Place comparison

South Korea compared with Florida: area, population and density

Florida has about 1.4 times South Korea’s land, but South Korea has about 2.2 times Florida’s population, so it is about 3.1 times as dense.

Place A Grouped by country or region Place B Grouped by country or region

Equal-area outline comparison

Outlines are centered and scaled by official land area; position does not show geographic location.

Area

Population

Population density

Area data date

Population data date

The guide below belongs to this pair: South Korea and Florida. Change the selector above and the page follows, so the reading always matches the tool.

Direct answer

How different are South Korea and Florida?

South Korea covers 100,459.9 km² (38,788 sq mi); South Korea's area is about 72.3% of Florida's. Its reported population is 51,805,547; South Korea's population is 2.21 times Florida's. By average density, South Korea's population density is 3.05 times Florida's.

Area difference

South Korea's area is about 72.3% of Florida's 100,459.9 km² (38,788 sq mi) · 138,973.8 km² (53,658 sq mi)

Population difference

South Korea's population is 2.21 times Florida's 51,805,547 · 23,462,518

Density difference

South Korea's population density is 3.05 times Florida's 515.7 /km² (1,336 /sq mi) · 168.8 /km² (437 /sq mi)

Full data and sources for each place: South Korea area & population, Florida area & population

Straight-line distance between geometric centres: about 12131 km; time difference: 14 hours (13 hours during daylight saving time).

On a familiar scale

South Korea ≈ the size of Virginia (reference rung) 1,939 m² of land per resident
Florida ≈ 1.36 × Virginia (reference rung) 5,923 m² of land per resident

Reference scales come from U.S. Census Bureau: 2025 Gazetteer Files: land area of states and counties , as of 2025-01-01.

How to read it

Florida is the bigger place; South Korea has more than twice the people.

Geography and shape

South Korea occupies the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, about 70% of it mountainous, with its population concentrated around Seoul and along the southeast coast. Florida is a low, flat peninsula with most people along its coasts, from Miami and Tampa to Orlando inland.

Population context

South Korea has 51,805,547 people on 100,460 km², about 516 per km². Florida has an estimated 23,462,518 on 138,974 km² of land, about 169 per km². South Korea has about 2.2 times Florida’s population on about 72% of its land.

Boundaries and definitions

South Korea uses its register-based census for 1 November 2024 and registered cadastral land. Florida uses the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate for 1 July 2025 and the state’s land area, which leaves out 45,960 km² of lakes, lagoons and coastal water. With that water Florida is 184,934 km², about 1.8 times South Korea.

South Korea: Register-based census population, including Korean and foreign residents; registered cadastral land area.

Florida: The State of Florida: 138,973.81 km² of land and 23,462,518 residents. Area is the Census Bureau’s land area (ALAND) for the state in the 2025 Gazetteer; it excludes 45,960 km² of inland and coastal water — Lake Okeechobee, coastal lagoons and bays — so the land-plus-water total is 184,934 km². Population is the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 resident estimate for 1 July 2025, not a census count. The outline is Natural Earth’s admin-1 polygon, Florida Keys included; it measures about 5.7% more than the official land area because its coastline is drawn across lagoons and bays. Most of Florida keeps Eastern Time (UTC−5, UTC−4 in summer); the western Panhandle uses Central Time, one hour behind.

In-depth guide

How should South Korea and Florida be understood in context?

Florida is a common yardstick for South Korea in English, and the result is the reverse of what many expect: Florida is the larger of the two, by about 38%, while South Korea has more than twice as many people.

Less land, twice the people

South Korea’s 100,460 km² is about 72% of Florida’s 138,974 km² of land, but its 51.8 million people are about 2.2 times Florida’s 23.5 million. South Korea averages about 516 people per km², Florida about 169.

South Korea’s mountains push its people even closer together than the average suggests: about half of them live in the Seoul Capital Area alone.

Questions people ask

About this geographic comparison

Which is bigger, South Korea or Florida?

Florida is bigger, with a land area about 1.38× that of South Korea (South Korea 100,459.9 vs Florida 138,973.8 km², or 38,788 sq mi vs 53,658 sq mi).

How big is South Korea compared to Florida?

Florida has 138,973.8 km² (53,658 sq mi) and South Korea has 100,459.9 km² (38,788 sq mi): the ratio is 1.38×. Conversely, South Korea has 72.3% of Florida's area.

Does South Korea or Florida have more people?

South Korea has 51,805,547 people (2024-11-01), versus 23,462,518 in Florida (2025-07-01): 2.21×. In reverse, Florida has 45.3% of South Korea's population. South Korea is 72.3% the size of Florida — 100,459.9 km² vs 138,973.8 km² (38,788 sq mi vs 53,658 sq mi). Population is 2.21× higher; average density is 3.05× higher. Each side’s scope and reference date are set out under “Boundaries and definitions” on this page.

Is South Korea bigger than Florida?

No. Florida is bigger, with a land area about 1.38× that of South Korea (South Korea 100,459.9 vs Florida 138,973.8 km², or 38,788 sq mi vs 53,658 sq mi). The area difference is 38,513.9 km². Florida has 138,973.8 km² (53,658 sq mi) and South Korea has 100,459.9 km² (38,788 sq mi): the ratio is 1.38×. Conversely, South Korea has 72.3% of Florida's area. No. South Korea’s 100,460 km² is about 72% of Florida’s 138,974 km² of land. South Korea does have about 2.2 times Florida’s population.

Which US state is closest to South Korea in size?

By Census land area, Kentucky (102,268 km²) and Virginia (102,257 km²) are both within 2% of South Korea’s 100,460 km².

Sources

Outline data:

Natural Earth · Public domain