The map above shows District of Columbia and South Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
District of Columbia vs South Carolina Geography
Land area
- District of Columbia has a land area of 61 square miles (158 km²), while South Carolina has 30,064 square miles (77,866 km²).
- South Carolina's land area is 492.8 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Total area
- District of Columbia: 68 square miles (177 km²) vs South Carolina: 32,024 square miles (82,940 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Carolina's total area is 468.6 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Length
- District of Columbia is 13 miles (22 km) long from north to south; South Carolina is 236 miles (380 km).
- South Carolina's north-south length is 18.2 times longer than District of Columbia's.
Width
- District of Columbia spans 12 miles (19 km) east to west; South Carolina spans 279 miles (449 km).
- South Carolina's east-west width is 23.3 times wider than District of Columbia's.
Highest point
- District of Columbia's highest point is Fort Reno at 429 feet (131 m); South Carolina's is Sassafras Mountain at 3,497 feet (1,066 m).
- Sassafras Mountain is 3,068 feet higher than Fort Reno.
Lowest point
- District of Columbia's lowest point is Potomac River at 0 feet; South Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet.
- Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
District of Columbia vs South Carolina Population and History
Population
- District of Columbia has a population of 702,250 (2024), while South Carolina has 5,478,831 (2024).
- South Carolina's population is 7.8 times (680%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Population density
- District of Columbia: 11,493.5 people per square mile vs South Carolina: 182.2.
- District of Columbia's population density is 63.1 times higher than South Carolina's.
Biggest city
- District of Columbia's biggest city is Washington with 702,250 people; South Carolina's is Charleston with 157,665.
- Washington's population is 4.5 times (345%) larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area
- District of Columbia's largest metropolitan area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489 people) vs South Carolina's Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370).
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 2.2 times (123%) larger than Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's.
History
- District of Columbia: The federal district, established by the Residence Act on July 16, 1790; not a 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 2 years.
District of Columbia vs South Carolina Economy
GDP
- District of Columbia's GDP is $184.3 billion (2024) vs South Carolina's $357.1 billion.
- South Carolina's economic output is 1.9 times (94%) larger than District of Columbia's.
GDP per capita
- District of Columbia: $262,439 per person vs South Carolina: $65,173.
- District of Columbia's GDP per capita is 4.0 times (303%) higher than South Carolina's.
Average income
- District of Columbia: $111,185 vs South Carolina: $60,776 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- District of Columbia's average income is 1.8 times (83%) higher than South Carolina's.
District of Columbia vs South Carolina Counties
Number of counties
- District of Columbia has 1 counties, while South Carolina has 46.
- South Carolina's county count is 46.0 times higher than District of Columbia's.
Biggest county by area
- District of Columbia's largest county is District of Columbia at 61 square miles; South Carolina's is Horry County at 1,133 square miles.
- Horry County's land area is 18.5 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Smallest county by area
- District of Columbia: District of Columbia (61 sq mi) vs South Carolina: McCormick County (359 sq mi).
- McCormick County's land area is 5.9 times (487%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Most populous county
- District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs South Carolina: Greenville County (570,745 people).
- District of Columbia's population is 1.2 times (23%) larger than Greenville County's.
Least populous county
- District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs South Carolina: Allendale County (7,551 people).
- District of Columbia's population is 93.0 times larger than Allendale County's.
Richest county
- District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs South Carolina: Charleston County ($90,550).
- District of Columbia's income is 1.2 times (23%) richer than Charleston County's.
Poorest county
- District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs South Carolina: Marlboro County ($41,332).
- District of Columbia's income is 2.7 times (169%) richer than Marlboro County's.
District of Columbia vs South Carolina Taxes
State income tax
- District of Columbia has a top income tax rate of 10.75%, while South Carolina has a top income tax rate of 6%.
- District of Columbia's top rate is 4.75 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- District of Columbia: 0.63% effective rate vs South Carolina: 0.45% of home value per year.
- District of Columbia's rate is 0.18 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- District of Columbia: 6% combined state and average local rate vs South Carolina: 7.49%.
- South Carolina's combined rate is 1.49 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
District of Columbia official website · South Carolina official website
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More Size Comparisons
All District of Columbia 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.