California vs Maine
California comes out ahead of Maine on 420 of 789 statistics where one end is better, to 355 with 14 ties. California leads on Health, Agriculture and Tech & Business and 4 more categories. Maine leads on Infrastructure & Energy, Environment and Sports and 5 more categories.
789 statistics with a better end, compared
Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 14 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.
- Wins
- 420
- Avg. percentile
- 54
- Categories led
- 7
- Wins
- 355
- Avg. percentile
- 50
- Categories led
- 8
At a glance
Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.
| Statistic | California | Maine |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,345,844 1st of 51 | 1,421,310 42nd of 51 |
| Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $99,122 6th of 51 | $74,733 33rd of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 5.5% 50th of 51 | 3.4% tied 10th of 51 |
| Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 12.0% 29th of 51 | 10.7% 19th of 51 |
| Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 110.7 51st of 51 | 97.1 26th of 51 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $63,028 13th of 51 | $57,480 29th of 51 |
| Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS) | $80,690 5th of 51 | $65,780 23rd of 51 |
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $2,036 51st of 51 | $1,139 21st of 51 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 432.7 44th of 51 | 93.2 1st of 51 |
| Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages) | 2,814 9th of 48 | 7,759 43rd of 48 |
By category
Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.
- Infrastructure & EnergyMaine · 36 statistics
- HealthCalifornia · 185 statistics
- EnvironmentMaine · 38 statistics
- AgricultureCalifornia · 17 statistics
- Tech & BusinessCalifornia · 48 statistics
- SportsMaine · 16 statistics
- Crime & SafetyMaine · 68 statistics
- EconomicsCalifornia · 291 statistics
- Politics & GovernmentCalifornia · 125 statistics
- EducationCalifornia · 51 statistics
- PopulationMaine · 124 statistics
- Facts & TriviaMaine · 18 statistics
- LawMaine · 66 statistics
- CultureCalifornia · 77 statistics
- TravelMaine · 29 statistics
- GeographyEven · 25 statistics
Biggest differences
The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.
| Statistic | California | Maine |
|---|---|---|
| Mean Annual WageOT Salary by State | $109,220 1st of 51 | $76,490 51st of 51 |
| Mean Hourly WageOT Salary by State | $52.51 1st of 51 | $36.77 51st of 51 |
| % of Pop. with Less Than High School DiplomaMost Educated U.S. States | 15.1% 51st of 51 | 5.2% 2nd of 51 |
| Cultural DiversityLeast Diverse States in the US | 1st 1st of 50 | 49th 49th of 50 |
| Cultural Diversity RankMost Diverse US States | 1st 1st of 50 | 49th 49th of 50 |
| Opportunity RankWorst States to Live in | 1st worst of 50 | 48th 2nd best of 50 |
| Avg. Cost of Car Repair LaborAuto Repair Rates by State | $271 50th of 51 | $214 2nd of 51 |
| Avg. Cost of Car Repair PartsAuto Repair Rates by State | $416 49th of 51 | $349 1st of 51 |
| Median Annual WageOT Salary by State | $104,380 1st of 51 | $76,860 49th of 51 |
| Median Hourly WageOT Salary by State | $50.19 1st of 51 | $36.95 49th of 51 |
| Opportunity & Competition RankBest States for Teachers | 2nd 2nd of 51 | 50th 50th of 51 |
| Theft RateStolen Cars by State | 511 per 100k 49th of 51 | 61 per 100k 1st of 51 |
| Governor's SalaryGovernor Salary by State | $242,295 3rd of 50 | $70,000 50th of 50 |
| Racial & Ethnic DiversityMost Diverse US States | 2nd 2nd of 50 | 49th 49th of 50 |
| OpportunityBest States to Live In | 50th 49th of 49 | 3rd 3rd of 49 |
| Quality of LifePension-Friendly States | 21 48th of 49 | 92 2nd of 49 |
| Average Engagement Ring CostEngagement Ring Cost by State | $9,482 50th of 51 | $3,184 tied 2nd of 51 |
| Cancer CasesHealthiest States | 7.1 tied 3rd of 50 | 11.1 tied last of 50 |
| ROI Potential RankFarming-Friendly States | 1st 1st of 50 | 47th 47th of 50 |
| Air Quality Rank (US News)Air Quality by State | 49th 49th of 50 | 3rd 3rd of 50 |
| Days with Unhealthy Air Quality (US News)Air Quality by State | 234 49th of 50 | 64 3rd of 50 |
| Min RateTax Rates by State | 1% tied 2nd of 40 | 5.8% tied last of 40 |
| % of Homeless Who Are UnshelteredHomeless Population by State | 66.3% 51st of 51 | 10.1% tied 4th of 51 |
| % ShelteredHomeless Population by State | 33.7% 51st of 51 | 89.9% tied 4th of 51 |
| FatalitiesFloods by State | 339 45th of 47 | 11 tied 2nd of 47 |
| Income Tax Minimum RateTaxes by State | 1% tied 3rd of 39 | 5.8% 39th of 39 |
| Primary Care Physicians Per 100kHealthiest States | 239 49th of 51 | 386 3rd of 51 |
| Deadliest 10 Miles Deaths 2000-2019Deadliest Highway by State | 118 48th of 50 | 17 3rd of 50 |
| Deadliest 10 Miles Fatal Crashes 2000-2019Deadliest Highway by State | 108 48th of 50 | 15 3rd of 50 |
| WeatherPension-Friendly States | 83 tied 4th of 49 | 17 tied last of 49 |
Quick answers
- Which is better, California or Maine?
- California comes out ahead of Maine on 420 of 789 statistics where one end is better, to 355 with 14 ties. California leads on Health, Agriculture and Tech & Business and 4 more categories. Maine leads on Infrastructure & Energy, Environment and Sports and 5 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
- Which has more people, California or Maine?
- California has a population of 39,345,844 (1st of 51 US states) and Maine has 1,421,310 (42nd of 51).
- How do California and Maine compare on Median Household Income?
- Median Household Income: California $99,122 (6th of 51), Maine $74,733 (33rd of 51) among US states. California ranks better.
- How do California and Maine compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
- Unemployment Rate (%): California 5.5% (50th of 51), Maine 3.4% (tied 10th of 51) among US states. Maine ranks better.
- Where does California beat Maine most clearly?
- California ranks far ahead on Mean Annual Wage (OT Salary by State): $109,220 vs $76,490; Mean Hourly Wage (OT Salary by State): $52.51 vs $36.77; Cultural Diversity (Least Diverse States in the US): 1st vs 49th.
- Where does Maine beat California most clearly?
- Maine ranks far ahead on % of Pop. with Less Than High School Diploma (Most Educated U.S. States): 5.2% vs 15.1%; Opportunity Rank (Worst States to Live in): 48th vs 1st; Avg. Cost of Car Repair Labor (Auto Repair Rates by State): $214 vs $271.
More matchups
Other comparisons with California or Maine.
- Alabama vs California
- Alaska vs California
- Arizona vs California
- Arkansas vs California
- California vs Colorado
- California vs Connecticut
- California vs Delaware
- California vs District of Columbia
- Alabama vs Maine
- Alaska vs Maine
- Arizona vs Maine
- Arkansas vs Maine
- Colorado vs Maine
- Connecticut vs Maine
- Delaware vs Maine
- District of Columbia vs Maine