The map above shows California and South Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs South Carolina Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while South Carolina has 30,064 square miles (77,866 km²). California's land area is 5.2 times (418%) larger than South Carolina's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs South Carolina: 32,024 square miles (82,940 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 5.1 times (411%) larger than South Carolina's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; South Carolina is 236 miles (380 km). California's north-south length is 3.2 times (222%) longer than South Carolina's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; South Carolina spans 279 miles (449 km). California's east-west width is 2.5 times (153%) wider than South Carolina's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); South Carolina's is Sassafras Mountain at 3,497 feet (1,066 m). Mount Whitney is 10,987 feet higher than Sassafras Mountain.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; South Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
California vs South Carolina Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while South Carolina has 5,478,831 (2024). California's population is 7.2 times (620%) larger than South Carolina's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs South Carolina: 182.2. California's population density is 1.4 times (39%) higher than South Carolina's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; South Carolina's is Charleston with 157,665. Los Angeles' population is 24.6 times larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs South Carolina's Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 4.5 times (348%) larger than Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st 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 62 years.
California vs South Carolina Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs South Carolina's $357.1 billion. California's economic output is 11.3 times larger than South Carolina's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs South Carolina: $65,173. California's GDP per capita is 1.6 times (58%) higher than South Carolina's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs South Carolina: $60,776 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.4 times (42%) higher than South Carolina's.
California vs South Carolina Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while South Carolina has 46. California's county count is 1.3 times (26%) higher than South Carolina's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; South Carolina's is Horry County at 1,133 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 17.7 times larger than Horry County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs South Carolina: McCormick County (359 sq mi). McCormick County's land area is 7.7 times (669%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs South Carolina: Greenville County (570,745 people). Los Angeles County's population is 17.1 times larger than Greenville County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs South Carolina: Allendale County (7,551 people). Allendale County's population is 6.9 times (587%) larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs South Carolina: Charleston County ($90,550). Marin County's income is 2.1 times (111%) richer than Charleston County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs South Carolina: Marlboro County ($41,332). Trinity County and Marlboro County have about the same income.
California vs South Carolina Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while South Carolina has a top income tax rate of 6%. California's top rate is 7.3 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs South Carolina: 0.45% of home value per year. California's rate is 0.26 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs South Carolina: 7.49%. California's combined rate is 1.54 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · South Carolina official website
More Size Comparisons
All California 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.