Compare US states
Pick two states to see them outlined at the same scale, with population, area, density and key facts side by side.
Texas is 1.6 times the size of California.
| Texas | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Austin | Sacramento |
| Population (2020) | 29,145,505 | 39,538,223 |
| California: 1.4× more people | ||
| Area | 268,596 sq mi | 163,695 sq mi |
| Texas: 1.6× larger | ||
| Density | 108.5 /sq mi | 241.5 /sq mi |
| California: 2.2× denser | ||
| Statehood | 1845 (28th) | 1850 (31st) |
| Largest city | Houston | Los Angeles |
| Region | South | West |
| Time zone | Central | Pacific |
Popular comparisons
Frequently asked questions
How are the two states drawn to the same scale?
Each state is projected with an equal-area projection centred on the state itself, then both are drawn with the same scale factor. That removes the shrinking of Alaska you see on normal US maps, so the outlines are true to size.
Which two states are most similar in size?
Several pairs are within 1% of each other. For example, Maryland (12,406 sq mi) and Hawaii (10,932 sq mi) are close, and Oklahoma (69,899 sq mi) and Missouri (69,707 sq mi) are nearly identical.
Where do the numbers come from?
Population is from the 2020 Census; area is total area (land and water) from the U.S. Census Bureau.