Meridian receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Belgrade
Meridian
Opportunity
84 · Top 4%
vs81 · Top 7%
Growth
65 · Top 24%
vs76 · Top 9%
Climate
52 · Bottom 2%
vs61 · Bottom 19%
Physical resilience
74 · Top 32%
vs82 · Top 20%
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 24%
vs68 · Bottom 31%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
73 · Top 22%
vs77 · Top 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Belgrade | Meridian | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,872 | 130,138 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $97,328 | $100,795 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $54,900 | $50,506 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,440/sq mi | 3,505/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $535,200 | $531,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,877 | $1,805 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 56.1% | 74.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.7% | 3.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.1% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.5% | 44.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.2% | 6.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 121 | 1,475 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 10.2 | 11.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -44.5% | 6.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 10°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.4" | 11.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 1 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.2 min | 23.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.3 | 37.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Belgrade
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, wildfire.
Meridian
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Belgrade, MT · Meridian, ID · How this is calculated: methodology