Caldwell, ID vs Meridian, ID
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Caldwell, ID spends 41% more per resident than Meridian, ID: $10,082 against $7,134. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Caldwell, ID edges Meridian, ID on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 55/100 (grade C) to 54/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Caldwell, ID carries the lighter load at $116 per resident versus $449 for Meridian, ID. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Caldwell, ID at $590 per resident and in Meridian, ID at $745.
Summary
Caldwell spends 41.3% more per capita than Meridian ($2,948/person difference). Caldwell, ID has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 55/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $390 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $291 | $418 |
| Income Tax | $965 | $102 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $4 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,467 | $905 |
| Other | $2,417 | $1,770 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $68 | $115 |
| Highways & Roads | $62 | $0 |
| Education | $43 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,569 | $0 |
| Health | $206 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $351 | $840 |
| Parks & Recreation | $590 | $745 |
| Housing | $1,866 | $2,058 |
| Sewerage | $213 | $551 |
| Utilities | $2,255 | $972 |
| Other | $2,860 | $1,852 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.