Meridian receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Nampa
Meridian
Opportunity
66 · Top 29%
vs81 · Top 7%
Growth
74 · Top 11%
vs76 · Top 9%
Climate
61 · Bottom 19%
vs61 · Bottom 19%
Physical resilience
78 · Top 27%
vs82 · Top 20%
Housing affordability
66 · Bottom 29%
vs68 · Bottom 31%
Schools
21 · Bottom 13%
vs79 · Top 15%
Access
86 · Bottom 31%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
64 · Top 43%
vs77 · Top 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Nampa | Meridian | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 110,319 | 130,138 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,279 | $100,795 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,417 | $50,506 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,071/sq mi | 3,505/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $370,800 | $531,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,420 | $1,805 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.2% | 74.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.4% | 44.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.5% | 6.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,249 | 1,475 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.3 | 11.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -22.6% | 6.7% | 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 | 17 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.1 min | 23.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.9 | 37.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 37 | 48 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.29 | 20.02 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 32.5% | 55.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 47.0% | 65.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 48.9% | 27.6% | 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
Nampa
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, heat wave.
Meridian
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Nampa, ID · Meridian, ID · How this is calculated: methodology