State comparison
Maine vs California: which state is better to live in?
Maine costs a median household about $1,200 a year less in state and local taxes than California, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $3,744 a year against $5,609 in California.
Maine
High tax burden · COL index 107
Wins 10 categories
California
Moderate tax burden · COL index 142
Wins 4 categories
Taxes: Maine vs California
Maine has a graduated income tax topping out at 7.15%, which works out to 6.5% on a median income of $74,580, or $4,813 a year. California has a graduated income tax topping out at 13.3%, which works out to 4.5% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,375 a year. California wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.04% of home value a year in Maine and 0.71% in California (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,744 against $5,609, so California has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 5.50% in Maine and 8.82% in California; Maine is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $9,787 a year in Maine, $10,957 in California. Maine is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Maine's cost of living index is 107 and California's is 142, where 100 is the national average; Maine is about 33% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $360K in Maine and $790K in California (Zillow, 2024), a $430K gap in Maine's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,500 a month in Maine and $2,300 in California.
Home insurance averages $900 a year in Maine and $2,100 in California, so Maine is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 109 incidents per 100,000 residents in Maine and 499 in California (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Maine is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 358% lower. Property crime is 1,187 per 100,000 in Maine against 2,027 in California, again favoring Maine.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.8 years in Maine and 79.2 in California (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.4-year edge for California. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Maine's health system 7th of 50 and California's 13th, so Maine scores better on care.
6.9% of Maine residents have no health insurance against 6.8% in California, which favors California. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Maine's K-12 schools 14th in the country and California's 20th, 6 places apart in Maine's favor. Maine runs a school-choice voucher program; California does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Maine went to Harris by 6 points and California went to Harris by 20 points.
Maine has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of B-; California has may-issue carry permits and a grade of A, so California regulates guns more tightly and Maine is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in both states, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $14.15 an hour in Maine and $16.00 in California.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is low in Maine (blizzard, flood) and very high in California (wildfire, earthquake, drought), so Maine is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 26 in Maine and 62 in California (under 50 is good), favoring Maine.
Tax figures use a household earning the national median income and owning each state's median home, at tax year 2026 rates, last checked against state sources on 2026-09-14. The table below has every number.
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
10
Maine
4
California
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Maine or California better to live in?
Maine wins more of the measures that decide a move. Maine on taxes ($9,787 a year for a median household against $10,957); Maine on everyday costs (index 107 against 142); Maine on safety (109 violent crimes per 100,000 against 499); Maine on schools (ranked 14th against 20th).
Which is cheaper, Maine or California?
Maine is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 107 against 142. The median home is $360K in Maine and $790K in California (2024). On state and local taxes Maine saves a median household about $1,200 a year.
Does Maine or California have lower taxes?
Maine. A household earning $74,580 pays about $9,787 a year in Maine ($4,813 income tax, $3,744 property tax on the median home and $1,231 in sales tax) and $10,957 in California ($3,375 income tax, $5,609 property tax on the median home and $1,973 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Maine or California?
Maine, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 109 per 100,000 residents in Maine and 499 in California; property crime is 1,187 against 2,027.
Which has better schools, Maine or California?
Maine. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Maine 14th of 50 for K-12 and California 20th. Maine also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Maine or California better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Maine does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has an estate tax; California does not tax Social Security, taxes pensions as income and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $3,744 a year in Maine and $5,609 in California.