Meridian, ID vs Boise City, ID
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boise City, ID outspends Meridian, ID by a wide margin per resident — $14,689 versus $7,134, a 106% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Boise City, ID edges Meridian, ID on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 59/100 (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.
Boise City, ID reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Meridian, ID carries $449 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Meridian, ID at $745 per resident and in Boise City, ID at $1,842.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 41432% of total revenue in Meridian, ID and 84% in Boise City, ID.
Summary
Boise City spends 51.4% more per capita than Meridian ($7,555/person difference). Boise City, ID has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 59/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $418 | $600 |
| Income Tax | $102 | $1,689 |
| Intergovernmental | $4 | $3,281 |
| Charges & Fees | $905 | $0 |
| Other | $1,770 | $4,259 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $115 | $1,036 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $154 |
| Education | $0 | $28 |
| Health | $0 | $610 |
| Hospitals | $840 | $1,231 |
| Parks & Recreation | $745 | $1,842 |
| Housing | $2,058 | $2,997 |
| Sewerage | $551 | $137 |
| Utilities | $972 | $1,636 |
| Other | $1,852 | $5,019 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.