The map above shows North Carolina and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
North Carolina vs South Dakota Geography
Land area
- North Carolina has a land area of 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²).
- South Dakota's land area is 1.6 times (56%) larger than North Carolina's.
Total area
- North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Dakota's total area is 1.4 times (43%) larger than North Carolina's.
Length
- North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km).
- South Dakota's north-south length is 1.7 times (72%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width
- North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km).
- North Carolina's east-west width is 1.3 times (31%) wider than South Dakota's.
Highest point
- North Carolina's highest point is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m).
- Black Elk Peak is 524 feet higher than Mount Mitchell.
Lowest point
- North Carolina's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet.
- North Carolina's lowest point is 966 feet lower.
North Carolina vs South Dakota Population and History
Population
- North Carolina has a population of 11,046,024 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024).
- North Carolina's population is 11.9 times larger than South Dakota's.
Population density
- North Carolina: 227.2 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2.
- North Carolina's population density is 18.6 times higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city
- North Carolina's biggest city is Charlotte with 943,476 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289.
- Charlotte's population is 4.5 times (351%) larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area
- North Carolina's largest metropolitan area is Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370 people) vs South Dakota's Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266).
- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's population is 9.4 times (835%) larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History
- North Carolina: Admitted to the Union on November 21, 1789, as the 12th state.
- South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state.
- In its current form, North Carolina is the older of the two by 100 years.
North Carolina vs South Dakota Economy
GDP
- North Carolina's GDP is $844.2 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion.
- North Carolina's economic output is 11.0 times larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita
- North Carolina: $76,427 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052.
- South Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (9%) higher than North Carolina's.
Average income
- North Carolina: $65,634 vs South Dakota: $75,699 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- South Dakota's average income is 1.2 times (15%) higher than North Carolina's.
North Carolina vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties
- North Carolina has 100 counties, while South Dakota has 66.
- North Carolina's county count is 1.5 times (52%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest county by area
- North Carolina's largest county is Robeson County at 947 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles.
- Meade County's land area is 3.7 times (266%) larger than Robeson County's.
Smallest county by area
- North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi).
- Clay County's land area is 2.4 times (139%) larger than Chowan County's.
Most populous county
- North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people).
- Wake County's population is 5.9 times (491%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county
- North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people).
- Tyrrell County's population is 4.0 times (302%) larger than Jones County's.
Richest county
- North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712).
- Union County's income is 1.6 times (60%) richer than Chatham County's.
Poorest county
- North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778).
- Warren County's income is 1.2 times (25%) richer than Ziebach County's.
North Carolina vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax
- North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%, while South Dakota has no state income tax.
- North Carolina's top rate is 3.99 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- North Carolina: 0.61% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year.
- South Dakota's rate is 0.41 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- North Carolina: 7.1% combined state and average local rate vs South Dakota: 6.11%.
- North Carolina's combined rate is 0.99 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
North Carolina official website · South Dakota official website
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More Size Comparisons
All North Carolina size comparisons · All South Dakota 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.