Cost of living in Meridian 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 Meridian is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Mississippi, 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 Meridian is 83, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Meridian is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Meridian ranks as the #30 cheapest in Mississippi out of 69.
Meridian ranks as the #491 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Meridian is $92,100.
The median income in Meridian is $31,198.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Meridian has an overall cost of living index of 83, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Mississippi, Meridian has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Mississippi's index of 86.
The standard of living in Meridian ranks as #30 most affordable out of the 69 places we measured in Mississippi. By definition, that implies Meridian ranks as the #39 most expensive place in the Magnolia State.
For more reading on life in Meridian, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Meridian. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Meridian is 94.
The Groceries index in Meridian is 95.
The Health index in Meridian is 95.
The Housing index in Meridian is 54.
The Transportation index in Meridian is 88.
The Utilities index in Meridian is 97.
Living Expense | Meridian | Mississippi | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 83 | 86 | 100 | |
Services | 94 | 92 | 100 | |
Groceries | 95 | 94 | 100 | |
Health | 95 | 98 | 100 | |
Housing | 54 | 69 | 100 | |
Transportation | 88 | 91 | 100 | |
Utilities | 97 | 87 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Mississippi, 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 Meridian is $92,100.
The Median Rent in Meridian is $748.
The Median Income in Meridian is $31,198.
The Home Value To Income in Meridian is 3.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Meridian is 0.29x.
Statistic | Meridian | Mississippi | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $92,100 | $133,000 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $748 | $830 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $31,198 | $49,111 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.0x | 2.7x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.29x | 0.2x | 0.2x |
Item | Meridian | Mississippi |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $0.96 | $1.06 |
Movie | $10.7 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $10.33 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $15.67 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $34.83 | $39.05 |
Item | Meridian | Mississippi |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.63 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.15 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.98 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $4.0 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $10.04 | $10.62 |
Beer | $8.01 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $1.87 | $2.34 |
Item | Meridian | Mississippi |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $98.11 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $90.14 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $104.83 | $99.13 |
Item | Meridian | Mississippi |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $1.9 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $45.84 | $50.07 |
Item | Meridian | Mississippi |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $160.67 | $167.67 |
Phone | $180.88 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Meridian. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Philadelphia, MS has a cost of living index of 80, 1.0x Meridian.
Forest, MS has a cost of living index of 77, 0.9x Meridian.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Meridian |
---|---|---|---|
Philadelphia, MS | 7,107 | 80 | 1.0x |
Forest, MS | 5,464 | 77 | 0.9x |