Meridian, MS

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

2024 Population

86,818

US Senator

Roger Wicker

Republican Party

US Senator

Cindy Hyde-Smith

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

40.2

0.5% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

24.7%

2.98% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$49,822

1.35% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$128,100

Population & Diversity

Meridian, MS is home to a population of 86.8k people, from which 99.2% are citizens.

As of 2024, 1.58% of Meridian, MS residents were born outside of the country (1.37k people).

In 2024, there were 1.34 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (45.6k people) in Meridian, MS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 33.9k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 3.19k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.2%

2024 Citizenship

99.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.2% of Meridian, MS residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Meridian, MS was 99.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Meridian, MS compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Meridian, MS

White (Non-Hispanic)
45.6k ± 241
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
33.9k ± 820
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
3.19k ± 670

2.29%

Hispanic Population

1.99k people

2.29% of the people in Meridian, MS are hispanic (1.99k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Meridian, MS as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Mississippi.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
15,967 ± 3,094 people
Honduras
6,221 ± 1,934 people
Guatemala
4,623 ± 1,668 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Mississippi was Mexico, the natal country of 15,967 Mississippi residents, followed by Honduras with 6,221 and Guatemala with 4,623.

Foreign-Born Population

1.58%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.37k people

1.51%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.32k people

As of 2024, 1.58% of Meridian, MS residents (1.37k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Meridian, MS was 1.51%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Meridian, MS compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
1,572 ± 323
Vietnam
1,211 ± 264
Gulf War (1990s)
917 ± 235

Meridian, MS has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.3 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Meridian, MS.

Economy

The economy of Meridian, MS employs 35.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Meridian, MS were Health Care & Social Assistance (6,932 people), Educational Services (4,070 people), and Manufacturing (3,966 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($98,958), Utilities ($60,481), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($57,325).

Employment

Occupations

35.1k

2024 Value

± 1,557

−0.0541%

1 Year decline

± 6.26%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Meridian, MS declined at a rate of −0.0541%, from 35.1k employees to 35.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Meridian, MS, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (3,975 people), Sales & Related Occupations (3,484 people), and Management Occupations (2,818 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Meridian, MS.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Mississippi.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Mississippi (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

35.1k

2024 Value

± 1,557

−0.0541%

1 Year decline

± 6.26%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Meridian, MS declined at a rate of −0.0541%, from 35.1k employees to 35.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Meridian, MS, are Health Care & Social Assistance (6,932 people), Educational Services (4,070 people), and Manufacturing (3,966 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Meridian, MS, though some of these residents may live in Meridian, MS and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,105

Median earning men ± $2,026

$31,709

Median earning women ± $2,024

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($79,531), Wholesale Trade ($63,017), and Public Administration ($59,609).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($53,167), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($43,101), and Manufacturing ($40,722).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Mississippi.

Y-Axis

1.38%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.17M people employed in Mississippi. This represents a 1.38% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 12.5%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Mississippi.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

165
Other Services (except Public Administration)
156
Retail Trade
123
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$323k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$135k
Retail Trade
$122k
Manufacturing

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

The student population of Meridian, MS in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 889 male students and 1,891 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Meridian, MS are Black or African American (395 and 45.9%), White (387 and 45%), Unknown (29 and 3.37%), and Hispanic or Latino (19 and 2.21%).

The largest universities in Meridian, MS by number of degrees awarded are Meridian Community College (860 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Meridian, MS are Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities (206 and 24%), Registered Nursing (119 and 13.8%), and Truck, Bus, & Commercial Vehicle Operator & Instructor (56 and 6.51%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 2,780 students enrolled in Meridian, MS, 32% men and 68% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 1,318 records, of which 72.3% were women and 27.7% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities
206 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
119 degrees awarded
General Marketing & Marketing Management
12 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Meridian, MS was Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities with 206 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Meridian, MS according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Meridian Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

860 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Meridian Community College with 860 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 335 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Meridian, MS, which is 0.638 times less than the 525 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Black or African American students. These 395 degrees mean that there were 1.02 times more degrees awarded to Black or African American students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 387 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($3,758) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($320) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($2,000) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Meridian, MS was $128,100 in 2024, which is 0.385 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $121,500 to $128,100, a 5.43% increase. The homeownership rate in Meridian, MS is 68.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Meridian, MS have an average commute time of 25.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Meridian, MS is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$128,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$11,220

$23,581

Median Property Taxes

±$1,173

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Meridian, MS the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Meridian, MS compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

68.1%

Homeownership

2024

64.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 68.1% of the housing units in Meridian, MS were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 67%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Meridian, MS compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$49,822

Median Household Income

± $2,907

34.7k

Number of Households

± 1,554

In 2024, the median household income of the 34.7k households in Meridian, MS grew to $49,822 from the previous year's value of $49,156.

The following chart displays the households in Meridian, MS distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Meridian, MS is from Mississippi.

0.447

2024 Wage GINI in Mississippi

0.45

2023 Wage GINI in Mississippi

In 2024, the income inequality in Mississippi was 0.447 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.74% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Mississippi was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Mississippi in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Mississippi across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (80.2%)
Carpooled (10.1%)
Worked At Home (4.77%)

In 2024, 80.2% of workers in Meridian, MS drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.1%) and those who worked at home (4.77%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

25.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Meridian, MS have a shorter commute time (25.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.26% of the workforce in Meridian, MS have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Meridian, MS compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Meridian, MS distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Meridian, MS have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

24.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Meridian, MS (20.7k out of 83.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Meridian, MS is Black, followed by White and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Keep Exploring