What it's like to live in Melissa
Melissa is a small city in Texas with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Melissa deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
How Melissa compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Melissa
Based on Melissa's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$5,064
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $101,280 a year
- 54% of Melissa renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$90,800
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $45,400
- Homes cost 3.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 79% above US
$2,532/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,532 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices run above average, with a median around $454,000. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $454,000 · 54% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
3.9% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.9%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 85% below US
49 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 433/100k · Melissa Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 29% above US
34 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 33.6 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 29% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 94°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 36°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 46% above US
53% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Chickasaw National Recreation Area (85 miles away).
Bottom line
Melissa's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,532/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (29% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and people who dread long commutes.
Other places near Melissa
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