South Carolina is a state located in the Southern United States. According to the 2010 United States Census, South Carolina is the 24th most populous state with 4,625,401 inhabitants but the 40th largest by land area spanning 30,060.70 square miles (77,856.9Â km2) of land. South Carolina is divided into 46 counties and contains 269 incorporated municipalities consisting of cities and towns. South Carolina's incorporated municipalities cover only 5.8% of the state's land mass but are home to 35.4% of its population.
At incorporation, municipalities may choose to be named either "City of" or "Town of", however there is no legal difference between the two. Municipalities may incorporate with one of three forms of government: mayor-council, council form or the council-manager. Municipalities are responsible for providing local service including law enforcement, fire protection, waste management, water management, planning and zoning, recreational facilities, and street lighting.
The largest municipality by population in South Carolina is the capital city Columbia with 129,272 residents, and the smallest municipality by population is Smyrna with 45 residents. The largest municipality by land area is Columbia which spans 736.53 sq mi (1,907.6 km2), while Jenkinsville is the smallest at 0.09 sq mi (0.23 km2).
Incorporated cities and towns
- Largest cities and towns in South Carolina by population
  State capital and county seat
  County seat
See also
- South Carolina census statistical areas
- List of census-designated places in South Carolina
- List of unincorporated communities in South Carolina
Notes
References
