Should I Move To
Meridian, Idaho comes in at about 119,872 residents. Cost of living comes out moderate — essentially matching the national average. Rent typically lands near $1,548/mo, and the median household income is about $93,296. Overall, 61/100 on our composite score, which works out to a C+, putting it at #120 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 100 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's moderate territory. With median rent at $1,548/mo and median household income at $93,296, housing takes about 20% of gross income — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Homes typically value around $425,800.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect four-season weather — summers near 88°F, winters around 27°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 12 inches annually. You'll need a car for most things, though the central core is more walkable than the citywide score suggests. Crime numbers are reassuringly low here, well under the typical US city. AQI runs about 39 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
On the families profile, Meridian sits squarely in the middle. The profile-weighted score is 62/100 — a C+. Its standout dimension is safety (96/100); the soft spot is climate (18/100).
Meridian is a tougher sell for retirees. The profile-weighted score is 52/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is safety (96/100); the soft spot is climate (18/100).
Meridian is a tougher sell for remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 54/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is safety (96/100); the soft spot is climate (18/100).
On the young professionals profile, Meridian sits squarely in the middle. The profile-weighted score is 59/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is safety (96/100); the soft spot is climate (18/100).
Our overall score for Meridian is 61/100 — a C+, sitting at #120 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Meridian sits at 100 — moderate, essentially matching the national average. Median renter pays around $1,548 a month.
Meridian runs four-season on the weather. Summer's near 88°F, winter's near 27°F; 12 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 36/100. You'll need a car for most things, though the central core is more walkable than the citywide score suggests.
Roughly 119,872 people live here, with 44% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 37.
Drop Meridian into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Meridian with other Idaho cities scored on UrbRank.
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