County outline
Where McCormick County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 91.2% of McCormick County’s measured area and water for 8.8%. Its combined area converts to 1,019.5 square kilometers or approximately 251,924 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 358.877 | 929.487 | 229,681.3 |
| Water | 34.754 | 90.012 | 22,242.6 |
| Total | 393.631 | 1,019.5 | 251,923.8 |
How McCormick County compares
By original Census land area, McCormick County ranks #46 of 46 in South Carolina and #2659 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.582 times the South Carolina county-equivalent median of 616.9 square miles. It accounts for 1.2% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete South Carolina ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of McCormick County
The Census Bureau estimates that 10,215 people lived in McCormick County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #2,465 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #45 of 46 in South Carolina. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 9,527, the population has grown by 688 (+7.2%), compared with +8.8% for South Carolina as a whole.
With 358.9 square miles of land, that is 28 people per square mile (11 per km²), placing McCormick County #2,054 nationally for density and #45 in South Carolina. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the South Carolina median is 78. Put another way, there are about 22 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 9,522 | 9,752 | 9,715 | 9,788 | 9,977 | 10,215 |
| Change | — | +230 | −37 | +73 | +189 | +238 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in McCormick County
3 incorporated places lie at least partly in McCormick County. Together they are home to 2,221 people (21.7%); the other 7,994 (78.3%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is McCormick town, with 2,010 residents in the county.
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| McCormick townCounty seat | 2,010 | −10.1% | 3.867 |
| Parksville town | 131 | +10.1% | 0.666 |
| Plum Branch town | 80 | +3.9% | 0.76 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside McCormick County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
McCormick County is not part of any metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area in the Office of Management and Budget’s July 2023 delineation; 1,306 other county equivalents are also outside one. These areas are built around an urban core of at least 10,000 people plus the counties tied to it by commuting, so counties outside them are generally rural.
ZIP codes
11 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in McCormick County; 6 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
2962029628298192982129835298382984029844298452984829899
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering McCormick County
McCormick County shares a land border with 6 county equivalents, including 3 in Georgia. It has more land than 3 of them. The largest neighbor is Edgefield County (500.7 mi²) and the smallest is Lincoln County (210.4 mi²). Together with its neighbors, McCormick County forms a block of 2,658.1 mi² of land, of which it holds 13.5%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. McCormick | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edgefield County | 500.7 | 1.4× larger | Compare |
| Abbeville County | 491.2 | 1.4× larger | Compare |
| Greenwood County | 455.6 | 1.3× larger | Compare |
| Elbert CountyGeorgia | 351.1 | about the same | Compare |
| Columbia CountyGeorgia | 290.2 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Lincoln CountyGeorgia | 210.4 | 1.7× smaller | Compare |
How big is McCormick County compared with U.S. states?
McCormick County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 2.9 times as much. South Carolina’s county land could hold about 84 areas the size of McCormick County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 18.9 miles (30.5 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about McCormick County?
McCormick County has more land than 563 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places McCormick County at #2,627 nationally by total area, 32 places closer to the top than its land rank. The water assigned to this geography moves it ahead of some county equivalents with more land.
Its water share is 8.8%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 7.7 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside McCormick County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2658 | Bell County, Kentucky | 359 | Compare |
| #2659 | McCormick County, South Carolina | 358.9 | This county |
| #2660 | St. Mary's County, Maryland | 358.6 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 33.897591, -82.316212. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 929,486,816 m²; AWATER: 90,011,519 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is McCormick County?
McCormick County, South Carolina has 358.9 square miles (929.5 km²) of land and 34.8 square miles of water, for a total area of 393.6 square miles. It ranks #2659 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is McCormick County the largest county in South Carolina?
No. McCormick County ranks #46 of 46 in South Carolina by land area. The largest is Horry County, with 1,133.1 square miles of land.
What counties border McCormick County?
McCormick County shares a land border with Edgefield County, Lincoln County, Georgia, Greenwood County, Abbeville County, Columbia County, Georgia, and Elbert County, Georgia.
What is the population of McCormick County?
The Census Bureau estimates McCormick County had 10,215 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #2,465 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 28 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of McCormick County?
The county seat of McCormick County is McCormick.
What cities and towns are in McCormick County?
McCormick County has 3 incorporated places. The most populous are McCormick town, Parksville town, and Plum Branch town; 7,994 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is McCormick County part of a metropolitan area?
No. McCormick County is outside every metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area in the July 2023 OMB delineation.
How many ZIP codes are in McCormick County?
11 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in McCormick County, and 6 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does McCormick County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 2.9 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in McCormick County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 229,681 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 251,924 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.