The map above shows Iowa and South Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs South Carolina Geography
Land area
- Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while South Carolina has 30,064 square miles (77,866 km²).
- Iowa's land area is 1.9 times (86%) larger than South Carolina's.
Total area
- Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs South Carolina: 32,024 square miles (82,940 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Iowa's total area is 1.8 times (76%) larger than South Carolina's.
Length
- Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; South Carolina is 236 miles (380 km).
- South Carolina's north-south length is 1.1 times (9%) longer than Iowa's.
Width
- Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; South Carolina spans 279 miles (449 km).
- Iowa's east-west width is 1.2 times (20%) wider than South Carolina's.
Highest point
- Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); South Carolina's is Sassafras Mountain at 3,497 feet (1,066 m).
- Sassafras Mountain is 1,828 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point
- Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; South Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet.
- South Carolina's lowest point is 480 feet lower.
Iowa vs South Carolina Population and History
Population
- Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while South Carolina has 5,478,831 (2024).
- South Carolina's population is 1.7 times (69%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density
- Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs South Carolina: 182.2.
- South Carolina's population density is 3.1 times (214%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city
- Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; South Carolina's is Charleston with 157,665.
- Des Moines' population is 1.4 times (35%) larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area
- Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 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 2.9 times (188%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History
- Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th 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 58 years.
Iowa vs South Carolina Economy
GDP
- Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs South Carolina's $357.1 billion.
- South Carolina's economic output is 1.3 times (34%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita
- Iowa: $81,998 per person vs South Carolina: $65,173.
- Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (26%) higher than South Carolina's.
Average income
- Iowa: $65,225 vs South Carolina: $60,776 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Iowa's average income is 1.1 times (7%) higher than South Carolina's.
Iowa vs South Carolina Counties
Number of counties
- Iowa has 99 counties, while South Carolina has 46.
- Iowa's county count is 2.2 times (115%) higher than South Carolina's.
Biggest county by area
- Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; South Carolina's is Horry County at 1,133 square miles.
- Horry County's land area is 1.2 times (17%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area
- Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs South Carolina: McCormick County (359 sq mi).
- Dickinson County's land area is 1.1 times (6%) larger than McCormick County's.
Most populous county
- Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs South Carolina: Greenville County (570,745 people).
- Greenville County's population is 1.1 times (11%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county
- Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs South Carolina: Allendale County (7,551 people).
- Allendale County's population is 2.1 times (109%) larger than Adams County's.
Richest county
- Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs South Carolina: Charleston County ($90,550).
- Mitchell County's income is 1.1 times (8%) richer than Charleston County's.
Poorest county
- Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs South Carolina: Marlboro County ($41,332).
- Decatur County's income is 1.1 times (12%) richer than Marlboro County's.
Iowa vs South Carolina Taxes
State income tax
- Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while South Carolina has a top income tax rate of 6%.
- South Carolina's top rate is 2.2 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs South Carolina: 0.45% of home value per year.
- Iowa's rate is 0.84 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs South Carolina: 7.49%.
- South Carolina's combined rate is 0.55 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · South Carolina official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Iowa 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.