In Merriam, a typical home is worth $263,300 and typical rent is $1,181 a month. Compared with all of Johnson County, the typical home value is 33% lower, typical household income is 33% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 8 points lower.
Typical home value from Zillow, September 2021 to September 2026: from $247,257 to $328,530.
Typical rent
$2,230a month
Typical rent from Zillow, March 2026 to September 2026: from $2,087 to $2,230.
From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).
Merriam is in Johnson County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Johnson County. See the county
What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.
1
The typical home in Merriam is worth $263,300,33% less than in Johnson County as a whole ($391,200).
2
The typical household income in Merriam is $73,600,33% less than in Johnson County as a whole ($109,208).
3
The typical rent in Merriam is $1,181 a month, 18% less than in Johnson County as a whole ($1,434).
4
61% of households in Merriam own their home, against 69% in Johnson County.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).
The homes here
Housing in Merriam
What homes there are in Merriam, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).
What homes there are
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Kind of home
Detached houseAttached houseBuilding of 2 to 4Apartments (5 or more)Mobile homeBoat, RV and otherUnreliable estimate
Merriam
Johnson County
Kansas
United States
Kind of home: Merriam and its comparisons
Measure
Merriam
Johnson County
Kansas
United States
Detached house
60%
66%
72%
61%
Attached house
7%
8%
5%
6%
Building of 2 to 4
5%
5%
6%
8%
Apartments (5 or more)
Unreliable estimate
21%
13%
19%
Mobile home
Unreliable estimate
1%
4%
6%
Boat, RV and other
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
0%
0%
The detached house is still the most common home in Merriam, but it weighs less than in Johnson County: 60% against 66%.
Year built
Before 19601960–19791980–19992000–20092010 or laterUnreliable estimate
Merriam
Johnson County
Kansas
United States
Year built: Merriam and its comparisons
Measure
Merriam
Johnson County
Kansas
United States
Before 1960
25%
14%
32%
26%
1960–1979
44%
22%
24%
24%
1980–1999
23%
33%
23%
25%
2000–2009
5%
17%
12%
14%
2010 or later
Unreliable estimate
14%
9%
11%
Homes in Merriam are older: the typical year built is 1970; in Johnson County, 1989.
What it costs here
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Value of owner-occupied homes
Unreliable estimate
Under $100KUnreliable
$100K–$200K13%
$200K–$300K52%
$300K–$500K29%
$500K–$750KUnreliable
$750K–$1MUnreliable
$1M or moreUnreliable
Value of owner-occupied homes: Merriam and its comparisons
Measure
Merriam
Under $100K
Unreliable estimate
$100K–$200K
13%
$200K–$300K
52%
$300K–$500K
29%
$500K–$750K
Unreliable estimate
$750K–$1M
Unreliable estimate
$1M or more
Unreliable estimate
Monthly rent with utilities
Under the limitOver the limitUnreliable estimate
Under $5008%
$500–$99917%
$1,000–$1,49957%
$1,500–$1,99916%
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms: $1,546
$2,000–$2,499Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999Unreliable
$3,000 or moreUnreliable
Monthly rent with utilities: Merriam and its comparisons
Measure
Merriam
Under $500
8%
$500–$999
17%
$1,000–$1,499
57%
$1,500–$1,999
16%
$2,000–$2,499
Unreliable estimate
$2,500–$2,999
Unreliable
$3,000 or more
Unreliable
By rent, most homes in Merriam cost less than HUD's 2-bedroom fair market rent ($1,546): about 84%.
With a mortgage
$1,609 a month
Johnson County: $2,254 a month
Without a mortgage
$659 a month
Johnson County: $872 a month
Owners with a mortgage
60%
Johnson County: 69%
Owning costs less in Merriam: with a mortgage, the typical cost is $1,609 a month; in Johnson County, $2,254. Without one, $659.
How it changed
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Change since 2015–2019
Typical home value
Merriam+55%
Johnson County+51%
Kansas+43%
United States+53%
Typical rent
Merriam+25%
Johnson County+29%
Kansas+25%
United States+33%
Typical household income
Merriam+15%
Johnson County+23%
Kansas+25%
United States+29%
Change since 2015–2019: Merriam and its comparisons
Measure
Merriam
Johnson County
Kansas
United States
Typical home value
+55%
+51%
+43%
+53%
Typical rent
+25%
+29%
+25%
+33%
Typical household income
+15%
+23%
+25%
+29%
From 2015–2019 to 2020–2024, the typical home value in Merriam rose 55%; in Johnson County, it rose 51%.
