TXMap-doton-Melissa, 2004
Melissa’s story
173 years in pictures
Census counts: 57 in 1880, 13,901 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and a map from 1961 on.
- 1853Melissa is settled
MelissaTX
A town of 29,969, settled in 1853. Public schools that outperform most of Texas.
Trash day: look up yoursPopulation
29,969
2025 Census estimate · +115.6% since 2020
Typical home
$423K
−5.4% in a year
Household income
$139K
median
Median age
36.3
years
Jobs based here
2,458
A commuter town
TownGrade
A−
#21 of 640 in TX
Is Melissa a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Melissa grades A− overall, ranked 21st of 640 in Texas. The median household earns $139K. Its schools rank ahead of 91% of Texas towns and it reports less crime per resident than 90% of U.S. towns. The trade-off is money: the typical home is worth about $422K, 4.7 years of the Dallas metro’s $90K median household income. Melissa’s median rent is $2,532 a month, above both Texas’ towns ($1,206 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). The biggest park or preserve is City of Melissa 90 Acre Park, at 79 acres. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 68% of U.S. towns.
What makes Melissa stand out
Where Melissa beats most towns.
MELISSA ISD schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Harry McKillop El | K–5 | 1,016 |
| Sumeer Elememtary | K–5 | 962 |
| North Creek El | K–5 | 885 |
SchoolsA
#19 of the 642 Texas towns we grade for schools
NCES · EDFacts.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Melissa0.5
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
SafetyA
86% less violent crime than TX
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
A growing town
Melissa has grown 538% since 2010
4,695 counted in 2010 and 13,901 in 2020; an estimated 29,969 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 115.6% since 2020, after 196.1% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Melissa grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Melissa is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for jobs and income (better than 96% of comparable towns) to D for cost of living (better than 7%), so the A− overall blends very different results.
Jobs & incomeA+Open →Cost of livingDOpen →SchoolsAOpen →SafetyAOpen →HealthBaylor Scott and White Medical Center Mckinney 8.6 miles awayA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7 of 20; 3.4% of households have no car; 0.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Hazard risktornadoes tops the listCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 0% conserved landC−Open →History1 notable person born hereDOpen →Civic life1.4 library visits per resident; 2.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 94° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market52 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 36.3; 53% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Melissa: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Melissa, and how to reach them.
PowerOncorEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Melissa water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressTown’s hauler · day by addressTown site
Register to voteIn personTexas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCollin County Early Voting ClerkCollin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2024
ZIP code7545475454 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Melissa.
Melissa has schools in the top 5% of Texas, has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns and has less food insecurity than most of Texas.
SchoolsA
For schools, Melissa earns an A
Its A ranks #19 of the 642 Texas towns we grade for schools. Its A for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $423K.
Its public schools are run by Melissa ISD. Three of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Melissa H S, with 1,983 students.
91%of TX districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melissa MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,741 | A |
| Melissa H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,983 | A+ |
| Harry McKillop ElTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 1,016 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
SafetyA
For safety, Melissa earns an A
Violent crime is rare: 16 reported in 2025, 0.5 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Melissa is 4.2 per 1,000 residents.
90%of U.S. towns report more crimeASafety Grade
| Melissa | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.2 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Melissa0.5
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Melissa4.2
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
90th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
97th
percentile among TX towns
16
violent crimes reported in 2025
128
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade D
For cost of living, Melissa earns a D
The typical value, about $423K, is 18% below its July 2022 peak. The median property tax bill is $6,860, against $4,232 across Texas, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
89% of households own their home in Melissa. Typical home values fell 5.4% in the year to September 2026.
$423KZillow home value
Typical home value
Melissa$423K
Texas$296K
Market temperature
52
days on market
98.2%
sale-to-list price
−5.4%
value change, 1 year
40
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthA−
On CDC estimates, Melissa is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns
Its widest gap with Texas is food insecurity: 10.8% of its 9,194 adults worry about having enough food, against 19.3% statewide. Against the 3,679 U.S. towns with household incomes like Melissa’s, it is less healthy than 64%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Melissa beats the Texas average on 17 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 20% of Melissa adults binge drink.
80%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Melissa | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.2% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 30% | 25% |
31 measures vs. Texas
17 better12 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Melissa | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.8% | 19.3% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 10.9% | 19.1% |
| More binge drinkers | 20.1% | 17% |
Baylor Scott and White Medical Center Mckinney
8.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
83rd
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A+
Most working residents commute out of Melissa
Melissa has 2,458 jobs for its 8,553 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here grew from 999 in 2013 to 2,458.
Most working residents leave Melissa for work: only 3% work in town. Melissa’s average trip to work is 34 minutes. Jobs based in Melissa grew to 2,458 in 2023, 1,459 more than in 2013.
3%work in town
| Melissa | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $139,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 1.9% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.7% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Melissa3%
Dallas16%
McKinney13%
Plano13%
Richardson5%
25 mi
median commute distance
2,458
jobs based in Melissa
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 32% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Melissa
July afternoons average 94.2°, hotter than in 95% of U.S. towns; January nights average 33.9°. The Lavon Dam weather station, 18 miles away, records that about 95 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 85% of Texas places with climate records.
Melissa has mild winters and hot summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
94°summer high
| Melissa | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 94°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 34°F | 37°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter36–56°
Spring53–74°
Summer72–93°
Fall55–77°
Nov 15
typical first frost
Mar 17
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
94°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Tornadoes leads a moderate hazard risk in Melissa
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 58% of U.S. communities.
58risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TornadoesInland floodingHail
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.1%conserved
0.1%
conserved · 5 of 7,362 acres
0.5 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bob Miller Park | 0.4 mi | 4 |
| 2. City of Melissa 90 Acre Park | — | 79 |
| 3. Zadow Park | — | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 77 attractions →Cotton Bowl and 46 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Melissa. Close and well known come first.
Big draw37 mi Stadium & arenaCotton Bowl
Big draw37 mi Stadium & arenaTexas Stadium
17 mi Theme parkUniversal Kids Resort
19 mi Stadium & arenaToyota Stadium
17 mi MuseumSouthfork Ranch
34 mi Stadium & arenaGerald J. Ford StadiumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Cotton Bowl: Robbiewest88, Public domain · Texas Stadium: Allspamme, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Universal Kids Resort: CANthony0125, CC0 · Toyota Stadium: Flavius Constantine, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Southfork Ranch: Sf46 at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Gerald J. Ford Stadium: Jmcstrav, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Melissa
20pages on Melissa
The big questions
SchoolsABeat 91% of TX districts · 8 schoolsSafetyA0.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthA−Better than TX on 17 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingD$423K typical home · down 5.4% in a yearWork & commuteA+$139K median household income · 2,458 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 58% of U.S. communities · tornadoes
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Melissa
About 6 of every 100 Melissa residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Texas.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Melissa for work
Where Melissa’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,458jobs based in Melissa
3%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Melissa
City in Texas, United States
Melissa is a city in Collin County, Texas, United States and is part of the Dallas metropolitan area. The population was 4,695 at the 2010 census, up from 1,350 at the 2000 census; in 2020, its population grew to 13,901.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1853
- Area
- 10 sq mi
- Elevation
- 679 ft
- ZIP code
- 75454
- Area code
- 972
Melissa’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Melissa.
McKinneyAnnaMelissa
How the neighbors grade
Questions about Melissa
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Melissa, TX a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Melissa grades A− overall, better than 83% of U.S. towns and #21 of 640 in Texas. It grades A− for health, A for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Melissa, TX expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.