Meridian receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Eagle
Meridian
Opportunity
79 · Top 9%
vs81 · Top 7%
Growth
86 · Top 1%
vs76 · Top 9%
Climate
61 · Bottom 19%
vs61 · Bottom 19%
Physical resilience
57 · Bottom 49%
vs82 · Top 20%
Housing affordability
70 · Bottom 34%
vs68 · Bottom 31%
Schools
83 · Top 10%
vs79 · Top 15%
Access
86 · Bottom 31%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 45%
vs77 · Top 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Eagle | Meridian | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,855 | 130,138 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $122,894 | $100,795 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $69,666 | $50,506 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 727/sq mi | 3,505/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $772,900 | $531,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,765 | $1,805 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 84.1% | 74.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 57.5% | 44.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.1% | 6.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 822 | 1,475 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 25.0 | 11.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 45.2% | 6.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.5" | 11.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 18 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.3 min | 23.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 47.6 | 37.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 48 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.60 | 20.02 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 63.8% | 55.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 68.8% | 65.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 21.7% | 27.6% | 2024-25 school 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
Eagle
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Meridian
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Eagle, ID · Meridian, ID · How this is calculated: methodology