The map above shows Arkansas and South Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Arkansas vs South Carolina Geography
Land area
- Arkansas has a land area of 51,992 square miles (134,658 km²), while South Carolina has 30,064 square miles (77,866 km²).
- Arkansas' land area is 1.7 times (73%) larger than South Carolina's.
Total area
- Arkansas: 53,198 square miles (137,781 km²) vs South Carolina: 32,024 square miles (82,940 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Arkansas' total area is 1.7 times (66%) larger than South Carolina's.
Length
- Arkansas is 243 miles (392 km) long from north to south; South Carolina is 236 miles (380 km).
- Arkansas and South Carolina have about the same north-south length.
Width
- Arkansas spans 279 miles (449 km) east to west; South Carolina spans 279 miles (449 km).
- Arkansas and South Carolina have about the same east-west width.
Highest point
- Arkansas's highest point is Mount Magazine at 2,752 feet (839 m); South Carolina's is Sassafras Mountain at 3,497 feet (1,066 m).
- Sassafras Mountain is 745 feet higher than Mount Magazine.
Lowest point
- Arkansas's lowest point is Ouachita River at 55 feet; South Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet.
- South Carolina's lowest point is 55 feet lower.
Arkansas vs South Carolina Population and History
Population
- Arkansas has a population of 3,088,354 (2024), while South Carolina has 5,478,831 (2024).
- South Carolina's population is 1.8 times (77%) larger than Arkansas'.
Population density
- Arkansas: 59.4 people per square mile vs South Carolina: 182.2.
- South Carolina's population density is 3.1 times (207%) higher than Arkansas'.
Biggest city
- Arkansas's biggest city is Little Rock with 204,774 people; South Carolina's is Charleston with 157,665.
- Little Rock's population is 1.3 times (30%) larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area
- Arkansas's largest metropolitan area is Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area (1,339,345 people) vs South Carolina's Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370).
- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's population is 2.2 times (115%) larger than Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area's.
History
- Arkansas: Admitted to the Union on June 15, 1836, as the 25th state.
- South Carolina: Admitted to the Union on May 23, 1788, as the 8th state.
- In its current form, South Carolina is the older of the two by 48 years.
Arkansas vs South Carolina Economy
GDP
- Arkansas's GDP is $188.3 billion (2024) vs South Carolina's $357.1 billion.
- South Carolina's economic output is 1.9 times (90%) larger than Arkansas'.
GDP per capita
- Arkansas: $60,984 per person vs South Carolina: $65,173.
- South Carolina's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (7%) higher than Arkansas'.
Average income
- Arkansas: $59,320 vs South Carolina: $60,776 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Arkansas and South Carolina have about the same average income.
Arkansas vs South Carolina Counties
Number of counties
- Arkansas has 75 counties, while South Carolina has 46.
- Arkansas' county count is 1.6 times (63%) higher than South Carolina's.
Biggest county by area
- Arkansas's largest county is Union County at 1,039 square miles; South Carolina's is Horry County at 1,133 square miles.
- Horry County's land area is 1.1 times (9%) larger than Union County's.
Smallest county by area
- Arkansas: Lafayette County (530 sq mi) vs South Carolina: McCormick County (359 sq mi).
- Lafayette County's land area is 1.5 times (48%) larger than McCormick County's.
Most populous county
- Arkansas: Pulaski County (401,209 people) vs South Carolina: Greenville County (570,745 people).
- Greenville County's population is 1.4 times (42%) larger than Pulaski County's.
Least populous county
- Arkansas: Calhoun County (4,690 people) vs South Carolina: Allendale County (7,551 people).
- Allendale County's population is 1.6 times (61%) larger than Calhoun County's.
Richest county
- Arkansas: Benton County ($120,594 per capita income) vs South Carolina: Charleston County ($90,550).
- Benton County's income is 1.3 times (33%) richer than Charleston County's.
Poorest county
- Arkansas: Lincoln County ($36,032 per capita income) vs South Carolina: Marlboro County ($41,332).
- Marlboro County's income is 1.1 times (15%) richer than Lincoln County's.
Arkansas vs South Carolina Taxes
State income tax
- Arkansas has a top income tax rate of 3.9%, while South Carolina has a top income tax rate of 6%.
- South Carolina's top rate is 2.1 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Arkansas: 0.52% effective rate vs South Carolina: 0.45% of home value per year.
- Arkansas's rate is 0.07 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Arkansas: 9.48% combined state and average local rate vs South Carolina: 7.49%.
- Arkansas's combined rate is 1.99 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Arkansas official website · South Carolina official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Arkansas 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.