Quality of life comparison
If you lived in California instead of Maine, you would:
Health
live 1.2 years longer
In Maine, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In California, that number is 79 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2020.
be 14.5% less likely to be obese
In Maine, 33.2% of adults are obese as of 2022. In California, that number is 28.4% of people as of 2022.
be 30.1% more likely to have diabetes
In Maine, 8.3% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In California, that number is 10.8% as of 2022.
Economy
make 52.9% more money
Maine has a GDP per capita of $54,958 as of 2024, while in California, the GDP per capita is $84,028 as of 2024.
be 59.4% more likely to be unemployed
In Maine, 3.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In California, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
be 14.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Maine, 10.2% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In California, however, that number is 11.7% as of 2023.
Safety
be 5.0 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Maine has a violent crime rate of 101 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 503 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 2.1 times more likely to be a victim of property crime
Maine has a property crime rate of 1,105 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 2,303 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 34.2% more money
The median household income in Maine is $71,773 as of 2023, while in California, it is $96,334 as of 2023.
pay 2.6 times more for a home
The median home value in Maine is $266,400 as of 2023, compared to $695,400 in California as of 2023.
pay 80.4% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Maine is $1,084 as of 2023, while in California, it is $1,956 as of 2023.
be 24.6% less likely to own your home
In Maine, 74.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In California, that number is 55.8% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 24.2% less likely to smoke
In Maine, 15.3% of adults smoke as of 2022. In California, that number is 11.6% as of 2022.
be 7.2 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Maine, 1.7% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In California, that number is 12.2% as of 2023.
commute 4.6 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Maine takes 24.4 minutes as of 2023. In California, it takes 29.0 minutes as of 2023.
live among residents who are 7.2 years older on average
The median age in Maine is 44.8 years as of 2023. In California, the median age is 37.6 years as of 2023.
live in an area that is 5.5 times more densely populated
Maine has a population density of 17.5 people per sq km as of 2023. In California, that number is 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
