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
Star
Opportunity
81 · Top 7%
vs77 · Top 11%
Growth
76 · Top 9%
vs80 · Top 5%
Climate
61 · Bottom 19%
vs61 · Bottom 19%
Physical resilience
82 · Top 20%
vs79 · Top 26%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 31%
vs60 · Bottom 21%
Schools
79 · Top 15%
vs60 · Top 39%
Access
90 · Bottom 44%
vs86 · Bottom 33%
Economic stability
77 · Top 12%
vs66 · Top 37%
Measured values
| Metric | Meridian | Star | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 130,138 | 14,745 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $100,795 | $97,936 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $50,506 | $41,260 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,505/sq mi | 1,281/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $531,600 | $564,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,805 | $1,924 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.6% | 80.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.2% | 34.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.0% | 5.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,475 | 847 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.3 | 57.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 6.7% | -20.0% | 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 | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.4 min | 29.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.5 | 40.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 48 | 2 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.02 | 21.75 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 55.6% | 48.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 65.5% | 61.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 27.6% | 26.5% | 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.
Star
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Meridian, ID · Star, ID · How this is calculated: methodology