The map above shows California and Maryland side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Maryland Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Maryland has 9,711 square miles (25,151 km²). California's land area is 16.0 times larger than Maryland's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Maryland: 12,406 square miles (32,131 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 13.2 times larger than Maryland's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Maryland is 231 miles (371 km). California's north-south length is 3.3 times (229%) longer than Maryland's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Maryland spans 243 miles (391 km). California's east-west width is 2.9 times (191%) wider than Maryland's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Maryland's is Hoye-Crest at 3,362 feet (1,025 m). Mount Whitney is 11,122 feet higher than Hoye-Crest.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Maryland's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
California vs Maryland Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Maryland has 6,263,220 (2024). California's population is 6.3 times (530%) larger than Maryland's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Maryland: 645.0. Maryland's population density is 2.5 times (155%) higher than California's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Maryland's is Baltimore with 568,271. Los Angeles' population is 6.8 times (583%) larger than Baltimore's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Maryland's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 2.0 times (101%) larger than Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Maryland: Admitted to the Union on April 28, 1788, as the 7th state. In its current form, Maryland is the older of the two by 62 years.
California vs Maryland Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Maryland's $546.0 billion. California's economic output is 7.4 times (641%) larger than Maryland's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Maryland: $87,180. California's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (18%) higher than Maryland's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Maryland: $79,259 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.1 times (9%) higher than Maryland's.
California vs Maryland Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Maryland has 24. California's county count is 2.4 times (142%) higher than Maryland's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Maryland's is Frederick County at 661 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 30.4 times larger than Frederick County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Maryland: Baltimore city (81 sq mi). Baltimore city's land area is 1.7 times (73%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Maryland: Montgomery County (1,082,273 people). Los Angeles County's population is 9.0 times (802%) larger than Montgomery County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Maryland: Kent County (19,557 people). Kent County's population is 17.8 times larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Maryland: Montgomery County ($104,882). Marin County's income is 1.8 times (82%) richer than Montgomery County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Maryland: Somerset County ($41,421). Trinity County and Somerset County have about the same income.
California vs Maryland Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Maryland has a top income tax rate of 6.5%. California's top rate is 6.8 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Maryland: 0.95% of home value per year. Maryland's rate is 0.24 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Maryland: 6%. California's combined rate is 3.03 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Maryland official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Maryland 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.