At $1,955/mo, rent takes about 26% of the local median household income, comfortably within the 30% benchmark.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,955 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
Rent in Meridian is 8.3% below its high of $2,132 in February 2023, at $1,955 as of September 2026.
Rent in Meridian changed -3.3% over the year to September 2026. Across the 60 Colorado cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +1.4%.
Rent rose in 5 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($89,877) is $2,247 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($2,227); a 4-bedroom is $2,500.
Aurora, 11 miles away, rents for 11% less ($1,742/mo), about $2,600 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Meridian. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Meridian, CO is majority owner-occupied, has a large share of families with children, has a median income above the national average, 79% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Meridian, CO has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Meridian, CO has shifted from $2,057 to $1,955, down 5.0% since 2022. Median household income climbed from $83,626 to $89,877 between 2021 and 2024, a 7.5% shift. With wages climbing faster than rent over the same window, renters here have a bit more breathing room than they did five years back. Census counts show Meridian, CO losing about 2,255 residents over the five-year window, down 45.5% on net. The renter share has eased from 82.6% to 4.4%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 55.2% to 79% across the same window. Taken together, the five-year picture in Meridian, CO reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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Can you afford rent in Meridian on your salary?
At $1,955/mo, how Meridian rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Meridian rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Meridian. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Meridian
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Meridian is $1,955/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,818/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,263/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,872/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,227/mo.
At 26% of local median household income ($89,877/yr), Meridian ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have decreased 3.3% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
How much income do you need to rent in Meridian?
Is rent going up or down in Meridian?
How does Meridian rent compare to other cities in Colorado?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Meridian?
At $1,955/mo, rent takes ~26% of Meridian's median household income ($89,877/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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