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
Dallas
Opportunity
71 · Top 20%
vs58 · Top 47%
Growth
70 · Top 16%
vs64 · Top 26%
Climate
65 · Bottom 33%
vs63 · Bottom 29%
Physical resilience
67 · Top 40%
vs53 · Bottom 46%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 36%
vs66 · Bottom 29%
Schools
87 · Top 5%
vs38 · Bottom 32%
Access
85 · Bottom 30%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
86 · Top 1%
vs53 · Bottom 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Melissa | Dallas | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,136 | 1,307,930 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $138,763 | $70,518 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,817 | $45,811 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,757/sq mi | 3,850/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $454,000 | $320,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,532 | $1,472 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 88.7% | 42.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52.6% | 38.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 1.9% | 16.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 351 | 7,307 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 17.4 | 5.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -43.6% | 30.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 97°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 38.3" | 38.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 32 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 37.1 min | 27.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.3 | 33.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 341 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.22 | 15.33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 73.3% | 31.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 68.3% | 36.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 18.4% | 84.7% | 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.
Dallas
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Melissa, TX · Dallas, TX · How this is calculated: methodology