Living in Meridian Idaho - Complete Overview of Meridian Idaho [2024 UPDATE]

You're looking at moving to Boise, Idaho, and Meridian keeps popping up as one of the top areas that you should be checking out. In this video, we're going to be covering all things Meridian, Idaho. I love living here in the Boise area, and Meridian is my top spot for where I like to spend my time. We spend a ton of time here. My daughter goes to a homeschool hybrid program here in Meridian, and we go to church in Meridian.

Why Meridian?

We have a ton of friends that live here as well, and we do a lot of our shopping in Meridian. If you're looking for somewhere that is very central, Meridian is certainly going to be the top spot for you. We're going to be covering the types of homes you can get in Meridian, the types of shopping that are here, how centrally located it is, and some of the top communities and builders if you're looking for new construction in Meridian, Idaho.

My name is Curtis Chism, and I help people just like you make the move here to Idaho. I absolutely love it! If you're looking to make the move to Idaho, just give me a phone call, text, or email, and I'll help you make that smooth move here to Idaho.

Location and Accessibility

Meridian, Idaho, is so centrally located—it actually means "the center"—and it's located just to the west of Boise, Idaho. We pull up the map here, and you can see Boise and then Meridian. As you can see, it's really right in the heart of everything. You've got Eagle just to the north of it, Kuna to the south, and then out as you head west, Nampa, Caldwell, and Star, Middleton. If you're trying to get to any of these communities, you're going to generally be between 15 to 25 minutes, with 20 minutes being the average. 

Living in Meridian

A lot of folks that live in Meridian tend not to leave it too much because everything is right there for you. Again, you've got the shopping, schools, churches, parks, and great recreational activities. It's so close to much of the outdoor nature that we all love when we're looking to move here to Idaho. It's a big reason why I moved here—for the outdoor nature.

Meridian Neighborhoods

I want to give you a quick lay of the land of Meridian so you understand the different parts of Meridian. There really are three distinct areas of Meridian: Central Meridian, North Meridian, and South Meridian. Central Meridian is north of I-84 up to Ustick Road. North Meridian is north of Ustick up to Chinden. Beyond Chinden, you get into Eagle. Then, dropping back south, you've got I-84, the main freeway through here. Essentially, anything south of that is going to be Meridian before you hit Kuna.

Shopping in Meridian

Some of the top shopping that you've got here in Meridian is The Village. The Village is probably the number one most talked about shopping mall in the Boise, Idaho area. I really love spending time at The Village. There's a great theater here, a water fountain timed to music with cool lights during the winter, Santa, and ice rinks—great for the kids. 

Corbin Maxey, a local celebrity from Caldwell, sometimes does shows at The Village with his rescue reptiles or reindeer during winter. There are also great restaurants, such as Sid's Garage, a taco place, and a good coffee shop. The Village has high-end boutique stores like Lululemon, Anthropologie, GAP Factory Outlet, Buckle, Lush, Sephora, and more—all in an outdoor environment. 

Dining in Meridian

In-N-Out finally came to Idaho, and they chose to go into The Village. It was bonkers when it first opened—people were camped out overnight, waiting in line for eight hours at a time. It has started to calm down finally. Californians, in particular, are super happy that In-N-Out is finally here, and you'll find it in Meridian at The Village. They are building a couple more In-N-Outs, one in Nampa and one in Boise itself.

Grocery Shopping in Meridian

Not far from The Village, you've got the Boise Co-op, a Whole Foods alternative with all kinds of natural and organic foods. Trader Joe's is also just up the street from The Village. If you're looking to stay within 5-15 minutes of a Trader Joe's, this is a great option. The only other Trader Joe's is in Boise. 

Costco in Meridian

Costco is in Meridian now, located in the north, almost northwest part of Meridian. If you're living in central or north Meridian, this will be the most convenient Costco for you. If you're more in south Meridian, it might be more convenient to go to the Boise Costco.

Comparing Meridian with Other Areas

Meridian is far newer than Boise, which has 275,000 people and is an older, more established city. Boise has beautiful Craftsman homes in the North End, with homes around a million dollars plus. Boise also has the Boise Bench with mid-century homes, some renovated with a modern touch. High-end areas in Boise include Harris Ranch and the Warm Springs area.

Meridian, on the other hand, has homes generally in the 20-25 year range, although there are older homes too. The village mentioned before helped put Meridian on the map. You'll find homes from the 2010s onwards, with many newer options.

Meridian's Established Neighborhoods

If you're looking for more established neighborhoods, you'll find a lot of those in Meridian with homes built 10-15+ years ago. These neighborhoods have tree-lined streets with fully grown trees, beautiful in the fall, blossoming in spring, and green in summer.

Comparing with Star and Nampa

Star is growing rapidly with many newer homes, but not as many established neighborhoods. Nampa and Caldwell have older homes and many new communities. Eagle, Idaho, offers more established neighborhoods with mid-century homes and newer homes, but at higher price points.

School System

A big selling point for Meridian is its schools, some of the best in the Treasure Valley, in the West Ada School District. On niche.com and greatschools.org, you'll find many A-rated public, charter, and private schools. This is a big reason people move to Meridian, even if it costs more than in Nampa or Caldwell.

Population and Traffic

With about 130,000 people, Meridian has gotten busier, feeling a bit like Southern California. Eagle Road and Meridian Road are very busy during rush hour. Many Californians live in Meridian, so if you're concerned about "don't California my Idaho" comments, you'll feel safe in Meridian. 

Parks and Recreation

Meridian has many great parks, such as Settlers Park, Kleiner Park, and Discovery Park, offering tons of recreational activities like baseball, pickleball, football, wide-open grassy fields, playgrounds, splash pads, and fishing ponds. It's easy to access the Boise River, just 5-20 minutes away. The Boise River is a great place to cool off in the summer.

Proximity to Mountains

You're also not far from the local foothills and mountains, about 1.5 to 2 hours away, reaching Cascade and McCall, a huge attraction for people with cabins or for camping trips. We love camping in Cascade and experiencing outdoor activities in the mountains.

Home Prices in Meridian

As of early 2024, the median price of homes in Meridian ranges from $550,000 to $590,000. A 2,400 square foot home on a 6,500 to 8,000 square foot lot with four bedrooms averages about $650,000. A 2,000 square foot home on the same size lot averages about $530,000. Smaller homes at 1,700 square feet on a smaller lot with three bedrooms average about $450,000. The average price per square foot is about $264.

Comparison with Eagle

In Eagle, the median price is pushing a million dollars. You'll find a mix of builders in Meridian, such as Brighton, Pinnacle, Alturas Homes, Tresidio, Berkeley Homes, Toll Brothers, CBH Homes, and Hubble Homes.

Top Subdivisions in Meridian

Some popular subdivisions in Meridian are SpurWing, with a golf and social club, and homes ranging from multi-million dollar estates to smaller, million-dollar homes. Lochsa Falls, Century Farms in South Meridian, Fairbourne in Northwest Meridian, and the upcoming Prescott Ridge by Hubble Homes are other notable subdivisions.

If you're looking to make the move to Idaho, reach out to me via phone, text, or email. We'll set up a Zoom call to find the right neighborhood and home for you. I moved from California and absolutely love it here.