Cost of living in Merriam research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Merriam is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Kansas, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Merriam is 94, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Merriam is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Merriam ranks as the #46 cheapest in Kansas out of 63.
Merriam ranks as the #2,290 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Merriam is $196,100.
The median income in Merriam is $64,703.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Merriam has an overall cost of living index of 94, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Kansas, Merriam has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Kansas's index of 87.
The standard of living in Merriam ranks as #46 most affordable out of the 63 places we measured in Kansas. By definition, that implies Merriam ranks as the #17 most expensive place in the Sunflower State.
For more reading on life in Merriam, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Merriam. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Merriam is 102.
The Groceries index in Merriam is 92.
The Health index in Merriam is 103.
The Housing index in Merriam is 84.
The Transportation index in Merriam is 95.
The Utilities index in Merriam is 96.
Living Expense | Merriam | Kansas | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 94 | 87 | 100 | |
Services | 102 | 90 | 100 | |
Groceries | 92 | 95 | 100 | |
Health | 103 | 98 | 100 | |
Housing | 84 | 70 | 100 | |
Transportation | 95 | 93 | 100 | |
Utilities | 96 | 102 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Kansas, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Merriam is $196,100.
The Median Rent in Merriam is $1,011.
The Median Income in Merriam is $64,703.
The Home Value To Income in Merriam is 3.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Merriam is 0.19x.
Statistic | Merriam | Kansas | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $196,100 | $164,800 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,011 | $912 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $64,703 | $64,521 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.0x | 2.6x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.19x | 0.17x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Merriam. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Olathe, KS has a cost of living index of 101, 1.1x Merriam.
Lee's Summit, MO has a cost of living index of 101, 1.1x Merriam.
Shawnee, KS has a cost of living index of 99, 1.1x Merriam.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Merriam |
---|---|---|---|
Olathe, KS | 140,339 | 101 | 1.1x |
Lee's Summit, MO | 100,772 | 101 | 1.1x |
Shawnee, KS | 67,021 | 99 | 1.1x |
Lenexa, KS | 56,755 | 105 | 1.1x |
Leawood, KS | 33,748 | 126 | 1.3x |
Raymore, MO | 22,722 | 101 | 1.1x |
Mission, KS | 9,884 | 94 | 1.0x |
Spring Hill, KS | 7,883 | 96 | 1.0x |
Parkville, MO | 7,153 | 115 | 1.2x |
Roeland Park, KS | 6,871 | 98 | 1.0x |