South Mills is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Camden County, North Carolina, United States. Its population was 454 as of the 2010 census. South Mills has a post office with ZIP code 27976, which opened on March 2, 1840. The community is located near U.S. Route 17, and U.S. Route 17 Business and North Carolina Highway 343, and future Interstate 87 pass through the community.

Camden County is a consolidated city-county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,355, making it the fourth-least populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is Camden. Camden County is included in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC Combined Statistical Area.