The typical rent in Merriam rose 25% over the same time; in Johnson County, it rose 29%.
Housing prices ran ahead of income in Merriam: typical income rose 15%, against +55% for home values and +25% for rent.
How people live
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
How people live: Merriam and its comparisons
Measure
Merriam
Johnson County
Kansas
United States
Rental vacancy
Unreliable estimate
5.5%
6.2%
5.5%
Homeowner vacancy
Unreliable estimate
0.4%
0.9%
0.9%
More than one person per room
Unreliable estimate
1.4%
2.1%
3.4%
People per household
2.05
2.46
2.44
2.53
Drive alone
73%
70%
75%
69%
Carpool
5%
6%
9%
9%
Public transit
Unreliable estimate
0%
0%
3%
Walk or bike
Unreliable estimate
1%
3%
3%
Work from home
20%
22%
12%
15%
Other means
Unreliable estimate
1%
1%
2%
Typical commute
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
10 to 19 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
Fewer people live in each home here: 2.05 on average, against 2.46 in Johnson County.
To get to work, 73% of workers in Merriam drive alone; in Johnson County, 70%.
Do the math
What would you pay each month for a home in Merriam?
A typical home costs more than the typical income allows
We start with a typical home in Merriam, worth $263,300, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 36% of the typical household income in Merriam, which is $73,600 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $95,566 a year.
The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Johnson County.
Change the price, the down payment or the loan: the payment updates right away.
Your numbers
Local data
$
Starts at the typical home value in Merriam. Change it to the price you have in mind.
Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.
Down payment
%
That is $9,216 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.
This week's average ± a quarter or half point.
National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.
Adjust advanced details⌄
Estimated monthly payment
Local data
$2,230
at 7.18% · 30 years
Loan amount
$258,530
Total interest
$371,965
Paid off in
November 2056
Includes $4,446 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.
Does it fit the income?
Comfortable
up to $1,717 a month
Tight
$1,717 to $2,208 a month
Hard
more than $2,208 a month
Your payment · 36%
Compared with the typical household income in Merriam ($73,600 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.
Monthly payment breakdown
Principal & interest
$1,751
Property tax
$252
Home insurance
$110
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)
$116
You need at least $9,216 for the down payment, plus closing costs.
This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.
Total monthly payment $2,230; principal and interest $1,751.
The city and its county
Merriam and Johnson County
Merriam is in Johnson County, Kansas. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).
Merriam
Map of Johnson County, Kansas, with Merriam marked. Around it, the neighboring counties.
Merriam
Johnson County
Other cities with a page
Merriam's own numbers
Typical home value
$263,300
Typical monthly rent
$1,181
Typical yearly household income
$73,600
Households that own their home
61%
Effective property tax rate
1.15%
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).
Numbers for all of Johnson County
FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,546
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+50%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
0.4%
HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.
Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Johnson County.
A typical home in Merriam is worth $263,300: 33% below the county and 21% above Kansas. With the typical household income in Merriam ($73,600 a year), a typical home costs 3.6 times what the household earns in a year.
Years of income to pay for a typical home
The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.
Merriam3.6 years
Johnson3.6 years
Kansas2.9 years
United States4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024
How prices have changed in Johnson County
According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Johnson County rose 101% in the 10 years through 2025.
FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Johnson County.
Yearly change in FHFA’s price index in Johnson County, 2016 to 2025
2016: +6.2% +6.2% 2016
2017: +7.3% +7.3% 2017
2018: +7.1% +7.1% 2018
2019: +4.7% +4.7% 2019
2020: +4.5% +4.5% 2020
2021: +10.8% +10.8% 2021
2022: +14.5% +14.5% 2022
2023: +7.5% +7.5% 2023
2024: +6.3% +6.3% 2024
2025: +3.8% +3.8% 2025
Change in FHFA’s price index in Johnson County, Kansas and the United States
Period
County
Kansas
U.S.
Last year (2025)
+3.8%
+4.1%
+2.9%
5 years (2020–2025)
+50%
+49%
+47%
10 years (2015–2025)
+101%
+84%
+85%
The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data
Merriam next to Johnson County, Kansas and the U.S.
Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.
