The map above shows Rhode Island and South Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Rhode Island vs South Carolina Geography
Land area
- Rhode Island has a land area of 1,034 square miles (2,678 km²), while South Carolina has 30,064 square miles (77,866 km²).
- South Carolina's land area is 29.1 times larger than Rhode Island's.
Total area
- Rhode Island: 1,545 square miles (4,002 km²) vs South Carolina: 32,024 square miles (82,940 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Carolina's total area is 20.7 times larger than Rhode Island's.
Length
- Rhode Island is 61 miles (98 km) long from north to south; South Carolina is 236 miles (380 km).
- South Carolina's north-south length is 3.9 times (287%) longer than Rhode Island's.
Width
- Rhode Island spans 42 miles (67 km) east to west; South Carolina spans 279 miles (449 km).
- South Carolina's east-west width is 6.6 times (564%) wider than Rhode Island's.
Highest point
- Rhode Island's highest point is Jerimoth Hill at 811 feet (247 m); South Carolina's is Sassafras Mountain at 3,497 feet (1,066 m).
- Sassafras Mountain is 2,686 feet higher than Jerimoth Hill.
Lowest point
- Rhode Island's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; South Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet.
- Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Rhode Island vs South Carolina Population and History
Population
- Rhode Island has a population of 1,112,308 (2024), while South Carolina has 5,478,831 (2024).
- South Carolina's population is 4.9 times (393%) larger than Rhode Island's.
Population density
- Rhode Island: 1,075.8 people per square mile vs South Carolina: 182.2.
- Rhode Island's population density is 5.9 times (490%) higher than South Carolina's.
Biggest city
- Rhode Island's biggest city is Providence with 194,706 people; South Carolina's is Charleston with 157,665.
- Providence's population is 1.2 times (23%) larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area
- Rhode Island's largest metropolitan area is Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area (1,700,901 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 1.7 times (70%) larger than Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area's.
History
- Rhode Island: Admitted to the Union on May 29, 1790, as the 13th 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.
Rhode Island vs South Carolina Economy
GDP
- Rhode Island's GDP is $80.4 billion (2024) vs South Carolina's $357.1 billion.
- South Carolina's economic output is 4.4 times (344%) larger than Rhode Island's.
GDP per capita
- Rhode Island: $72,265 per person vs South Carolina: $65,173.
- Rhode Island's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (11%) higher than South Carolina's.
Average income
- Rhode Island: $70,622 vs South Carolina: $60,776 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Rhode Island's average income is 1.2 times (16%) higher than South Carolina's.
Rhode Island vs South Carolina Counties
Number of counties
- Rhode Island has 5 counties, while South Carolina has 46.
- South Carolina's county count is 9.2 times (820%) higher than Rhode Island's.
Biggest county by area
- Rhode Island's largest county is Providence County at 410 square miles; South Carolina's is Horry County at 1,133 square miles.
- Horry County's land area is 2.8 times (177%) larger than Providence County's.
Smallest county by area
- Rhode Island: Bristol County (24 sq mi) vs South Carolina: McCormick County (359 sq mi).
- McCormick County's land area is 14.9 times larger than Bristol County's.
Most populous county
- Rhode Island: Providence County (675,912 people) vs South Carolina: Greenville County (570,745 people).
- Providence County's population is 1.2 times (18%) larger than Greenville County's.
Least populous county
- Rhode Island: Bristol County (50,145 people) vs South Carolina: Allendale County (7,551 people).
- Bristol County's population is 6.6 times (564%) larger than Allendale County's.
Richest county
- Rhode Island: Bristol County ($99,923 per capita income) vs South Carolina: Charleston County ($90,550).
- Bristol County's income is 1.1 times (10%) richer than Charleston County's.
Poorest county
- Rhode Island: Providence County ($61,040 per capita income) vs South Carolina: Marlboro County ($41,332).
- Providence County's income is 1.5 times (48%) richer than Marlboro County's.
Rhode Island vs South Carolina Taxes
State income tax
- Rhode Island has a top income tax rate of 5.99%, while South Carolina has a top income tax rate of 6%.
Property tax
- Rhode Island: 1.07% effective rate vs South Carolina: 0.45% of home value per year.
- Rhode Island's rate is 0.62 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Rhode Island: 7% combined state and average local rate vs South Carolina: 7.49%.
- South Carolina's combined rate is 0.49 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Rhode Island official website · South Carolina official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Rhode Island 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.