Population 11,807 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Meridian-Kessler
Household size in Meridian-Kessler
| Period | Meridian-Kessler | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.40 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.36 | 2.63 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.39 | 2.63 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.39 | 2.59 | 2.54 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Meridian-Kessler is a place of small households, averaging 2.39 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the northwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Meridian-Kessler
| Period | Meridian-Kessler | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.3 | 36.3 | 37.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.0 | 37.0 | 38.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.5 | 37.7 | 39.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.7 | 38.2 | 39.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.4 | +1.9 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Meridian-Kessler is younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 36.7, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 36.3, a smaller shift than nationally. Residents skew youngest in the southeast and oldest in the southwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Meridian-Kessler
| Period | Meridian-Kessler | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 12.7% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 12.8% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 12.0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 11.8% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.6% of households in Meridian-Kessler, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 3.7 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Meridian-Kessler has a lower share of single-parent households than at least four in five Indianapolis neighborhoods.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Meridian-Kessler
Renters in Meridian-Kessler
| Period | Meridian-Kessler | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.4% | 31.4% | 28.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.8% | 34.2% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.2% | 34.8% | 30.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.1% | 33.2% | 29.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.3 pts | +1.8 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Meridian-Kessler rent their homes (29.1%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Just over a quarter of owners (26.6%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southeast and least common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 4.3 points, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Meridian-Kessler
| Period | Meridian-Kessler | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 11.2% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 9.6% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.1% | 8.0% | 9.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | −3.2 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Meridian-Kessler as nationally: 10.1%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the Indianapolis area as a whole (8.0%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 3.3 points, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Meridian-Kessler
| Period | Meridian-Kessler | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1940 | 1978 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1941 | 1979 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1940 | 1980 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1941 | 1982 | 1977 | 1980 |
| Change | +0 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Meridian-Kessler is a place of older homes: half were built before 1941, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Of Indianapolis' 29 neighborhoods, only two have older homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Meridian-Kessler
| Period | Meridian-Kessler | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,056 | $877 | $763 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $942 | $946 | $819 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,190 | $1,060 | $903 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,331 | $1,368 | $1,146 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$276 | +$492 | +$384 | +$606 |
The median renter in Meridian-Kessler pays $1,331 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $276 a month since 2006–10, up 26%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 29.4% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the northwest; the most affordable are in the southeast.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Meridian-Kessler
Bachelor's degrees in Meridian-Kessler
| Period | Meridian-Kessler | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 60.5% | 30.9% | 23.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 65.3% | 31.8% | 24.6% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 69.6% | 35.2% | 27.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 75.7% | 38.6% | 30.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +15.2 pts | +7.7 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Meridian-Kessler is highly educated: about three-quarters of adults 25 and older (75.7%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 15.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Of Indianapolis' 29 neighborhoods, only two have a higher share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Meridian-Kessler
| Period | Meridian-Kessler | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.6% | 88.1% | 86.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.4% | 88.9% | 87.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.2% | 89.6% | 88.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.0% | 90.8% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +2.8 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Meridian-Kessler: 98.0% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 3.3 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Few Indianapolis neighborhoods have a higher share of high school graduates: only two of 29.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Meridian-Kessler
| Period | Meridian-Kessler | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 7.9% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 9.0% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.1% | 4.1% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.7 pts | −3.7 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Meridian-Kessler has been low: just 1.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Meridian-Kessler has the lowest unemployment rate of any Indianapolis neighborhood. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 6.7 points, in line with the national trend.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Meridian-Kessler compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meridian-Kessler | 2.39 | 36.7 | 6.6% | 29.1% | 10.1% | 1941 | $1,331 | 75.7% | 98.0% | 1.1% |
| Broad Ripple | 1.98 | 34.6 | 4.4% | 36.7% | 6.8% | 1956 | $1,520 | 78.5% | 97.3% | 2.3% |
| Mapleton-Fall Creek | 2.57 | 33.1 | 12.2% | 51.3% | 17.9% | 1939 | $1,269 | 46.2% | 91.3% | 5.9% |
| Highland Vicinity | 1.95 | 38.7 | 14.1% | 39.4% | 21.0% | 1939 | $1,132 | 24.3% | 86.3% | 8.3% |
| Martindale-Brightwood | 2.34 | 30.3 | 12.4% | 61.3% | 20.0% | 1956 | $1,156 | 26.4% | 80.8% | 5.7% |
| Venerable Flackville | 2.40 | 34.1 | 11.4% | 82.0% | 11.0% | 1970 | $1,080 | 22.2% | 89.8% | 5.2% |
| Devington | 2.53 | 33.8 | 28.7% | 53.1% | 14.9% | 1963 | $1,251 | 22.9% | 81.7% | 9.6% |
| St. Joseph Historic Neighborhood | 1.56 | 30.4 | 2.7% | 83.3% | 11.0% | 1985 | $1,514 | 71.5% | 92.2% | 3.5% |
| Chatham-Arch | 1.45 | 33.3 | 3.0% | 74.5% | 9.8% | 1984 | $1,445 | 64.9% | 88.6% | 5.1% |
| Nora | 1.69 | 40.1 | 3.8% | 77.4% | 17.7% | 1984 | $1,434 | 57.3% | 91.0% | 3.5% |
| Little Flower | 2.29 | 37.0 | 10.6% | 44.4% | 9.4% | 1942 | $1,077 | 29.8% | 82.9% | 8.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Glendale-Heatherdowns, Toledo, OH · Interbay, Seattle, WA · Radburn, Fair Lawn, NJ · Sunnyside, Clackamas, OR · Millenia, Orlando, FL · Alderwood Manor, Lynnwood, WA · Lawncrest, Philadelphia, PA · La Sierra Acres, Riverside, CA · Indian Hills-Stonewall Estates-Monticello, Lexington, KY · High Point, Seattle, WA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Meridian-Kessler. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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