Shawnee receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Merriam
Shawnee
Opportunity
57 · Top 48%
vs66 · Top 31%
Growth
27 · Bottom 14%
vs77 · Top 8%
Climate
66 · Bottom 36%
vs68 · Bottom 39%
Physical resilience
83 · Top 19%
vs83 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
91 · Top 30%
vs97 · Top 15%
Access
91 · Bottom 47%
vs90 · Bottom 45%
Economic stability
77 · Top 13%
vs81 · Top 6%
Measured values
| Metric | Merriam | Shawnee | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,085 | 68,542 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $73,600 | $109,940 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,272 | $54,157 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,568/sq mi | 1,633/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $263,300 | $359,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,181 | $1,322 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.7% | 73.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.3% | -2.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.6% | 53.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.0% | 5.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2 | 563 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 8.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -99.2% | 176.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 38.1" | 37.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 19 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.8 min | 23.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.3 | 39.0 | 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
Merriam
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Shawnee
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Merriam, KS · Shawnee, KS · How this is calculated: methodology