Signals
Meridian
Norwood
Climate
61 · Bottom 19%
vs63 · Bottom 30%
Physical resilience
82 · Top 20%
vs92 · Top 9%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 31%
vs58 · Bottom 18%
Schools
79 · Top 15%
vs80 · Top 14%
Access
90 · Bottom 44%
vs95 · Top 34%
Economic stability
77 · Top 12%
vs72 · Top 24%
Measured values
| Metric | Meridian | Norwood | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 130,138 | 31,542 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $100,795 | $107,030 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $50,506 | $63,827 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,505/sq mi | 3,039/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $531,600 | $651,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,805 | $2,116 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.6% | 54.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.2% | 55.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.0% | 8.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 93°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.5" | 43.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.4 min | 33.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.5 | 39.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 48 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.02 | 11.78 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 55.6% | 47.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 65.5% | 57.9% | 2019-20 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.
Idaho and Massachusetts do not give the same test. Each state writes its own assessment and sets its own passing score, so the two proficiency rows above are not directly comparable — the difference between them partly measures which standard is harder. Students per teacher and the school count are unaffected, and each profile ranks its own proficiency within its own state.
Physical risk tradeoff
Meridian
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Norwood
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: Meridian, ID · Norwood, MA · How this is calculated: methodology