A town of 34,137, settled in 1854. Home to 41 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
The 3 things Meridian does most differently from other towns.
1903 · Mobile and Ohio Railroad, Meridian to M…
Hayley Williams12 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 41 places on the National Register.
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Nothing on the calendar.
Ordered by what stands out in Meridian. Another town gets a different order.
8.1 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Q V Sykes Park | 0.8 mi | 72 |
| 2. Velma Young Park | 0.3 mi | 11 |
| 3. Highland Park | — | 43 |
The typical Meridian home is worth about $116,000, up 1.4% in a year, 41% below the Mississippi typical home.
56% of Meridian’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Jackson (3%), Laurel (1%) and Hattiesburg (1%). Half commute less than 4 miles.
Meridian beats the Mississippi average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17.
| What stands out | Meridian | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11% | 13.6% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.8% | 7.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 20.1% | 11.2% |
Meridian has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of.
Meridian's reported crime rate is above Mississippi's. Most reported incidents are property crimes. 179 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
The public schools Meridian’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 53% of Mississippi’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Elementary School | PK–4 | 730 | B− |
| Carver Elementary School | PK–5 | 506 | Not graded |
| West Hills Elementary | K–5 | 423 | C− |
| Poplar Springs Elementary | K–5 | 405 | C+ |
| Crestwood Elementary | K–5 | 368 | C |
| Parkview Elementary | K–5 | 364 | C− |
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities.
41,148 people in 2010; 34,137 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
41 places in Meridian on the National Register of Historic Places.
67 notable people were born in Meridian.
City in Mississippi, United States
Meridian is the eighth most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 35,052 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lauderdale County and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area. Along major highways, the city is 93 mi (150 km) east of Jackson; 154 mi (248 km) southwest of Birmingham, Alabama; 202 mi (325 km) northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana; and 231 mi (372 km) southeast of Memphis, Tennessee. Established in 1860, at the junction of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and Southern Railway of Mississippi, Meridian built an economy based on the railways and goods transported on them, and it became a strategic trading center. …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Meridian.
