South Carolina is 1.02× the size of Hokkaido (Japan)

South Carolina (state of the United States) covers about 80,200 km² (31,000 mi²) and Hokkaido (Japan) (prefecture of Japan) about 78,800 km² (30,400 mi²). Below, both outlines are drawn at one scale and centred on each other.

80,200km²South Carolina
78,800km²Hokkaido (Japan)

100 km

South Carolina
Hokkaido (Japan)

Hokkaido (Japan): Part of this region's boundary is disputed with Russia. Size Versus draws Natural Earth's de facto outline, the boundary as it is held on the ground, and takes no position on it.

What fits

Hokkaido (Japan) is 98% of the size of South Carolina.
South Carolina is larger by 1,380 km² (533 mi²), which is 1.8% of the area of Hokkaido (Japan).
Measured in Belgiums: South Carolina is about 2.61, Hokkaido (Japan) about 2.57.

How they differ

South Carolina is larger, but Hokkaido (Japan) has the larger population: 5.4 million against 5.1 million, 1.06× as many people.
Per square kilometre that is 69 in Hokkaido (Japan) against 64 in South Carolina: Hokkaido (Japan) is 1.08× as densely populated.
Their centres are about 10,400 km apart.
On a standard web map Hokkaido (Japan) looks larger than South Carolina: South Carolina at 34°N is drawn about 1.5× too large and Hokkaido (Japan) at 43°N about 1.9×, so the map shows Hokkaido (Japan) as 1.28× the size of South Carolina, when South Carolina is 1.02× the size of Hokkaido (Japan).
Together South Carolina and Hokkaido (Japan) cover 159,000 km², close to the size of Tunisia (157,000 km², 1.5% smaller).
The gap between them, 1,380 km², is about the size of Comoros (1,670 km²).
At Hokkaido (Japan)'s density, South Carolina would have 5.5 million people (it has 5.1 million). At South Carolina's density, Hokkaido (Japan) would have 5.0 million (it has 5.4 million).
Hokkaido (Japan)'s centre is 9.5° of latitude, about 1,050 km, farther north than South Carolina's.
South Carolina is the 40th largest of the 51 states and districts of the United States and covers 0.8% of its area; it is the 19th most densely populated of them.
Hokkaido (Japan) is the largest of the 47 prefectures of Japan and covers 21% of its area; it is the 47th most densely populated of them.
Hokkaido (Japan) lies about 9° of latitude (roughly 1,050 km) north of South Carolina.
Shared out evenly, each person in South Carolina would have about 15,660 m² and each person in Hokkaido (Japan) about 14,500 m².
Laid side by side, South Carolina and Hokkaido (Japan) would cover 159,000 km², about the same size as Tunisia.
Together they have 10.6 million people, about as many people as Sweden.

Side by side

	South Carolina	Hokkaido (Japan)
Is a	StateUnited States	PrefectureJapan
Area, measured	80,200 km²31,000 mi²	78,800 km²30,400 mi²
Official area	82,900 km²Wikidata	83,400 km²Wikidata
Rank by area	40th of 51in the United States	1st of 47in Japan
Population	5.1 millionWikidata, 2020	5.4 millionWikidata, 2014
Rank by population	23rd of 51in the United States	8th of 47in Japan
Density	64 per km²	69 per km²
Capital	Columbia	Sapporo
Latitude range	32°N to 35°N	41°N to 46°N

Population: Wikidata 2020 and Wikidata 2014. Official figures: Wikidata (CC0).

Our measured 80,200 km² is 3.3% below Wikidata's official figure of 82,900 km². Official figures can include inland water or count land that an outline draws differently.
Our measured 78,800 km² is 5.6% below Wikidata's official figure of 83,400 km². Official figures can include inland water or count land that an outline draws differently. This difference is flagged for review.

Similar in size to South Carolina

Similar in size to Hokkaido (Japan)

More comparisons

Sources and method

Outlines: Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 1 - States, Provinces, public domain
Boundary: De facto, as drawn by Natural Earth. A region is drawn whole, every island included; a country is its main territory.
Area: Measured on the WGS84 ellipsoid from the full-detail outlines, shown rounded.
Drawing: Each outline is projected with an equal-area projection centred on its own centroid, so areas stay true and the two can be laid over each other.
Data built: 2026-11-12

Full method