The map above shows South Carolina and Puerto Rico side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
South Carolina vs Puerto Rico Geography
Land area: South Carolina has a land area of 30,064 square miles (77,866 km²), while Puerto Rico has 3,424 square miles (8,868 km²). South Carolina's land area is 8.8 times (778%) larger than Puerto Rico's.
Total area: South Carolina: 32,024 square miles (82,940 km²) vs Puerto Rico: 3,515 square miles (9,104 km²), including inland and coastal water. South Carolina's total area is 9.1 times (811%) larger than Puerto Rico's.
Length: South Carolina is 236 miles (380 km) long from north to south; Puerto Rico is 67 miles (107 km). South Carolina's north-south length is 3.5 times (252%) longer than Puerto Rico's.
Width: South Carolina spans 279 miles (449 km) east to west; Puerto Rico spans 174 miles (279 km). South Carolina's east-west width is 1.6 times (60%) wider than Puerto Rico's.
Highest point: South Carolina's highest point is Sassafras Mountain at 3,497 feet (1,066 m); Puerto Rico's is Cerro de Punta at 4,390 feet (1,338 m). Cerro de Punta is 893 feet higher than Sassafras Mountain.
Lowest point: South Carolina's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; Puerto Rico's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
South Carolina vs Puerto Rico Population and History
Population: South Carolina has a population of 5,478,831 (2024), while Puerto Rico has 3,285,874 (2020). South Carolina's population is 1.7 times (67%) larger than Puerto Rico's.
Population density: South Carolina: 182.2 people per square mile vs Puerto Rico: 959.7. Puerto Rico's population density is 5.3 times (427%) higher than South Carolina's.
Biggest city: South Carolina's biggest city is Charleston with 157,665 people; Puerto Rico's is San Juan with 342,259. San Juan's population is 2.2 times (117%) larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area: South Carolina's largest metropolitan area is Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370 people) vs Puerto Rico's San Juan metro area (2,233,177). Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's population is 1.3 times (29%) larger than San Juan metro area's.
History: South Carolina: Admitted to the Union on May 23, 1788, as the 8th state. Puerto Rico: A US territory since 1898; a commonwealth since 1952. In its current form, South Carolina is the older of the two by 110 years.
South Carolina vs Puerto Rico Economy
GDP: South Carolina's GDP is $357.1 billion (2024) vs Puerto Rico's $129.0 billion. South Carolina's economic output is 2.8 times (177%) larger than Puerto Rico's.
GDP per capita: South Carolina: $65,173 per person vs Puerto Rico: $40,650. South Carolina's GDP per capita is 1.6 times (60%) higher than Puerto Rico's.
Official Websites
South Carolina official website · Puerto Rico official website
More Size Comparisons
All South Carolina size comparisons · All Puerto Rico 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.