The map above shows North Carolina and Pennsylvania side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
North Carolina vs Pennsylvania Geography
Land area: North Carolina has a land area of 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²), while Pennsylvania has 44,742 square miles (115,882 km²). North Carolina's land area is 1.1 times (9%) larger than Pennsylvania's.
Total area: North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²) vs Pennsylvania: 46,054 square miles (119,279 km²), including inland and coastal water. North Carolina's total area is 1.2 times (17%) larger than Pennsylvania's.
Length: North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km) long from north to south; Pennsylvania is 284 miles (458 km). Pennsylvania's north-south length is 1.1 times (10%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width: North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km) east to west; Pennsylvania spans 307 miles (495 km). North Carolina's east-west width is 1.6 times (59%) wider than Pennsylvania's.
Highest point: North Carolina's highest point is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m); Pennsylvania's is Mount Davis at 3,210 feet (978 m). Mount Mitchell is 3,464 feet higher than Mount Davis.
Lowest point: North Carolina's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; Pennsylvania's is Delaware River at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
North Carolina vs Pennsylvania Population and History
Population: North Carolina has a population of 11,046,024 (2024), while Pennsylvania has 13,078,751 (2024). Pennsylvania's population is 1.2 times (18%) larger than North Carolina's.
Population density: North Carolina: 227.2 people per square mile vs Pennsylvania: 292.3. Pennsylvania's population density is 1.3 times (29%) higher than North Carolina's.
Biggest city: North Carolina's biggest city is Charlotte with 943,476 people; Pennsylvania's is Philadelphia with 1,573,916. Philadelphia's population is 1.7 times (67%) 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 Pennsylvania's Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (6,330,422). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area's population is 2.2 times (120%) 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. Pennsylvania: Admitted to the Union on December 12, 1787, as the 2nd state. In its current form, Pennsylvania is the older of the two by 2 years.
North Carolina vs Pennsylvania Economy
GDP: North Carolina's GDP is $844.2 billion (2024) vs Pennsylvania's $1,007.9 billion. Pennsylvania's economic output is 1.2 times (19%) larger than North Carolina's.
GDP per capita: North Carolina: $76,427 per person vs Pennsylvania: $77,062. North Carolina and Pennsylvania have about the same GDP per capita.
Average income: North Carolina: $65,634 vs Pennsylvania: $70,678 average income per person (per capita personal income). Pennsylvania's average income is 1.1 times (8%) higher than North Carolina's.
North Carolina vs Pennsylvania Counties
Number of counties: North Carolina has 100 counties, while Pennsylvania has 67. North Carolina's county count is 1.5 times (49%) higher than Pennsylvania's.
Biggest county by area: North Carolina's largest county is Robeson County at 947 square miles; Pennsylvania's is Lycoming County at 1,229 square miles. Lycoming County's land area is 1.3 times (30%) larger than Robeson County's.
Smallest county by area: North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi) vs Pennsylvania: Montour County (130 sq mi). Chowan County's land area is 1.3 times (33%) larger than Montour County's.
Most populous county: North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people) vs Pennsylvania: Philadelphia County (1,573,916 people). Philadelphia County's population is 1.3 times (28%) larger than Wake County's.
Least populous county: North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people) vs Pennsylvania: Cameron County (4,348 people). Cameron County's population is 1.2 times (24%) larger than Tyrrell County's.
Richest county: North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638 per capita income) vs Pennsylvania: Chester County ($110,883). Chester County's income is 1.2 times (21%) richer than Chatham County's.
Poorest county: North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932 per capita income) vs Pennsylvania: Forest County ($30,234). Warren County's income is 1.4 times (35%) richer than Forest County's.
North Carolina vs Pennsylvania Taxes
State income tax: North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%, while Pennsylvania has a top income tax rate of 3.07%. North Carolina's top rate is 0.92 percentage points higher.
Property tax: North Carolina: 0.61% effective rate vs Pennsylvania: 1.16% of home value per year. Pennsylvania's rate is 0.55 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: North Carolina: 7.1% combined state and average local rate vs Pennsylvania: 6.34%. North Carolina's combined rate is 0.76 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
North Carolina official website · Pennsylvania official website
More Size Comparisons
All North Carolina size comparisons · All Pennsylvania 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.