The map above shows Michigan and North Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Michigan vs North Carolina Geography
Land area: Michigan has a land area of 56,611 square miles (146,622 km²), while North Carolina has 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²). Michigan's land area is 1.2 times (16%) larger than North Carolina's.
Total area: Michigan: 96,713 square miles (250,486 km²) vs North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²), including inland and coastal water. Michigan's total area is 1.8 times (80%) larger than North Carolina's.
Length: Michigan is 489 miles (786 km) long from north to south; North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km). Michigan's north-south length is 1.9 times (90%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width: Michigan spans 453 miles (728 km) east to west; North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km). North Carolina's east-west width is 1.1 times (8%) wider than Michigan's.
Highest point: Michigan's highest point is Mount Arvon at 2,014 feet (614 m); North Carolina's is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m). Mount Mitchell is 4,660 feet higher than Mount Arvon.
Lowest point: Michigan's lowest point is Lake Erie at 571 feet; North Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. North Carolina's lowest point is 571 feet lower.
Michigan vs North Carolina Population and History
Population: Michigan has a population of 10,140,459 (2024), while North Carolina has 11,046,024 (2024). North Carolina's population is 1.1 times (9%) larger than Michigan's.
Population density: Michigan: 179.1 people per square mile vs North Carolina: 227.2. North Carolina's population density is 1.3 times (27%) higher than Michigan's.
Biggest city: Michigan's biggest city is Detroit with 645,705 people; North Carolina's is Charlotte with 943,476. Charlotte's population is 1.5 times (46%) larger than Detroit's.
Largest metro area: Michigan's largest metropolitan area is Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area (4,400,578 people) vs North Carolina's Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370). Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area's population is 1.5 times (53%) larger than Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's.
History: Michigan: Admitted to the Union on January 26, 1837, as the 26th 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 48 years.
Michigan vs North Carolina Economy
GDP: Michigan's GDP is $702.5 billion (2024) vs North Carolina's $844.2 billion. North Carolina's economic output is 1.2 times (20%) larger than Michigan's.
GDP per capita: Michigan: $69,274 per person vs North Carolina: $76,427. North Carolina's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (10%) higher than Michigan's.
Average income: Michigan: $63,690 vs North Carolina: $65,634 average income per person (per capita personal income). Michigan and North Carolina have about the same average income.
Michigan vs North Carolina Counties
Number of counties: Michigan has 83 counties, while North Carolina has 100. North Carolina's county count is 1.2 times (20%) higher than Michigan's.
Biggest county by area: Michigan's largest county is Marquette County at 1,809 square miles; North Carolina's is Robeson County at 947 square miles. Marquette County's land area is 1.9 times (91%) larger than Robeson County's.
Smallest county by area: Michigan: Benzie County (320 sq mi) vs North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi). Benzie County's land area is 1.9 times (85%) larger than Chowan County's.
Most populous county: Michigan: Wayne County (1,771,063 people) vs North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people). Wayne County's population is 1.4 times (44%) larger than Wake County's.
Least populous county: Michigan: Keweenaw County (2,161 people) vs North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people). Tyrrell County's population is 1.6 times (63%) larger than Keweenaw County's.
Richest county: Michigan: Oakland County ($93,579 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638). Oakland County and Chatham County have about the same income.
Poorest county: Michigan: Lake County ($39,505 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932). Lake County and Warren County have about the same income.
Michigan vs North Carolina Taxes
State income tax: Michigan has a top income tax rate of 4.25%, while North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%. Michigan's top rate is 0.26 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Michigan: 1.18% effective rate vs North Carolina: 0.61% of home value per year. Michigan's rate is 0.57 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Michigan: 6% combined state and average local rate vs North Carolina: 7.1%. North Carolina's combined rate is 1.1 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Michigan official website · North Carolina official website
More Size Comparisons
All Michigan 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.