Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Operating and Reporting Segments (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Operating and Reporting Segments (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Revenue    
Revenue $ 518,712us-gaap_RealEstateRevenueNet $ 408,345us-gaap_RealEstateRevenueNet
Segment operating income    
Corporate and unallocated costs (29,650)us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeExpense (21,671)us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeExpense
Loss from other unconsolidated entities, net (123)mth_EarningsFromOtherUnconsolidatedEntitiesNet (169)mth_EarningsFromOtherUnconsolidatedEntitiesNet
Interest expense (3,154)us-gaap_InterestExpense (2,713)us-gaap_InterestExpense
Other income/(loss), net 415us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense 648us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense
Earnings before income taxes 25,297us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest 39,758us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]    
Segment operating income    
Corporate and unallocated costs (9,542)us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeExpense
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember 		[1] (5,976)us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeExpense
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember 		[1]
Loss from other unconsolidated entities, net (123)mth_EarningsFromOtherUnconsolidatedEntitiesNet
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember 		(169)mth_EarningsFromOtherUnconsolidatedEntitiesNet
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember
Interest expense (3,154)us-gaap_InterestExpense
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember 		(2,713)us-gaap_InterestExpense
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember
Other income/(loss), net 415us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember 		648us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember
Homebuilding [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]    
Revenue    
Revenue 518,712us-gaap_RealEstateRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember 		[2] 408,345us-gaap_RealEstateRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember 		[2]
Segment operating income    
Operating income 33,921us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember 		44,943us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
Financial Services [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]    
Segment operating income    
Operating income 3,780us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_FinancialServicesMember 		3,025us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_FinancialServicesMember
Homebuilding, West Region [Member] | Reportable Subsegments [Member] | Homebuilding [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]    
Revenue    
Revenue 206,878us-gaap_RealEstateRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingWestRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember 		[2] 192,681us-gaap_RealEstateRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingWestRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember 		[2]
Segment operating income    
Operating income 14,197us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingWestRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember 		24,810us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingWestRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember
Homebuilding, Central Region [Member] | Reportable Subsegments [Member] | Homebuilding [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]    
Revenue    
Revenue 154,026us-gaap_RealEstateRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingCentralRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember 		[2] 119,715us-gaap_RealEstateRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingCentralRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember 		[2]
Segment operating income    
Operating income 14,105us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingCentralRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember 		9,469us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingCentralRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember
Homebuilding, East Region [Member] | Reportable Subsegments [Member] | Homebuilding [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]    
Revenue    
Revenue 157,808us-gaap_RealEstateRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingEastRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember 		[2] 95,949us-gaap_RealEstateRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingEastRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember 		[2]
Segment operating income    
Operating income $ 5,619us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingEastRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember 		$ 10,664us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingEastRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember
[1] Balance consists primarily of corporate costs and numerous shared service functions such as finance and treasury that are not allocated to the homebuilding or financial reporting segments.
[2] Homebuilding revenue includes the following land closing revenue, by segment as outlined in the table below. Three Months Ended March 31, 2015 2014Land closing revenue: West $— $1,050Central 1,439 1,516East — —Total $1,439 $2,566