The map above shows New Mexico and North Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
New Mexico vs North Carolina Geography
Land area: New Mexico has a land area of 121,313 square miles (314,198 km²), while North Carolina has 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²). New Mexico's land area is 2.5 times (149%) larger than North Carolina's.
Total area: New Mexico: 121,593 square miles (314,925 km²) vs North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²), including inland and coastal water. New Mexico's total area is 2.3 times (126%) larger than North Carolina's.
Length: New Mexico is 395 miles (635 km) long from north to south; North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km). New Mexico's north-south length is 1.5 times (53%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width: New Mexico spans 498 miles (801 km) east to west; North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km). New Mexico and North Carolina have about the same east-west width.
Highest point: New Mexico's highest point is Wheeler Peak at 13,150 feet (4,008 m); North Carolina's is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m). Wheeler Peak is 6,476 feet higher than Mount Mitchell.
Lowest point: New Mexico's lowest point is Red Bluff Reservoir at 2,842 feet; North Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. North Carolina's lowest point is 2,842 feet lower.
New Mexico vs North Carolina Population and History
Population: New Mexico has a population of 2,130,256 (2024), while North Carolina has 11,046,024 (2024). North Carolina's population is 5.2 times (419%) larger than New Mexico's.
Population density: New Mexico: 17.6 people per square mile vs North Carolina: 227.2. North Carolina's population density is 12.9 times higher than New Mexico's.
Biggest city: New Mexico's biggest city is Albuquerque with 560,326 people; North Carolina's is Charlotte with 943,476. Charlotte's population is 1.7 times (68%) larger than Albuquerque's.
Largest metro area: New Mexico's largest metropolitan area is Albuquerque, NM metro area (926,303 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 3.1 times (211%) larger than Albuquerque, NM metro area's.
History: New Mexico: Admitted to the Union on January 6, 1912, as the 47th 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 123 years.
New Mexico vs North Carolina Economy
GDP: New Mexico's GDP is $147.1 billion (2024) vs North Carolina's $844.2 billion. North Carolina's economic output is 5.7 times (474%) larger than New Mexico's.
GDP per capita: New Mexico: $69,046 per person vs North Carolina: $76,427. North Carolina's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (11%) higher than New Mexico's.
Average income: New Mexico: $58,249 vs North Carolina: $65,634 average income per person (per capita personal income). North Carolina's average income is 1.1 times (13%) higher than New Mexico's.
New Mexico vs North Carolina Counties
Number of counties: New Mexico has 33 counties, while North Carolina has 100. North Carolina's county count is 3.0 times (203%) higher than New Mexico's.
Biggest county by area: New Mexico's largest county is Catron County at 6,924 square miles; North Carolina's is Robeson County at 947 square miles. Catron County's land area is 7.3 times (631%) larger than Robeson County's.
Smallest county by area: New Mexico: Los Alamos County (109 sq mi) vs North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi). Chowan County's land area is 1.6 times (58%) larger than Los Alamos County's.
Most populous county: New Mexico: Bernalillo County (671,747 people) vs North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people). Wake County's population is 1.8 times (83%) larger than Bernalillo County's.
Least populous county: New Mexico: Harding County (635 people) vs North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people). Tyrrell County's population is 5.5 times (454%) larger than Harding County's.
Richest county: New Mexico: Los Alamos County ($98,378 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638). Los Alamos County's income is 1.1 times (7%) richer than Chatham County's.
Poorest county: New Mexico: Cibola County ($36,397 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932). Warren County's income is 1.1 times (12%) richer than Cibola County's.
New Mexico vs North Carolina Taxes
State income tax: New Mexico has a top income tax rate of 5.9%, while North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%. New Mexico's top rate is 1.91 percentage points higher.
Property tax: New Mexico: 0.63% effective rate vs North Carolina: 0.61% of home value per year. New Mexico's rate is 0.02 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: New Mexico: 7.68% combined state and average local rate vs North Carolina: 7.1%. New Mexico's combined rate is 0.58 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
New Mexico official website · North Carolina official website
More Size Comparisons
All New Mexico 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.