Melissa receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Melissa
Arlington
Opportunity
71 · Top 20%
vs59 · Top 44%
Growth
70 · Top 16%
vs64 · Top 26%
Climate
65 · Bottom 33%
vs68 · Bottom 41%
Physical resilience
67 · Top 40%
vs56 · Bottom 48%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 36%
vs76 · Bottom 42%
Schools
87 · Top 5%
vs29 · Bottom 21%
Access
85 · Bottom 30%
vs96 · Top 31%
Economic stability
86 · Top 1%
vs62 · Top 47%
Measured values
| Metric | Melissa | Arlington | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,136 | 397,742 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $138,763 | $75,171 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,817 | $36,148 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,757/sq mi | 4,150/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $454,000 | $304,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,532 | $1,470 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 88.7% | 54.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52.6% | 32.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 1.9% | 12.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 351 | 1,722 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 17.4 | 4.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -43.6% | -6.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 38.3" | 36.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 32 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 37.1 min | 28.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.3 | 33.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 100 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.22 | 14.48 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 73.3% | 25.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 68.3% | 33.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 18.4% | 70.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Melissa
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Arlington
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Melissa, TX · Arlington, TX · How this is calculated: methodology