Typical home value
Merriam$263,300
Johnson$391,200
Kansas$217,200
United States$332,700
Typical monthly rent
Merriam$1,181
Johnson$1,434
Kansas$1,060
United States$1,413
Typical yearly household income
Merriam$73,600
Johnson$109,208
Kansas$74,275
United States$80,734
See the full table
Merriam next to Johnson County and Kansas
Measure
Merriam
Johnson County
Kansas
U.S.
Typical home value
$263,300 ▼33% below the county
$391,200
$217,200
$332,700
Typical monthly rent
$1,181 ▼18% below the county
$1,434
$1,060
$1,413
Typical yearly household income
$73,600 ▼33% below the county
$109,208
$74,275
$80,734
Households that own their home
61% ▼8 points below the county
69%
67%
65%
Typical yearly property tax
$3,033 ▼32% below the county
$4,447
$2,798
$3,119
Effective property tax rate
1.15% ▲0.01 points above the county
1.14%
1.29%
0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income
44% ▲2 points above the county
42%
43%
51%
“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Johnson County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Merriam
For a typical $263,300 home in Merriam, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Merriam's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.
FHA, 3.5% down$2,230a month
Least cash to close
Down payment
$9,216
Cash to close
$17,115
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
FHA MIP · $116
Conventional, 5% down$2,182a month
Down payment
$13,165
Cash to close
$21,064
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
PMI · $125
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI$1,789a month
Down payment
$52,660
Cash to close
$60,559
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
ITIN, 15% down (example)$2,032a month
Down payment
$39,495
Cash to close
$47,394
Rate
8.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Merriam
Loan
Monthly payment
Down payment
Loan amount
Rate
Mortgage insurance
Cash to close
Minimum score
FHA, 3.5% down Least cash to close
$2,230
$9,216
$258,531
7.18%
FHA MIP · $116
$17,115
580
Conventional, 5% down
$2,182
$13,165
$250,135
7.18%
PMI · $125
$21,064
620*
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI
$1,789
$52,660
$210,640
7.18%
None
$60,559
620*
ITIN, 15% down (example)
$2,032
$39,495
$223,805
8.18%
None
$47,394
Set by the lender
The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.
Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.
Typical rent in Merriam is $1,181 a month: 18% below the county. In Merriam, 44% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Johnson County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,546 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $29.73 an hour working full time.
What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.
HUD fair market rent in Johnson County (Fiscal year 2027)
Size
Fair rent a month
Hourly wage
Yearly income
Studio
$1,257
$24.17
$50,280
1 bedroom
$1,366
$26.27
$54,640
2 bedrooms
$1,546
$29.73
$61,840
3 bedrooms
$2,020
$38.85
$80,800
4 bedrooms
$2,419
$46.52
$96,760
Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027
By ZIP code
Fair market rent by ZIP code in Merriam
HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Merriam has 2 ZIP codes with their own.
For 2 bedrooms it runs from $1,540 in 66203 to $1,550 in 66202.
1 of the 2 is above the fair market rent for Johnson County ($1,546).
Fair market rent by ZIP code and size in Merriam, fiscal year 2027.
66202
$1,260
$1,370
$1,550
$2,030
$2,430
66203
$1,250
$1,360
$1,540
$2,010
$2,410
ZIP code2 bd3 bd
66202 $1,550$2,030
66203 $1,540$2,010
2 of these ZIP codes cross the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Merriam when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD)Fiscal year 2027Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (external site)Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship fileData from 2020 dataCensus Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (external site)
You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.
We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Johnson County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.
No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Merriam or Johnson County. The ones below are statewide in Kansas: they work in Merriam the same as in the rest of the state.
Kansas state corporation 0% loan for 15% or 20% of the price for the down payment and closing costs, forgiven after 10 years in the home, for households with income up to 80% of the area median; not available in Johnson County or in Kansas City, Lawrence, Topeka and Wichita.Offered by Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC).
No legal help resource on our list is for Merriam or Johnson County in particular.
If you have a problem with your landlord, an eviction notice or a scam, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) search shows the free legal aid offices that serve your area.
Short answers with the numbers for Merriam and all of Johnson County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.
How much does a typical home cost in Merriam?
The typical home value in Merriam is $263,300, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Johnson County it is $391,200.
How much does it cost to rent in Merriam?
Typical rent in Merriam is $1,181 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Johnson County is $1,546.
What is the FHA loan limit in Merriam?
Merriam uses the FHA limit for all of Johnson County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.
How much property tax do owners pay in Merriam?
The typical homeowner in Merriam pays $3,033 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.15% of the home’s value; in Johnson County, the rate is 1.14%.
Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Merriam?
We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Johnson County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.
