The map above shows South Carolina and Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
South Carolina vs Virginia Geography
Land area
- South Carolina has a land area of 30,064 square miles (77,866 km²), while Virginia has 39,481 square miles (102,256 km²).
- Virginia's land area is 1.3 times (31%) larger than South Carolina's.
Total area
- South Carolina: 32,024 square miles (82,940 km²) vs Virginia: 42,775 square miles (110,786 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Virginia's total area is 1.3 times (34%) larger than South Carolina's.
Length
- South Carolina is 236 miles (380 km) long from north to south; Virginia is 223 miles (359 km).
- South Carolina's north-south length is 1.1 times (6%) longer than Virginia's.
Width
- South Carolina spans 279 miles (449 km) east to west; Virginia spans 466 miles (750 km).
- Virginia's east-west width is 1.7 times (67%) wider than South Carolina's.
Highest point
- South Carolina's highest point is Sassafras Mountain at 3,497 feet (1,066 m); Virginia's is Mount Rogers at 5,729 feet (1,746 m).
- Mount Rogers is 2,232 feet higher than Sassafras Mountain.
Lowest point
- South Carolina's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; Virginia's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet.
- Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
South Carolina vs Virginia Population and History
Population
- South Carolina has a population of 5,478,831 (2024), while Virginia has 8,811,195 (2024).
- Virginia's population is 1.6 times (61%) larger than South Carolina's.
Population density
- South Carolina: 182.2 people per square mile vs Virginia: 223.2.
- Virginia's population density is 1.2 times (23%) higher than South Carolina's.
Biggest city
- South Carolina's biggest city is Charleston with 157,665 people; Virginia's is Virginia Beach with 454,808.
- Virginia Beach's population is 2.9 times (188%) 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 Virginia's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489).
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 2.2 times (123%) larger than Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's.
History
- South Carolina: Admitted to the Union on May 23, 1788, as the 8th state.
- Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 25, 1788, as the 10th state.
South Carolina vs Virginia Economy
GDP
- South Carolina's GDP is $357.1 billion (2024) vs Virginia's $761.7 billion.
- Virginia's economic output is 2.1 times (113%) larger than South Carolina's.
GDP per capita
- South Carolina: $65,173 per person vs Virginia: $86,451.
- Virginia's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (33%) higher than South Carolina's.
Average income
- South Carolina: $60,776 vs Virginia: $77,351 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Virginia's average income is 1.3 times (27%) higher than South Carolina's.
South Carolina vs Virginia Counties
Number of counties
- South Carolina has 46 counties, while Virginia has 133.
- Virginia's county count is 2.9 times (189%) higher than South Carolina's.
Biggest county by area
- South Carolina's largest county is Horry County at 1,133 square miles; Virginia's is Pittsylvania County at 969 square miles.
- Horry County's land area is 1.2 times (17%) larger than Pittsylvania County's.
Smallest county by area
- South Carolina: McCormick County (359 sq mi) vs Virginia: Falls Church city (2 sq mi).
- McCormick County's land area is 179.5 times larger than Falls Church city's.
Most populous county
- South Carolina: Greenville County (570,745 people) vs Virginia: Fairfax County (1,160,925 people).
- Fairfax County's population is 2.0 times (103%) larger than Greenville County's.
Least populous county
- South Carolina: Allendale County (7,551 people) vs Virginia: Highland County (2,348 people).
- Allendale County's population is 3.2 times (222%) larger than Highland County's.
Richest county
- South Carolina: Charleston County ($90,550 per capita income) vs Virginia: Arlington County ($131,624).
- Arlington County's income is 1.5 times (45%) richer than Charleston County's.
Poorest county
- South Carolina: Marlboro County ($41,332 per capita income) vs Virginia: Sussex County ($41,032).
- Marlboro County and Sussex County have about the same income.
South Carolina vs Virginia Taxes
State income tax
- South Carolina has a top income tax rate of 6%, while Virginia has a top income tax rate of 5.75%.
- South Carolina's top rate is 0.25 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- South Carolina: 0.45% effective rate vs Virginia: 0.71% of home value per year.
- Virginia's rate is 0.26 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- South Carolina: 7.49% combined state and average local rate vs Virginia: 5.77%.
- South Carolina's combined rate is 1.72 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
South Carolina official website · Virginia official website
Download the South Carolina vs Virginia Size Comparison Map for free
To download the map, right-click the image above (or press and hold on a phone or tablet) and choose Save image as. The map is free to use anywhere, including on your own website or in print, as long as you credit it with a link back to this page or to BrilliantMaps.com.
More Size Comparisons
All South Carolina size comparisons · All Virginia 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.