The map above shows South Carolina and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
South Carolina vs South Dakota Geography
Land area
- South Carolina has a land area of 30,064 square miles (77,866 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²).
- South Dakota's land area is 2.5 times (152%) larger than South Carolina's.
Total area
- South Carolina: 32,024 square miles (82,940 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Dakota's total area is 2.4 times (141%) larger than South Carolina's.
Length
- South Carolina is 236 miles (380 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km).
- South Dakota's north-south length is 1.9 times (88%) longer than South Carolina's.
Width
- South Carolina spans 279 miles (449 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km).
- South Dakota's east-west width is 1.3 times (33%) wider than South Carolina's.
Highest point
- South Carolina's highest point is Sassafras Mountain at 3,497 feet (1,066 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m).
- Black Elk Peak is 3,701 feet higher than Sassafras Mountain.
Lowest point
- South Carolina's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet.
- South Carolina's lowest point is 966 feet lower.
South Carolina vs South Dakota Population and History
Population
- South Carolina has a population of 5,478,831 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024).
- South Carolina's population is 5.9 times (493%) larger than South Dakota's.
Population density
- South Carolina: 182.2 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2.
- South Carolina's population density is 14.9 times higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city
- South Carolina's biggest city is Charleston with 157,665 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289.
- Sioux Falls' population is 1.3 times (33%) 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 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
- South Carolina: Admitted to the Union on May 23, 1788, as the 8th state.
- South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state.
- In its current form, South Carolina is the older of the two by 101 years.
South Carolina vs South Dakota Economy
GDP
- South Carolina's GDP is $357.1 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion.
- South Carolina's economic output is 4.6 times (365%) larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita
- South Carolina: $65,173 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052.
- South Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (27%) higher than South Carolina's.
Average income
- South Carolina: $60,776 vs South Dakota: $75,699 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- South Dakota's average income is 1.2 times (25%) higher than South Carolina's.
South Carolina vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties
- South Carolina has 46 counties, while South Dakota has 66.
- South Dakota's county count is 1.4 times (43%) higher than South Carolina's.
Biggest county by area
- South Carolina's largest county is Horry County at 1,133 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles.
- Meade County's land area is 3.1 times (206%) larger than Horry County's.
Smallest county by area
- South Carolina: McCormick County (359 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi).
- Clay County's land area is 1.1 times (15%) larger than McCormick County's.
Most populous county
- South Carolina: Greenville County (570,745 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people).
- Greenville County's population is 2.7 times (174%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county
- South Carolina: Allendale County (7,551 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people).
- Allendale County's population is 8.6 times (764%) larger than Jones County's.
Richest county
- South Carolina: Charleston County ($90,550 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712).
- Union County's income is 1.6 times (62%) richer than Charleston County's.
Poorest county
- South Carolina: Marlboro County ($41,332 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778).
- Marlboro County's income is 1.3 times (26%) richer than Ziebach County's.
South Carolina vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax
- South Carolina has a top income tax rate of 6%, while South Dakota has no state income tax.
- South Carolina's top rate is 6 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- South Carolina: 0.45% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year.
- South Dakota's rate is 0.57 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- South Carolina: 7.49% combined state and average local rate vs South Dakota: 6.11%.
- South Carolina's combined rate is 1.38 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
South Carolina official website · South Dakota official website
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More Size Comparisons
All South 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.