The map above shows California and Maine side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Maine Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Maine has 30,845 square miles (79,888 km²). California's land area is 5.1 times (405%) larger than Maine's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Maine: 35,380 square miles (91,634 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 4.6 times (363%) larger than Maine's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Maine is 311 miles (501 km). California's north-south length is 2.4 times (145%) longer than Maine's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Maine spans 203 miles (327 km). California's east-west width is 3.5 times (248%) wider than Maine's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Maine's is Mount Katahdin at 5,253 feet (1,601 m). Mount Whitney is 9,231 feet higher than Mount Katahdin.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Maine's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
California vs Maine Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Maine has 1,405,012 (2024). California's population is 28.1 times larger than Maine's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Maine: 45.6. California's population density is 5.5 times (455%) higher than Maine's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Maine's is Portland with 69,568. Los Angeles' population is 55.8 times larger than Portland's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Maine's Portland-South Portland, ME metro area (571,534). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 22.6 times larger than Portland-South Portland, ME metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Maine: Admitted to the Union on March 15, 1820, as the 23rd state. In its current form, Maine is the older of the two by 30 years.
California vs Maine Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Maine's $99.2 billion. California's economic output is 40.8 times larger than Maine's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Maine: $70,586. California's GDP per capita is 1.5 times (45%) higher than Maine's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Maine: $68,932 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.3 times (25%) higher than Maine's.
California vs Maine Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Maine has 16. California's county count is 3.6 times (263%) higher than Maine's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Maine's is Aroostook County at 6,671 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 3.0 times (201%) larger than Aroostook County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Maine: Sagadahoc County (254 sq mi). Sagadahoc County's land area is 5.4 times (444%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Maine: Cumberland County (313,809 people). Los Angeles County's population is 31.1 times larger than Cumberland County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Maine: Piscataquis County (17,432 people). Piscataquis County's population is 15.9 times larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Maine: Cumberland County ($90,142). Marin County's income is 2.1 times (112%) richer than Cumberland County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Maine: Franklin County ($52,725). Franklin County's income is 1.2 times (25%) richer than Trinity County's.
California vs Maine Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Maine has a top income tax rate of 7.15%. California's top rate is 6.15 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Maine: 0.91% of home value per year. Maine's rate is 0.2 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Maine: 5.5%. California's combined rate is 3.53 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Maine official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Maine size comparisons
Area, elevation and boundary figures come from official national statistics and US Census Bureau and Natural Earth boundary data; US state population, economic, county and tax figures come from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Tax Foundation. Figures are rounded and for general reference.