City profile · Pennsylvania · Census ACS 2023

Meridian, PA

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

3,809
Residents
$70,250
Median income
$231,000
Median home
$1,225
Median rent (state)
View my watchlist

Compare or rank this city

Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.

Compare with another city

Starting with Meridian, PA - add up to three more cities on the compare page.

See how it ranks

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

Place dossier plate

Sheet PA-MERIDIAN-PA · Meridian, PA 3,809 pop · income 50th pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-MID · COL-PAR · SAFE-UNK · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-MID · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 3,809
  • INC-MID $70,250
  • COL-PAR 97.6
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-MID 50th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Monroe City
  • HOME-MID $231,000
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Monroe City, IN (+ $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 Meridian

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Meridian 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 Meridian 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: 3,809.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $70,250. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Meridian - the verdict

Meridian ranks in the 50th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

50th
percentile, household income
51st
percentile, home value
54th
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: Meridian, PA

Pennsylvania's Meridian is a small town, with 3,809 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Households in Meridian report a median income of $70,250 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 3.2%. Meridian's housing stock carries a median value of $231,000, and the median resident age is 49.7 years. About 30.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 57.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Pennsylvania tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Pennsylvania scores 97.6 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,225 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Pennsylvania run around $260, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 67.4 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Meridian'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 work and mobility to housing and income to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

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

Question 1

What does the journey to work look like in Meridian?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 90.2%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

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 →

2. Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Meridian?

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 3.3 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 3.2%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Compare the housing trade-off →

3. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for Meridian?

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 Pennsylvania, the closest population matches are Pocono Woodland Lakes (3,800 residents, $116,932 income); Elim (3,828 residents, $64,597 income); Freeland (3,830 residents, $51,810 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Hawaiian Ocean View, HI (3,809 residents); Robbinsville Center, NJ (3,808 residents); Oakhurst, NJ (3,811 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

3,809 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$70,250 /yr

Below median income · poverty 3.2% (Low poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

97.6 (US=100)

Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Pennsylvania average

City profile score · Meridian, PA

58/100

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 B+
3.2%

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

Bachelor's+ share C
30.2%

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

Household income C-
$70,250

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

Cost of living C-
97.6 index

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

Violent crime N/A
N/A

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

Meridian profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Poverty rate, Bachelor's+ share, Household income, Cost of living. Poverty rateBachelor's+ shareHousehold incomeCost of living 58 C
Meridian profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Poverty rate: 77/100 (B+) · 3.2%
  • Bachelor's+ share: 58/100 (C) · 30.2%
  • Household income: 50/100 (C-) · $70,250
  • Cost of living: 50/100 (C-) · 97.6 index

How does Meridian compare to other US cities?

Meridian measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 50% higher than other cities
Home value 51% pricier than other cities
Median rent 54% 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 Meridian against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Pennsylvania only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Pennsylvania-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Meridian near the bottom of Pennsylvania's cities

Among the 1,865 Pennsylvania cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Meridian ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Meridian only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#802 of 1,765
55th percentile in Pennsylvania
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,865
0th percentile in Pennsylvania
Median Home Value
#468 of 1,790
74th percentile in Pennsylvania
Poverty Rate
#1,185 of 1,856
35th percentile in Pennsylvania
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#540 of 1,861
71st percentile in Pennsylvania
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 Pennsylvania only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

50thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

50th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Meridian's home value compares nationally

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

$231,000 49th percentile more affordable than 49% 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%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Meridian $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

Meridian's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.3×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#8,070 of 15,516
More affordable than 48% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#6,610 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 3.3×, Meridian sits in the moderate band: national rank #8,070 of 15,516 and #6,610 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.

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

$70,250 Meridian, PA median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Meridian, PA Meridian, PA's median household income ($70,250) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Meridian, PA-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Meridian, PA median $70,250/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%
Meridian, PA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Meridian, PA.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 30.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 57.0%

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

Population
3,809
Median Income
$70,250
Median Home Value
$231,000
Median Age
49.7
Poverty Rate
3.2%
Labor force participation
57.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
30.2%

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
90.2%
Carpool
2.6%
Public Transit
0.8%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
6.5%

Based on 1,732 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Pennsylvania statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $260

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Pennsylvania at $260 (electricity about $120 , water and sewer about $52 ).

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

Living Costs & Risk

Pennsylvania's BEA cost-of-living index is 97.6 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Meridian is $1,225/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Pennsylvania statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 67.4 / 100 (Moderate).

Cost/risk geography note

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

How Meridian compares to similar-size Pennsylvania 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
Meridian (this city) 3,809 $70,250
Pocono Woodland Lakes 3,800 $116,932
Elim 3,828 $64,597
Freeland 3,830 $51,810
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.

Browse all city profiles → · Explore city rankings →

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

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.

Share or download this profile