The map above shows North Carolina and New South Wales side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
North Carolina vs New South Wales Geography
Land area: North Carolina has a land area of 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²), while New South Wales has 309,130 square miles (800,642 km²). New South Wales' land area is 6.4 times (536%) larger than North Carolina's.
Total area: North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²) vs New South Wales: 309,130 square miles (800,642 km²), including inland and coastal water. New South Wales' total area is 5.7 times (474%) larger than North Carolina's.
Length: North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km) long from north to south; New South Wales is 678 miles (1,092 km). New South Wales' north-south length is 2.6 times (163%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width: North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km) east to west; New South Wales spans 831 miles (1,338 km). New South Wales' east-west width is 1.7 times (71%) wider than North Carolina's.
Highest point: North Carolina's highest point is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m); New South Wales's is Mount Kosciuszko at 7,310 feet (2,228 m). Mount Kosciuszko is 636 feet higher than Mount Mitchell.
Lowest point: North Carolina's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; New South Wales's is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
North Carolina vs New South Wales Population and History
Population: North Carolina has a population of 11,046,024 (2024), while New South Wales has 8,624,534 (2025). North Carolina's population is 1.3 times (28%) larger than New South Wales'.
Population density: North Carolina: 227.2 people per square mile vs New South Wales: 27.9. North Carolina's population density is 8.1 times (714%) higher than New South Wales'.
Largest metro area: North Carolina's largest metropolitan area is Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370 people) vs New South Wales's Greater Sydney (5,638,830). Greater Sydney's population is 2.0 times (96%) 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. New South Wales: Became an Australian state at Federation on January 1, 1901; founded as a colony in 1788. In its current form, North Carolina is the older of the two by 112 years.
North Carolina vs New South Wales Economy
GDP: North Carolina's GDP is $844.2 billion (2024) vs New South Wales's $547.1 billion. North Carolina's economic output is 1.5 times (54%) larger than New South Wales'.
GDP per capita: North Carolina: $76,427 per person vs New South Wales: $63,435. North Carolina's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (20%) higher than New South Wales'.
Official Websites
North Carolina official website · New South Wales official website
More Size Comparisons
All North Carolina size comparisons · All New South Wales 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.