Photo: Dudemanfellabra · CC BY-SA 3.0Meridian spent less per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities
Meridian’s city government spent $39.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $1,163 per resident. Water and other utilities ($7.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Meridian is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$969 per resident in 2022: less than 78% of them
Meridian’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($969 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Mississippi cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,048, and the middle half spent $974–$1,247. Meridian spent less than 78% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($7.7 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Mississippi cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Meridian itself left out).
About $1,163 per resident a year, or $3.19 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 13% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Meridian reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $969 · 2023: $1,110 · 2024: $1,163. Per resident it went from $969 to $1,163 (up 20%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 36,011 to 33,816.
full-time in March 2025, up from 371 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,332 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.23% of the home’s value, vs 0.72% across Mississippi.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Meridian’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Meridian’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Meridian →
Who’s in charge in Meridian
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Meridian’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on meridianms.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 84 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (33,816).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Meridian Public School District
Meridian’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,452 per pupil, $7,618 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Mississippi districts overall: 33% local, 45% state, 23% federal.
Lauderdale County School District · $11,068 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Meridian’s votes are counted by county
Mississippi reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Meridian alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lauderdale County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican60.2%16,487 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat39.0%10,677 votesOthers: 0.9% (243 votes).
Most votes in Lauderdale County: Donald J Trump
Mississippi: Trump 60.9%, Harris 38.0%
100% of Meridian lies in Lauderdale County. Every 2024 race in Lauderdale County is on the county’s page.
Lauderdale County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Meridian sends 4 representatives to the Mississippi House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: meridianms.org ↗
- 2Mississippi HouseMeridian is split between 4 districts
- 3Mississippi SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Mississippi
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Meridian compares with the towns next door
Meridian spent $969 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $839. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Marion | $839 | $1,554 |
| Meridian | $969 | $1,332 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Meridian’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Meridian’s government
How much does Meridian spend per resident?
About $1,163 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $969 was less than 78% of 18 Mississippi cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Meridian?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,332 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.23% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.72% across Mississippi. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see meridianms.org.
Who runs Meridian’s government?
See meridianms.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Meridian yet.
How did Meridian vote in 2024?
Mississippi counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Meridian alone. Lauderdale County, where 100% of Meridian lies, voted Trump 60.2%, Harris 39.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Meridian?
404 full-time and 67 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.9M (about $22.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Meridian in the state legislature?
Meridian is split among 4 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Mississippi Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Meridian’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →