City safety & data profile

MerriamKS

Merriam, KS is a 11K-resident city in Johnson County with a median household income of $73,600.

Johnson County, Kansas. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Merriam, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Merriam has a population larger than 8% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $263,300.

Data updated 2026-07-19

11K
Population
Top 92%
By size
$73,600
Median income
$263,300
Median home
6%
Poverty rate

The read on Merriam

Merriam posts a median household income higher than 42% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 58%
by median income, US cities

Where Merriam income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$73,600 Bottom 42% higher than 42% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. KS $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Merriam, KS beyond the headline numbers

Merriam sits inside Johnson County, Kansas, at roughly 39.02°N, -94.69°W. Population 11,288, $73,600 median household income. Median home value $263,300, median rent $1,181. Poverty rate 6%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Merriam's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 33.8%, then high blood pressure at 33.6%.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Merriam from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
11,288
Merriam
Median Income
$73,600
+8% vs avg
Median Home Value
$263,300
+16% vs avg
Median Age
39.3
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Johnson County) - Merriam's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
621K+12%
Median Income
$109,208+46%
Median Home Value
$391,200+85%
Poverty Rate
5.4%-17%
Unemployment
3.2%-41%

Economics

Economics indicators for Merriam, KS
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,181/mo
Poverty Rate
6% -58% vs avg
Unemployment 5.4%
Bachelor's Degree+ 45.6%
Work From Home 19.6%
Public Transit 0.5%

Population

White 79%
African American 7.4%
Asian 1.7%
Two or More Ethnicities 1.1%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
33.8%
High Blood Pressure
33.6%
Short Sleep Duration
32.9%
Physical Inactivity
22.7%
Binge Drinking
17.2%
Frequent Mental Distress
14.9%
Current Smoking
12.1%
Frequent Physical Distress
11.1%
Diabetes
10.6%
Current Asthma
10%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 67.6%
Annual Checkup 78.4%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
8.3%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.7%
Stroke
2.9%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Merriam, KS? ▼
Merriam, KS has a population of 11,288 people, located in Johnson County, Kansas.
What is the median household income in Merriam? ▼
The median household income in Merriam, KS is $73,600 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 6%.
What is the median home value in Merriam? ▼
The median home value in Merriam, KS is $263,300. Median rent is $1,181/month.
What are the top health concerns in Merriam? ▼
The top health indicators in Merriam include Obesity (33.8%), High Blood Pressure (33.6%), Short Sleep Duration (32.9%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Merriam? ▼
The median age in Merriam, KS is 39.3 years. 45.6% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Merriam, KS is located in Johnson County, Kansas. With a population of 11K and a $73,600 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and high blood pressure. Safety alerts for the Merriam area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Kansas

Real-time AQI for every monitored Kansas location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Shawnee, KS 65K Overland Park, KS 187K Prairie Village, KS 22K Lenexa, KS 52K Leawood, KS 35K Kansas City, KS 153K Kansas City, MO 475K Olathe, KS 134K
All cities in Kansas → Compare Merriam vs Shawnee → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Merriam's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Merriam area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Merriam against Kansas peers on any ranking lens. Explore Kansas

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Johnson County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.