Meridian, MS
Census place 2846640 · pop 34,137
Hometown of Jimmie Rodgers, the "Father of Country Music," who is celebrated here with an annual festival.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
34.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$36,562 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
41.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
22.0% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
46.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-9.8% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
82.0% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.51 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
48.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
14.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
19.3% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
21.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.23% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
86/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.4% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,363/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
19 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
36 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$107,900 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
0 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
0 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
Frequently asked
- Is Meridian, MS a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Meridian scores 51/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is property crime rate and its weakest is poverty rate. Mississippi overall ranks #27 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Meridian, MS?
- Meridian reports 0 violent crimes per 100k and 0 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Meridian, MS expensive to live in?
- Meridian has a median home value of $107,900 and typical rent around $1,363/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Meridian, MS?
- Its weakest measured area is poverty rate (34.3%) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Meridian, MS best at?
- Its strongest measured area is property crime rate (0/100k) — 97/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Hometown of Jimmie Rodgers, the "Father of Country Music," who is celebrated here with an annual festival.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.