Meridian’s Population Has Exploded in Last 30 Years

If it feels a little more crowded than it used to, you're right.

Last year was a census year. Remember when we all had to fill out this questionnaire about our lives? The Constitution requires that this be taken every 10 years to gauge where the nation is at. Not only does it determine population numbers, but it is also used to determine seats in the House of Representatives, the allocation of federal funding, and more.

It's kind of important.

And last year's census revealed that Meridian, Idaho continues to grow.

According to NBC, Meridian was one of the fastest growing cities over the last 10 years. In fact, Meridian was number four on the list. All of the cities in the top 10 grew by more than 44 percent.

And they're all suburbs outside of larger cities.

Of course, we knew that Meridian was growing. We can see it and we can certainly feel it when we're stuck in traffic. That same report from NBC stated that the population of Meridian is at 117,600. Just 30 years ago, in 1990, that population barely hit 10,000.

Talk about exponential growth.

How do you feel about this? I'm sure there are mixed feelings. I enjoy having some peace and quiet, but I also enjoy having things to do around town. Larger populations typically means more money being poured into the local economy, which stimulates growth. But no one likes to feel like a bunch of sardines packed into a tiny can.

Here's the list of the 10 Fastest Growing Cities...

10. Irvine, California
Population increase of 44.8 percent; 212,375 to 307,670

9. Goodyear, Arizona
Population increase of 45.9 percent; 65,275 to 95,294

8. Kent, Washington
Population increase of 47.8 percent; 92,411 to 136,588

7. McKinney, Texas
Population increase of 48.9 percent; 131,117 to 195,308

6. South Jordan, Utah
Population increase of 53.6 percent; 50,418 to 77,487

5. New Braunfels, Texas
Population increase of 56.6 percent; 57,740 to 90,403

4. Meridian, Idaho
Population increase of 56.7 percent; 75,092 to 117,092

3. Conroe, Texas
Population increase of 60 percent; 56,207 to 89,956

2. Frisco, Texas
Population increase of 71.4 percent; 116,989 to 200,509

1. Buckeye, Arizona
Population increase of 79.8 percent; 50,876 to 91,502