The map above shows North Carolina and North Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
North Carolina vs North Dakota Geography
Land area: North Carolina has a land area of 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²), while North Dakota has 68,994 square miles (178,694 km²). North Dakota's land area is 1.4 times (42%) larger than North Carolina's.
Total area: North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²) vs North Dakota: 70,699 square miles (183,109 km²), including inland and coastal water. North Dakota's total area is 1.3 times (31%) larger than North Carolina's.
Length: North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km) long from north to south; North Dakota is 338 miles (544 km). North Dakota's north-south length is 1.3 times (31%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width: North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km) east to west; North Dakota spans 408 miles (657 km). North Carolina's east-west width is 1.2 times (19%) wider than North Dakota's.
Highest point: North Carolina's highest point is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m); North Dakota's is White Butte at 3,500 feet (1,067 m). Mount Mitchell is 3,174 feet higher than White Butte.
Lowest point: North Carolina's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; North Dakota's is Red River of the North at 754 feet. North Carolina's lowest point is 754 feet lower.
North Carolina vs North Dakota Population and History
Population: North Carolina has a population of 11,046,024 (2024), while North Dakota has 796,568 (2024). North Carolina's population is 13.9 times larger than North Dakota's.
Population density: North Carolina: 227.2 people per square mile vs North Dakota: 11.5. North Carolina's population density is 19.8 times higher than North Dakota's.
Biggest city: North Carolina's biggest city is Charlotte with 943,476 people; North Dakota's is Fargo with 136,285. Charlotte's population is 6.9 times (592%) larger than Fargo's.
Largest metro area: North Carolina's largest metropolitan area is Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370 people) vs North Dakota's Fargo, ND-MN metro area (267,793). Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's population is 10.8 times larger than Fargo, ND-MN metro area's.
History: North Carolina: Admitted to the Union on November 21, 1789, as the 12th state. North Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 39th state. In its current form, North Carolina is the older of the two by 100 years.
North Carolina vs North Dakota Economy
GDP: North Carolina's GDP is $844.2 billion (2024) vs North Dakota's $80.1 billion. North Carolina's economic output is 10.5 times larger than North Dakota's.
GDP per capita: North Carolina: $76,427 per person vs North Dakota: $100,504. North Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (32%) higher than North Carolina's.
Average income: North Carolina: $65,634 vs North Dakota: $71,749 average income per person (per capita personal income). North Dakota's average income is 1.1 times (9%) higher than North Carolina's.
North Carolina vs North Dakota Counties
Number of counties: North Carolina has 100 counties, while North Dakota has 53. North Carolina's county count is 1.9 times (89%) higher than North Dakota's.
Biggest county by area: North Carolina's largest county is Robeson County at 947 square miles; North Dakota's is McKenzie County at 2,760 square miles. McKenzie County's land area is 2.9 times (191%) larger than Robeson County's.
Smallest county by area: North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi) vs North Dakota: Eddy County (630 sq mi). Eddy County's land area is 3.6 times (265%) larger than Chowan County's.
Most populous county: North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people) vs North Dakota: Cass County (200,945 people). Wake County's population is 6.1 times (513%) larger than Cass County's.
Least populous county: North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people) vs North Dakota: Slope County (660 people). Tyrrell County's population is 5.3 times (433%) larger than Slope County's.
Richest county: North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638 per capita income) vs North Dakota: Dunn County ($99,793). Dunn County's income is 1.1 times (9%) richer than Chatham County's.
Poorest county: North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932 per capita income) vs North Dakota: Sioux County ($33,782). Warren County's income is 1.2 times (21%) richer than Sioux County's.
North Carolina vs North Dakota Taxes
State income tax: North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%, while North Dakota has a top income tax rate of 2.5%. North Carolina's top rate is 1.49 percentage points higher.
Property tax: North Carolina: 0.61% effective rate vs North Dakota: 0.96% of home value per year. North Dakota's rate is 0.35 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: North Carolina: 7.1% combined state and average local rate vs North Dakota: 7.09%. The two are essentially equal.
Official Websites
North Carolina official website · North Dakota official website
More Size Comparisons
All North Carolina size comparisons · All North Dakota 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.