massachusetts: $93,607 vs North Carolina: $65,634 average income per person (per capita personal income). Massachusetts' average income is 1.4 times (43%) higher than North Carolina's.
Massachusetts vs North Carolina Counties
Number of counties: Massachusetts has 14 counties, while North Carolina has 100. North Carolina's county count is 7.1 times (614%) higher than Massachusetts'.
Biggest county by area: Massachusetts's largest county is Worcester County at 1,511 square miles; North Carolina's is Robeson County at 947 square miles. Worcester County's land area is 1.6 times (59%) larger than Robeson County's.
Smallest county by area: Massachusetts: Nantucket County (46 sq mi) vs North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi). Chowan County's land area is 3.7 times (274%) larger than Nantucket County's.
Most populous county: Massachusetts: Middlesex County (1,668,956 people) vs North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people). Middlesex County's population is 1.4 times (35%) larger than Wake County's.
Least populous county: Massachusetts: Nantucket County (14,670 people) vs North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people). Nantucket County's population is 4.2 times (317%) larger than Tyrrell County's.
Richest county: Massachusetts: Nantucket County ($129,250 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638). Nantucket County's income is 1.4 times (41%) richer than Chatham County's.
Poorest county: Massachusetts: Hampshire County ($65,432 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932). Hampshire County's income is 1.6 times (60%) richer than Warren County's.
Massachusetts vs North Carolina Taxes
State income tax: Massachusetts has a top income tax rate of 9%, while North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%. Massachusetts's top rate is 5.01 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Massachusetts: 1% effective rate vs North Carolina: 0.61% of home value per year. Massachusetts's rate is 0.39 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Massachusetts: 6.25% combined state and average local rate vs North Carolina: 7.1%. North Carolina's combined rate is 0.85 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Massachusetts official website · North Carolina official website
More Size Comparisons
All Massachusetts 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.