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
Garland
Opportunity
71 · Top 20%
vs60 · Top 42%
Growth
70 · Top 16%
vs45 · Bottom 40%
Climate
65 · Bottom 33%
vs63 · Bottom 29%
Physical resilience
67 · Top 40%
vs52 · Bottom 45%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 36%
vs76 · Bottom 43%
Schools
87 · Top 5%
vs37 · Bottom 32%
Access
85 · Bottom 30%
vs97 · Top 22%
Economic stability
86 · Top 1%
vs62 · Top 47%
Measured values
| Metric | Melissa | Garland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,136 | 246,844 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $138,763 | $76,320 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,817 | $31,917 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,757/sq mi | 4,341/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $454,000 | $270,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,532 | $1,641 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 88.7% | 61.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52.6% | 25.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 1.9% | 13.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 351 | 389 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 17.4 | 1.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -43.6% | -29.1% | 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 | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 37.1 min | 32.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.3 | 35.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 61 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.22 | 15.36 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 73.3% | 28.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 68.3% | 37.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 18.4% | 77.0% | 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.
Garland
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Melissa, TX · Garland, TX · How this is calculated: methodology