Holland and Merriam receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Holland
Merriam
Opportunity
54 · Bottom 45%
vs57 · Top 48%
Growth
19 · Bottom 7%
vs27 · Bottom 14%
Climate
63 · Bottom 28%
vs66 · Bottom 36%
Physical resilience
91 · Top 10%
vs83 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 21%
vs91 · Top 30%
Access
85 · Bottom 30%
vs91 · Bottom 47%
Economic stability
61 · Top 49%
vs77 · Top 13%
Measured values
| Metric | Holland | Merriam | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,423 | 11,085 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,865 | $73,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,818 | $44,272 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,034/sq mi | 2,568/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $252,200 | $263,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,193 | $1,181 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.8% | 60.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.4% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -7.0% | -2.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.8% | 45.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.3% | 6.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 18 | 2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.5 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -89.8% | -99.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.8" | 38.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 30 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.4 min | 22.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.7 | 39.3 | 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
Holland
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind.
Merriam
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Holland, MI · Merriam, KS · How this is calculated: methodology