City profile · Texas · Census ACS 2023

Melissa, TX

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Melissa - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

17,497
Residents
$137,875
Median income
$430,300
Median home
$1,931
Median rent (state)

Melissa - the verdict

Nationally, Melissa sits in the 92nd percentile for household income and the 90th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

92nd
percentile, household income
80th
percentile, home value
80th
percentile, median rent
90th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Melissa, TX

Texas's Melissa is a small town, with 17,497 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Melissa households earn a median of $137,875 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 1.7%. Typical homes in Melissa are valued around $430,300, and the median resident age is 36.5 years. Educational attainment runs 52.2% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 68.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 1,295 residential building permits were authorized in Melissa (Building Boom), up 131% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Melissa reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 377.2 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Texas tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Texas at 97.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,931 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Texas run around $223, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 98.9 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

17,497 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Texas

Median Household Income

$137,875 /yr

Poverty 1.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

97.1 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Texas average

How does Melissa compare to other US cities?

Melissa measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 92% higher than other cities
Home value 80% pricier than other cities
Median rent 80% pricier than other cities
Safety 90% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Texas alone, Melissa ranks #62 of 624 Texas cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Melissa against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Texas only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Texas-relative analysis

Bachelor's Degree or Higher is Melissa's strongest outlier among Texas cities

Among the 1,663 Texas cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, Melissa ranks #114 - the 93rd percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Melissa only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#95 of 1,520
94th percentile in Texas
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,663
92nd percentile in Texas
Median Home Value
#122 of 1,505
92nd percentile in Texas
Poverty Rate
#1,368 of 1,663
17th percentile in Texas
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#114 of 1,663
93rd percentile in Texas

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Texas only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

92ndIncome percentile
90thSafety percentile

92nd percentile nationally for median household income · 90th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Melissa's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Melissa's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 67 Avg. percentile National median
Melissa's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Melissa's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$430,300 20th percentile more affordable than 20% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). This entry sits in this band. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Melissa $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Melissa, TX Melissa, TX's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Melissa, TX-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Melissa, TX median $137,875/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Melissa, TX's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Melissa, TX. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 52.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 1.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 68.8%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
17,497
Median Income
$137,875
Median Home Value
$430,300
Median Age
36.5
Poverty Rate
1.7%
Labor force participation
68.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
52.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
377.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
35.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
341.3
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
10,000 residents15,000 residents20,000 residents25,000 residents30,000 residents35,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 14,339 residents 29,969 residents ▲ +109.0%
Melissa's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
1,295
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1,263
detached homes
Multifamily
32
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
74
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 560
2020 857
2021 784
2022 1,474
2023 802
2024 1,295

Permit volume increased 131% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
56.1%
Carpool
13.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.6%
Work from Home
29.3%

Based on 8,575 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Texas - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$130
avg/month
Natural Gas
$45
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$48
avg/month
Total Utilities
$223
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Texas state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Texas state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Melissa sits in

Cost of Living Index
97.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,931/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
98.9 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Texas

Royse City
17,357 people
Gainesville
17,688 people
Stafford
17,279 people
Alice
17,797 people
Bay City
17,816 people
Glenn Heights
17,175 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Melissa's 17,497 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Kirksville, MO
17,493 people
St. Matthews, KY
17,491 people
Jacksonville, IL
17,490 people
Spanish Springs, NV
17,512 people
Streetsboro, OH
17,514 people
Wahiawa, HI
17,515 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Melissa's $137,875 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Miami Shores, FL
$137,873 median income
Seventh Mountain, OR
$137,885 median income
Westhampton Beach, NY
$137,888 median income
Mogul, NV
$137,895 median income
Edgewater, NJ
$137,847 median income
Fruit Cove, FL
$137,906 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Melissa, TX Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Melissa, TX - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 66.5% 17.7% 8.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 13.6% White 66.5% Black or African American 17.7% Asian 4.7% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 2.3% Two or more races 8.7% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Melissa compares to nearby Texas cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Melissa (this city) 17,497 $137,875
Royse City 17,357 $116,424
Gainesville 17,688 $56,341
Stafford 17,279 $85,910
Census ACS 5-year FIPS TX FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Melissa, TX?

What is the population of Melissa, TX? +

Melissa, TX counts 17,497 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Melissa, TX? +

Median annual household income in Melissa runs $137,875, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Melissa? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Melissa; the closest available measure is the Texas state average, a cost of living index of 97.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Texas vary by metro area.

Is Melissa, TX safe? +

Melissa has a total crime rate of 377.2 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Melissa, TX? +

Melissa's median home value sits at $430,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.