Rents are 10% below what Meridian's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
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 $2,056 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
January. Asking rents in Meridian usually run 1.5% below trend in January and 1.6% above it in July, about $64 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Meridian is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Meridian changed +6.9% over the year to September 2026. Across the 18 Idaho cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +4.9%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Meridian rose 40.2% while median household income rose 41.2% ($71,389 to $100,795). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Meridian is 47.1% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 12 months in a row, and rose in 12 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($100,795) is $2,520 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,155); a 3-bedroom is $3,020.
Nampa, 9 miles away, rents for 19% less ($1,668/mo), about $4,700 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Meridian. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. 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, ID is majority owner-occupied, has a median income above the national average, 44.2% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Meridian, ID has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Meridian, ID has increased by $409 per month, settling near $2,056 after starting the period at $1,647. Median household income grew from $85,201 to $100,795 between 2021 and 2024, a 18.3% shift. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 6.5 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 115,227 to 130,138 between 2021 and 2024, a 12.9% change. About 25.4% of households rent today, against 22.5% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 40.9% to 44.2%. Taken together, the five-year picture in Meridian, ID 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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At $2,056/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 $2,056/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,525/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,155/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,800/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,020/mo.
At 24% of local median household income ($100,795/yr), Meridian ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 6.9% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Meridian?
At $2,056/mo, rent takes ~24% of Meridian's median household income ($100,795/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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