The map above shows Delaware and South Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Delaware vs South Carolina Geography
Land area: Delaware has a land area of 1,949 square miles (5,047 km²), while South Carolina has 30,064 square miles (77,866 km²). South Carolina's land area is 15.4 times larger than Delaware's.
Total area: Delaware: 2,489 square miles (6,446 km²) vs South Carolina: 32,024 square miles (82,940 km²), including inland and coastal water. South Carolina's total area is 12.9 times larger than Delaware's.
Length: Delaware is 98 miles (158 km) long from north to south; South Carolina is 236 miles (380 km). South Carolina's north-south length is 2.4 times (141%) longer than Delaware's.
Width: Delaware spans 96 miles (155 km) east to west; South Carolina spans 279 miles (449 km). South Carolina's east-west width is 2.9 times (191%) wider than Delaware's.
Highest point: Delaware's highest point is Ebright Azimuth at 450 feet (137 m); South Carolina's is Sassafras Mountain at 3,497 feet (1,066 m). Sassafras Mountain is 3,047 feet higher than Ebright Azimuth.
Lowest point: Delaware's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; South Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Delaware vs South Carolina Population and History
Population: Delaware has a population of 1,051,917 (2024), while South Carolina has 5,478,831 (2024). South Carolina's population is 5.2 times (421%) larger than Delaware's.
Population density: Delaware: 539.9 people per square mile vs South Carolina: 182.2. Delaware's population density is 3.0 times (196%) higher than South Carolina's.
Biggest city: Delaware's biggest city is Wilmington with 73,176 people; South Carolina's is Charleston with 157,665. Charleston's population is 2.2 times (115%) larger than Wilmington's.
Largest metro area: Delaware's largest metropolitan area is Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (6,330,422 people) vs South Carolina's Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370). 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: Delaware: Admitted to the Union on December 7, 1787, as the 1st state. South Carolina: Admitted to the Union on May 23, 1788, as the 8th state. In its current form, Delaware is the older of the two by 1 years.
Delaware vs South Carolina Economy
GDP: Delaware's GDP is $111.0 billion (2024) vs South Carolina's $357.1 billion. South Carolina's economic output is 3.2 times (222%) larger than Delaware's.
GDP per capita: Delaware: $105,495 per person vs South Carolina: $65,173. Delaware's GDP per capita is 1.6 times (62%) higher than South Carolina's.
Average income: Delaware: $68,061 vs South Carolina: $60,776 average income per person (per capita personal income). Delaware's average income is 1.1 times (12%) higher than South Carolina's.
Delaware vs South Carolina Counties
Number of counties: Delaware has 3 counties, while South Carolina has 46. South Carolina's county count is 15.3 times higher than Delaware's.
Biggest county by area: Delaware's largest county is Sussex County at 936 square miles; South Carolina's is Horry County at 1,133 square miles. Horry County's land area is 1.2 times (21%) larger than Sussex County's.
Smallest county by area: Delaware: New Castle County (426 sq mi) vs South Carolina: McCormick County (359 sq mi). New Castle County's land area is 1.2 times (19%) larger than McCormick County's.
Most populous county: Delaware: New Castle County (588,093 people) vs South Carolina: Greenville County (570,745 people). New Castle County and Greenville County have about the same population.
Least populous county: Delaware: Kent County (192,690 people) vs South Carolina: Allendale County (7,551 people). Kent County's population is 25.5 times larger than Allendale County's.
Richest county: Delaware: Sussex County ($73,647 per capita income) vs South Carolina: Charleston County ($90,550). Charleston County's income is 1.2 times (23%) richer than Sussex County's.
Poorest county: Delaware: Kent County ($55,474 per capita income) vs South Carolina: Marlboro County ($41,332). Kent County's income is 1.3 times (34%) richer than Marlboro County's.
Delaware vs South Carolina Taxes
State income tax: Delaware has a top income tax rate of 6.6%, while South Carolina has a top income tax rate of 6%. Delaware's top rate is 0.6 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Delaware: 0.47% effective rate vs South Carolina: 0.45% of home value per year. Delaware's rate is 0.02 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Delaware: 0% combined state and average local rate vs South Carolina: 7.49%. South Carolina's combined rate is 7.49 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Delaware official website · South Carolina official website
More Size Comparisons
All Delaware size comparisons · All South Carolina 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.