Meridian receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Garden City
Meridian
Opportunity
72 · Top 18%
vs81 · Top 7%
Growth
77 · Top 7%
vs76 · Top 9%
Climate
61 · Bottom 19%
vs61 · Bottom 19%
Physical resilience
82 · Top 20%
vs82 · Top 20%
Housing affordability
59 · Bottom 19%
vs68 · Bottom 31%
Schools
41 · Bottom 37%
vs79 · Top 15%
Access
90 · Bottom 44%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 32%
vs77 · Top 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Garden City | Meridian | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,654 | 130,138 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $70,124 | $100,795 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,354 | $50,506 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,101/sq mi | 3,505/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $449,500 | $531,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,323 | $1,805 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.1% | 74.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.2% | 44.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.0% | 6.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 100 | 1,475 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 11.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 72.4% | 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 | 8 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.2 min | 23.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.3 | 37.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 48 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.21 | 20.02 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 37.4% | 55.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 51.9% | 65.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 32.9% | 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
Garden City
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Meridian
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Garden City
67
Your Score
67
Area Score
Meridian
77
Your Score
76
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Garden City, ID · Meridian, ID · How this is calculated: methodology