Meridian, MS

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2023 Population

87,408

10.1% 1-year decline

US Senator

Roger Wicker

Republican Party

US Senator

Cindy Hyde-Smith

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

2.3% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

24%

0.391% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$49,156

8.31% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$121,500

10.3% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

35,124

9.01% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Meridian, MS had a population of 87.4k people with a median age of 40 and a median household income of $49,156. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Meridian, MS declined from 97,274 to 87,408, a −10.1% decrease and its median household income grew from $45,386 to $49,156, a 8.31% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Meridian, MS are White (Non-Hispanic) (52.9%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (40.6%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.98%), White (Hispanic) (0.751%), and Other (Hispanic) (0.725%).

None of the households in Meridian, MS reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.2% of the residents in Meridian, MS are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Meridian, MS are East Mississippi Community College (1,034 degrees awarded in 2022) and Meridian Community College (744 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Meridian, MS was $121,500, and the homeownership rate was 67%.

Most people in Meridian, MS drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Meridian, MS was 2 cars per household.

Meridian, MS borders Laurel, MS.

United States Mississippi

Population & Diversity

Meridian, MS is home to a population of 87.4k people, from which 99.2% are citizens. As of 2023, 1.51% of Meridian, MS residents were born outside of the country (1.32k people).

In 2023, there were 1.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (46.2k people) in Meridian, MS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 35.5k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.61k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.2%

2023 Citizenship

99.4%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.2% of Meridian, MS residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Meridian, MS was 99.4%, 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)
46.2k ± 220
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
35.5k ± 800
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
2.61k ± 648

2.22%

Hispanic Population

1.94k people

2.22% of the people in Meridian, MS are hispanic (1.94k people).

The following chart shows the 7 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
16,383 ± 3,134 people
India
5,084 ± 1,749 people
Guatemala
3,926 ± 1,537 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Mississippi was Mexico, the natal country of 16,383 Mississippi residents, followed by India with 5,084 and Guatemala with 3,926.

Foreign-Born Population

1.51%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.32k people

1.28%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

1.25k people

As of 2023, 1.51% of Meridian, MS residents (1.32k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Meridian, MS was 1.28%, 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-)
1,510 ± 308
Vietnam
1,173 ± 235
Gulf War (1990s)
931 ± 253

Meridian, MS has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.29 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Meridian, MS employs 35.1k people. The largest industries in Meridian, MS are Health Care & Social Assistance (7,382 people), Manufacturing (4,235 people), and Educational Services (3,488 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($105,559), Utilities ($86,528), and Information ($53,750).

Males in Mississippi have an average income that is 1.39 times higher than the average income of females, which is $46,477. The income inequality in Mississippi (measured using the Gini index) is 0.452, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

35.1k

2023 Value

± 1,550

−9.01%

1 Year decline

± 6.72%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Meridian, MS declined at a rate of −9.01%, from 38.6k employees to 35.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Meridian, MS, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (3,888 people), Sales & Related Occupations (3,567 people), and Management Occupations (2,854 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 false.

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

35.1k

2023 Value

± 1,550

−9.01%

1 Year decline

± 6.72%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Meridian, MS declined at a rate of −9.01%, from 38.6k employees to 35.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Meridian, MS, are Health Care & Social Assistance (7,382 people), Manufacturing (4,235 people), and Educational Services (3,488 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

$43,772

Median earning men ± $3,469

$30,207

Median earning women ± $2,295

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($63,165), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,912), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($53,631).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Information ($56,319), Construction ($44,604), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($40,175).

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.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or 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.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Mississippi went to Donald J. Trump with 60.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.439%).

Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith are the senators currently representing the state of Mississippi. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Mississippi is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Meridian, MS. Showing the available data for Mississippi.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (60.9%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (38%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.439%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Mississippi went to Donald J. Trump with 60.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.439%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Mississippi for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Mississippi

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Mississippi.

Roger Wicker

Senator from Mississippi

Assumed office on December 31, 2007
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Trent Lott.

Cindy Hyde-Smith

Senator from Mississippi

Assumed office on April 9, 2018
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Thad Cochran.

Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith are the senators currently representing Mississippi.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Mississippi over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Mississippi

Mississippi is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Mississippi have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Meridian, MS awarded 1,778 degrees. The student population of Meridian, MS in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 2,317 male students and 3,628 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Meridian, MS are White (884 and 49.7%), followed by Black or African American (763 and 42.9%), Unknown (53 and 2.98%), and Hispanic or Latino (27 and 1.52%).

The largest universities in Meridian, MS by number of degrees awarded are East Mississippi Community College (1,034 and 58.2%) and Meridian Community College (744 and 41.8%).

The most popular majors in Meridian, MS are Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities (221 and 12.4%), Registered Nursing (139 and 7.82%), and Other Health & Medical Administrative Services (101 and 5.68%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 5,945 students enrolled in Meridian, MS, 39% men and 61% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,664 records, of which 55.6% were women and 44.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities
221 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
139 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
82 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Meridian, MS was Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities with 221 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

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

East Mississippi Community College
1,034 degrees awarded
Meridian Community College
744 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was East Mississippi Community College with 1,034 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2022, 780 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Meridian, MS, which is 0.782 times less than the 998 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 884 degrees mean that there were 1.16 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 763 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 ($3,526) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($250) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($1,600) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 1.04% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.852% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (690k), Some college (543k), and Secondary Education (397k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Meridian, MS was $121,500 in 2023, which is 0.4 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $110,200 to $121,500, a 10.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Meridian, MS is 67%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Meridian, MS have an average commute time of 24.5 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.

Median household income in Meridian, MS is $49,156. In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Meridian, MS was DeSoto County, MS with a value of $82,980, followed by Madison County, MS and Rankin County, MS, with respective values of $78,794 and $77,454.

Housing

Property

$121,500

Median Property Value 2023

±$6,724

$23,303

Median Property Taxes

±$1,211

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

67%

Homeownership

2023

65.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 67% of the housing units in Meridian, MS were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 67.6%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Meridian, MS was DeSoto County, MS with a value of $82,980, followed by Madison County, MS and Rankin County, MS, with respective values of $78,794 and $77,454.

The following map shows all of the counties in Meridian, MS colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$49,156

Median Household Income

± $3,541

34.8k

Number of Households

± 1,480

In 2023, the median household income of the 34.8k households in Meridian, MS grew to $49,156 from the previous year's value of $45,386.

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 < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

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

0.452

2022 Wage GINI in Mississippi

0.45

2021 Wage GINI in Mississippi

In 2022, the income inequality in Mississippi was 0.452 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.553% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Mississippi was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (80.9%)
Carpooled (9.89%)
Worked At Home (4.23%)

In 2023, 80.9% of workers in Meridian, MS drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.89%) and those who worked at home (4.23%).

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

24.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Meridian, MS have a shorter commute time (24.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 3.77% 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% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Meridian, MS (20.2k out of 84.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 6 - 11.

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

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
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

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

Health

89.4% of the population of Meridian, MS has health coverage, with 35.9% on employee plans, 22.2% on Medicaid, 12.7% on Medicare, 15.8% on non-group plans, and 2.75% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Mississippi see 1860 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1860 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1989 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 502 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,860 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Mississippi

Primary care physicians in Mississippi see an average of 1,860 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,860 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Mississippi in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.3% under 18 years, 18.6% between 18 and 34 years, 37.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.3% were men and 53.7% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

10.6%

Uninsured

35.9%

Employer Coverage

22.2%

Medicaid

12.7%

Medicare

15.8%

Non-Group

2.75%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Meridian, MS declined by 3.79% from 11% to 10.6%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Meridian, MS changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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