Madison vs Meridian
Madison, Mississippi versus Meridian, Mississippi: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Madison and Meridian score about the same overall (46 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Madison | Meridian |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $125k | $33k |
| Cost of Living | $53k | $47k |
| Home Value | $313k | $98k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $824 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.78% | 1.30% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 7.06% | 7.06% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.28% | 11.20% |
| Unemployment | 2.7% | 8.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 47°F | 47°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 82°F | 82°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 61.0 in | 58.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 1.0 in | 0.5 in |
| Sunny Days | 250 days | 256 days |
| Summer Humidity | 71°F | 71°F |
| Comfortable Days | 87 days | 74 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 61.3 | 70.9 |
| Air Quality | 54 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 34.6 | 40.1 |
| Violent Crime | 260/100k | 0/100k |
| Property Crime | 585/100k | 0/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 27,595 | 34,990 |
| Median Age | 40.6 | 37.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.38 | 0.48 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.87 |
| Political Leaning | R+12 | R+16 |
| White (%) | 77.5% | 29.8% |
| Black (%) | 13.2% | 65.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| Asian (%) | 6.0% | 1.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 18 min |
| Walkability | 7.9/20 | 7.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 172 mi | 138 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 96.7% | 77.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 26.45 | 13.72 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Madison or Meridian more affordable?
- Meridian has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Madison's $53k and Meridian's $47k. Median rent is $2k in Madison versus $824 in Meridian.
- Is Madison or Meridian safer?
- Meridian has the lower violent crime rate. Madison reports 260/100k and Meridian reports 0/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Madison or Meridian?
- The median home value is $313k in Madison and $98k in Meridian, so homes are more affordable in Meridian.