What it's like to live in Merriam
Merriam is a small city in Kansas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Merriam deals with cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Cold winters
How Merriam compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Merriam
Based on Merriam's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,362
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $47,240 a year
- 41% of Merriam renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$52,660
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $26,330
- Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 16% below US
$1,181/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,181 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $263,300. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $263,300 · 41% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.5% county unemployment
Unemployment in Johnson County is 3.5%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Johnson County (county-wide)
SafetyNear US average
360 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 4495/100k · Merriam Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 15% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.2 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 20% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 88°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 25°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 27% above US
46% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 46% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
2 public schools inside the boundary
There are 2 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Harry S Truman National Historic Site (11 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Merriam's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoff is cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,181/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, remote workers (20% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Merriam
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