Meridianville vs Moody

Which is the better fit for you?

Meridianville, AL
70
Area Score
Top 14% nationally
Moody, AL
64
Area Score
Top 31% nationally

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Meridianville receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Meridianville to Moody

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Everyday prices
2% lower
Regional price level 91.8 against 93.8 (US = 100)
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
+$177 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,487 in Moody against $1,310 in Meridianville.
The median home
19% less
$237,500 in Moody against $291,900 in Meridianville.
The weather you would swap
Winters 2°F milder
Normal January lows are 35°F in Moody against 33°F in Meridianville; July highs are 91°F against 92°F (summers 1°F cooler).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

27 occupations have a published median wage in both places. Start typing, or choose from the list.

Median wages are the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ metro figures for that occupation, not a job offer, and the price level is the regional index; neither includes taxes, benefits or how senior you are.

Signals

Meridianville
Moody
Opportunity: Meridianville is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
79 · Top 10%
vs
63 · Top 36%
Growth: Meridianville is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
72 · Top 12%
vs
70 · Top 15%
Climate: Moody is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
68 · Bottom 42%
vs
74 · Top 32%
Physical resilience: Meridianville is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
51 · Bottom 44%
vs
42 · Bottom 33%
Housing affordability: Meridianville is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
84 · Top 6%
vs
77 · Top 20%
Schools: Meridianville is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
60 · Top 36%
vs
58 · Top 39%
Access: Moody is the more favorable of the two.
Access
92 · Bottom 48%
vs
94 · Top 46%
Economic stability: Meridianville is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
63 · Top 39%
vs
60 · Top 47%

Measured values

MetricMeridianvilleMoodySource period
Population11,15013,4882024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income — the two are too close to separate$97,434 ±$10,721$86,627 ±$10,3052024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income — the two are too close to separate$44,739 ±$4,674$39,730 ±$3,7522024 ACS 5-Year
Population density717/sq mi550/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$291,900$237,5002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent — the two are too close to separate$1,348 ±$633$1,553 ±$4072024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,310 — more favorable$1,487FY2026
Cost of living index93.891.8 — more favorable2023
Homeownership rate92.5%74.1%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate3.2%3.2%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−0.9% — more favorable−1.9%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher43.4% — more favorable28.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate — the two are too close to separate5.3% ±3%7.5% ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)4,0954912 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents10.1 — more favorable3.612 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+6.5%+172.2%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high92°F91°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low33°F35°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation54.3"56.6"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport20 mi15 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute — the two are too close to separate27.3 min ±2.4 min30.0 min ±2.5 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age39.243.52024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools142024-25 school year
Students per teacher17.9 — more favorable20.12024-25 school year
Math proficiency56.1%59.0% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency55.7% — more favorable53.9%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility39.0%41.3%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.

5 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Meridianville

Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding, earthquake.

Moody

Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding, earthquake.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Meridianville
—
Meridianville: Your Score
70
Area Score
Moody
—
Moody: Your Score
64
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Meridianville, AL · Moody, AL · How this is calculated: methodology