The map above shows North Carolina and Nova Scotia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
North Carolina vs Nova Scotia Geography
Land area: North Carolina has a land area of 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²), while Nova Scotia has 20,594 square miles (53,338 km²). North Carolina's land area is 2.4 times (136%) larger than Nova Scotia's.
Total area: North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²) vs Nova Scotia: 21,345 square miles (55,284 km²), including inland and coastal water. North Carolina's total area is 2.5 times (152%) larger than Nova Scotia's.
Length: North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km) long from north to south; Nova Scotia is 342 miles (550 km). Nova Scotia's north-south length is 1.3 times (33%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width: North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km) east to west; Nova Scotia spans 338 miles (544 km). North Carolina's east-west width is 1.4 times (44%) wider than Nova Scotia's.
Highest point: North Carolina's highest point is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m); Nova Scotia's is White Hill at 1,749 feet (533 m). Mount Mitchell is 4,925 feet higher than White Hill.
Lowest point: North Carolina's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; Nova Scotia's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
North Carolina vs Nova Scotia Population and History
Population: North Carolina has a population of 11,046,024 (2024), while Nova Scotia has 1,090,074 (2026). North Carolina's population is 10.1 times larger than Nova Scotia's.
Population density: North Carolina: 227.2 people per square mile vs Nova Scotia: 52.9. North Carolina's population density is 4.3 times (329%) higher than Nova Scotia's.
Biggest city: North Carolina's biggest city is Charlotte with 943,476 people; Nova Scotia's is ''Halifax'' with 439,819. Charlotte's population is 2.1 times (115%) larger than ''Halifax'''s.
Largest metro area: North Carolina's largest metropolitan area is Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370 people) vs Nova Scotia's Halifax CMA (465,703). Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's population is 6.2 times (519%) larger than Halifax CMA's.
History: North Carolina: Admitted to the Union on November 21, 1789, as the 12th state. Nova Scotia: Joined Confederation on July 1, 1867, as one of the four founding provinces. In its current form, North Carolina is the older of the two by 78 years.
North Carolina vs Nova Scotia Economy
GDP: North Carolina's GDP is $844.2 billion (2024) vs Nova Scotia's $47.7 billion. North Carolina's economic output is 17.7 times larger than Nova Scotia's.
GDP per capita: North Carolina: $76,427 per person vs Nova Scotia: $44,056. North Carolina's GDP per capita is 1.7 times (73%) higher than Nova Scotia's.
Official Websites
North Carolina official website · Nova Scotia official website
More Size Comparisons
All North Carolina size comparisons · All Nova Scotia 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.