The map above shows New Mexico and South Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
New Mexico vs South Carolina Geography
Land area: New Mexico has a land area of 121,313 square miles (314,198 km²), while South Carolina has 30,064 square miles (77,866 km²). New Mexico's land area is 4.0 times (304%) larger than South Carolina's.
Total area: New Mexico: 121,593 square miles (314,925 km²) vs South Carolina: 32,024 square miles (82,940 km²), including inland and coastal water. New Mexico's total area is 3.8 times (280%) larger than South Carolina's.
Length: New Mexico is 395 miles (635 km) long from north to south; South Carolina is 236 miles (380 km). New Mexico's north-south length is 1.7 times (67%) longer than South Carolina's.
Width: New Mexico spans 498 miles (801 km) east to west; South Carolina spans 279 miles (449 km). New Mexico's east-west width is 1.8 times (78%) wider than South Carolina's.
Highest point: New Mexico's highest point is Wheeler Peak at 13,150 feet (4,008 m); South Carolina's is Sassafras Mountain at 3,497 feet (1,066 m). Wheeler Peak is 9,653 feet higher than Sassafras Mountain.
Lowest point: New Mexico's lowest point is Red Bluff Reservoir at 2,842 feet; South Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. South Carolina's lowest point is 2,842 feet lower.
New Mexico vs South Carolina Population and History
Population: New Mexico has a population of 2,130,256 (2024), while South Carolina has 5,478,831 (2024). South Carolina's population is 2.6 times (157%) larger than New Mexico's.
Population density: New Mexico: 17.6 people per square mile vs South Carolina: 182.2. South Carolina's population density is 10.4 times higher than New Mexico's.
Biggest city: New Mexico's biggest city is Albuquerque with 560,326 people; South Carolina's is Charleston with 157,665. Albuquerque's population is 3.6 times (255%) larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area: New Mexico's largest metropolitan area is Albuquerque, NM metro area (926,303 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 3.1 times (211%) larger than Albuquerque, NM metro area's.
History: New Mexico: Admitted to the Union on January 6, 1912, as the 47th 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 124 years.
New Mexico vs South Carolina Economy
GDP: New Mexico's GDP is $147.1 billion (2024) vs South Carolina's $357.1 billion. South Carolina's economic output is 2.4 times (143%) larger than New Mexico's.
GDP per capita: New Mexico: $69,046 per person vs South Carolina: $65,173. New Mexico's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (6%) higher than South Carolina's.
Average income: New Mexico: $58,249 vs South Carolina: $60,776 average income per person (per capita personal income). New Mexico and South Carolina have about the same average income.
New Mexico vs South Carolina Counties
Number of counties: New Mexico has 33 counties, while South Carolina has 46. South Carolina's county count is 1.4 times (39%) higher than New Mexico's.
Biggest county by area: New Mexico's largest county is Catron County at 6,924 square miles; South Carolina's is Horry County at 1,133 square miles. Catron County's land area is 6.1 times (511%) larger than Horry County's.
Smallest county by area: New Mexico: Los Alamos County (109 sq mi) vs South Carolina: McCormick County (359 sq mi). McCormick County's land area is 3.3 times (229%) larger than Los Alamos County's.
Most populous county: New Mexico: Bernalillo County (671,747 people) vs South Carolina: Greenville County (570,745 people). Bernalillo County's population is 1.2 times (18%) larger than Greenville County's.
Least populous county: New Mexico: Harding County (635 people) vs South Carolina: Allendale County (7,551 people). Allendale County's population is 11.9 times larger than Harding County's.
Richest county: New Mexico: Los Alamos County ($98,378 per capita income) vs South Carolina: Charleston County ($90,550). Los Alamos County's income is 1.1 times (9%) richer than Charleston County's.
Poorest county: New Mexico: Cibola County ($36,397 per capita income) vs South Carolina: Marlboro County ($41,332). Marlboro County's income is 1.1 times (14%) richer than Cibola County's.
New Mexico vs South Carolina Taxes
State income tax: New Mexico has a top income tax rate of 5.9%, while South Carolina has a top income tax rate of 6%. South Carolina's top rate is 0.1 percentage points higher.
Property tax: New Mexico: 0.63% effective rate vs South Carolina: 0.45% of home value per year. New Mexico's rate is 0.18 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: New Mexico: 7.68% combined state and average local rate vs South Carolina: 7.49%. New Mexico's combined rate is 0.19 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
New Mexico official website · South Carolina official website
More Size Comparisons
All New Mexico 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.