The map above shows North Carolina and China side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
North Carolina vs China Geography
Land area: North Carolina has a land area of 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²), while China has 3,600,947 square miles (9,326,410 km²). China's land area is 74.1 times larger than North Carolina's.
Total area: North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²) vs China: 3,705,407 square miles (9,596,960 km²), including inland and coastal water. China's total area is 68.8 times larger than North Carolina's.
Length: North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km) long from north to south; China is 2,551 miles (4,105 km). China's north-south length is 9.9 times (889%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width: North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km) east to west; China spans 3,040 miles (4,892 km). China's east-west width is 6.2 times (524%) wider than North Carolina's.
Highest point: North Carolina's highest point is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m); China's is Mount Everest at 29,032 feet (8,849 m). Mount Everest is 22,358 feet higher than Mount Mitchell.
Lowest point: North Carolina's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; China's is Turpan Depression at -505 feet. China's lowest point is 505 feet lower.
North Carolina vs China Population and History
Population: North Carolina has a population of 11,046,024 (2024), while China has 1,404,890,000 (2025). China's population is 127.2 times larger than North Carolina's.
Population density: North Carolina: 227.2 people per square mile vs China: 390.1. China's population density is 1.7 times (72%) higher than North Carolina's.
Biggest city: North Carolina's biggest city is Charlotte with 943,476 people; China's is Shanghai with 24,870,895. Shanghai's population is 26.4 times larger than Charlotte's.
Largest metro area: North Carolina's largest metropolitan area is Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370 people) vs China's Shanghai (29,558,908). Shanghai's population is 10.3 times larger than Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's.
History: North Carolina: Admitted to the Union on November 21, 1789, as the 12th state. China: The People's Republic of China was founded on October 1, 1949. In its current form, North Carolina is the older of the two by 160 years.
North Carolina vs China Economy
GDP: North Carolina's GDP is $844.2 billion (2024) vs China's $19,498.0 billion. China's economic output is 23.1 times larger than North Carolina's.
GDP per capita: North Carolina: $76,427 per person vs China: $13,862. North Carolina's GDP per capita is 5.5 times (451%) higher than China's.
Average income: North Carolina: $65,634 vs China: $14,230 average income per person (per capita personal income). North Carolina's average income is 4.6 times (361%) higher than China's.
Official Websites
North Carolina official website · China official website
More Size Comparisons
All North Carolina size comparisons · All China 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.