Santa Maria, California is 19% larger than Salinas, California.
Area: 60 km2 calculated
Santa Maria is a city on the Central Coast, in Santa Barbara County. It is approximately 120 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The 2012 population was 101,459, putting it ahead of Santa Barbara for the first time and making it the most populous city in the county. Wikipedia
Area: 50 km2 calculated
Salinas is the county seat and largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located 10 miles east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 163,665 at the 2014 census. Wikipedia