Meridian receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Meridian
Caldwell
Opportunity
81 · Top 7%
vs63 · Top 35%
Growth
76 · Top 9%
vs79 · Top 5%
Climate
61 · Bottom 19%
vs61 · Bottom 19%
Physical resilience
82 · Top 20%
vs77 · Top 28%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 31%
vs71 · Bottom 35%
Schools
79 · Top 15%
vs13 · Bottom 4%
Access
90 · Bottom 44%
vs82 · Bottom 25%
Economic stability
77 · Top 12%
vs64 · Top 42%
Measured values
| Metric | Meridian | Caldwell | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 130,138 | 66,516 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $100,795 | $73,058 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $50,506 | $27,345 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,505/sq mi | 2,646/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $531,600 | $367,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,805 | $1,264 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.6% | 73.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.2% | 19.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.0% | 11.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,475 | 1,467 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.3 | 22.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 6.7% | -7.6% | 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 | 9 mi | 23 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.4 min | 26.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.5 | 31.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 48 | 26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.02 | 17.56 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 55.6% | 29.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 65.5% | 41.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 27.6% | 58.9% | 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
Meridian
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Caldwell
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, heat wave.
Full profiles: Meridian, ID · Caldwell, ID · How this is calculated: methodology