City profile · Indiana · Census ACS 2023

Merriam, IN

Merriam's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

309
Residents
$44,444
Median income
$123,800
Median home
$1,096
Median rent (state)
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See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Merriam.

Place dossier plate

Sheet IN-MERRIAM-IN · Merriam, IN 309 pop · income 12th pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-LOW · COL-BELOW · SAFE-UNK · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 309
  • INC-LOW $44,444
  • COL-BELOW 93.3
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-BOTTOM 12th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Emerald Beach
  • HOME-LOW $123,800
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Emerald Beach, MO (+ $0 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Merriam

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Merriam on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Merriam on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 309.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $44,444. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Merriam - the verdict

Merriam ranks in the 12th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

12th
percentile, household income
19th
percentile, home value
27th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Merriam, IN

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 309 residents in Merriam, a small town within Indiana. Median household income here is $44,444 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 0.0%. Merriam's housing stock carries a median value of $123,800, and the median resident age is 42.1 years. Educational attainment runs 27.3% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 45.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Living costs in Indiana run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Indiana scores 93.3 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,096 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $235 across Indiana, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 22.5 minutes, with 100.0% driving alone and 0.0% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 45.5 out of 100 (Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Merriam's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to work and mobility to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Merriam, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares. No matched row is reported here for annual population history, matched public-school count, within-city Census tract profiles, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

1. Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Merriam?

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.

The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 0.0%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Question 2

What does the journey to work look like in Merriam?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 100.0%. The reported mean trip to work is 22.5 minutes.

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.

Compare commute patterns →

3. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for Merriam?

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Within Indiana, the closest population matches are Amboy (310 residents, $48,750 income); Gentryville (310 residents, $46,774 income); Mongo (308 residents). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Anderson, AL (309 residents); Tanana, AK (309 residents); Teller, AK (309 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Population

309 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$44,444 /yr

Low income · poverty 0.0% (Very low poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

93.3 (US=100)

Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Indiana average

City profile score · Merriam, IN

57/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Poverty rate A+
0.0%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Cost of living B
93.3 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Bachelor's+ share C-
27.3%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Household income F
$44,444

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Merriam profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Poverty rate, Cost of living, Bachelor's+ share, Household income. Poverty rateCost of livingBachelor's+ shareHousehold income 57 C
Merriam profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Poverty rate: 100/100 (A+) · 0.0%
  • Cost of living: 72/100 (B) · 93.3 index
  • Bachelor's+ share: 53/100 (C-) · 27.3%
  • Household income: 13/100 (F) · $44,444

How does Merriam compare to other US cities?

Where Merriam sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 12% higher than other cities
Home value 19% pricier than other cities
Median rent 27% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Merriam against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Indiana only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Indiana-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Merriam near the bottom of Indiana's cities

Among the 850 Indiana cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Merriam ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Merriam only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#684 of 766
11th percentile in Indiana
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 850
0th percentile in Indiana
Median Home Value
#436 of 771
43rd percentile in Indiana
Poverty Rate
#638 of 849
0th percentile in Indiana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#169 of 850
80th percentile in Indiana
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Indiana only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

12thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

12th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Merriam's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$123,800 Among the most affordable more affordable than 81% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). This entry sits in this band. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Merriam $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Merriam's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.8×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#5,506 of 15,516
More affordable than 65% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#4,791 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 2.8×, Merriam sits in the affordable band: national rank #5,506 of 15,516 and #4,791 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$44,444 Merriam, IN median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Merriam, IN Merriam, IN's median household income ($44,444) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Merriam, IN-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Merriam, IN median $44,444/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Merriam, IN median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Merriam, IN.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 27.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 45.6%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
309
Median Income
$44,444
Median Home Value
$123,800
Median Age
42.1
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
45.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
27.3%

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
22.5 minutes
Drive Alone
100.0%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
0.0%

Based on 93 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Indiana statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $235

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Indiana at $235 (electricity about $110 , water and sewer about $45 ).

These are Indiana statewide averages, not a meter reading for Merriam. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Indiana's BEA cost-of-living index is 93.3 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Merriam is $1,096/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Indiana statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 45.5 / 100 (Low).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Indiana statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Merriam sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Merriam compares to similar-size Indiana cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Merriam (this city) 309 $44,444
Amboy 310 $48,750
Gentryville 310 $46,774
Mongo 308 N/A
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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