Merriam, Kansas

Merriam was incorporated as a third class city on October 23, 1950, and established second class city status on January 18, 1957. The city was named in honor of Charles Merriam, a one-time secretary/treasurer of the then Kansas City, Fort Scott and Gulf railroad (later the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway) which ran through the area. ==Geography==

Merriam is bordered by the cities of Overland Park to the east and south, Shawnee to the west, and Kansas City, Kansas to the north (in Wyandotte County); the city of Lenexa is less than one mile to the southwest. The city straddles approximately three miles of Interstate 35 from near (southwest) of its junction with Interstate 635 south to 75th Street. Shawnee Mission Parkway, an east–west road, nearly bisects the city. U.S. Routes 59 and 69 follow the Interstate to the south of the city and follow Shawnee Mission Parkway to the east from its junction with the Interstate. Turkey Creek, following a roughly parallel path to the Interstate, flows through the city. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. ==Demographics==

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Merriam had a population of 11,098, with 5,070 households and 2,762 families. The median age was 38.2 years. 19.1% of residents were under the age of 18, and 17.6% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 93.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males age 18 and over. 100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas. The population density was 2,570.8 inhabitants per square mile (992.6/km). There were 5,297 housing units at an average density of 1,227.0 per square mile (473.7/km), of which 4.3% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.7%. Males had a median income of $45,116 (+/- $5,606) versus $34,464 (+/- $4,520) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $39,790 (+/- $3,007). Approximately, 5.3% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under the age of 18 and 8.1% of those ages 65 or over. The percent of those with a bachelor's degree or higher was estimated to be 29.8% of the population. 2010 census As of the 2010 census, there were 11,003 people, 4,900 households, and 2,788 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 5,224 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.4% White, 6.1% African American, 0.5% Native American, 2.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.9% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.7% of the population. There were 4,900 households, of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.1% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age in the city was 37.4 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 30.9% were from 25 to 44; 26.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female. ==Economy==

Seaboard Corporation is based in Merriam. Until 2019, Merriam was the home of Lee Jeans. In 2015, IKEA openes of an IKEA store at Johnson Drive and Interstate 35. It added between 200 and 500 jobs in spring 2015. Top employers According to Merriam's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were: ==Libraries==

Johnson County Library serves residents of Merriam. The library's Antioch branch is located at the intersection of Shawnee Mission Parkway and Antioch road. At one time, this branch served as the headquarters for the library system. ==References==