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
Grand Prairie
Opportunity
71 · Top 20%
vs59 · Top 44%
Growth
70 · Top 16%
vs66 · Top 23%
Climate
65 · Bottom 33%
vs68 · Bottom 41%
Physical resilience
67 · Top 40%
vs54 · Bottom 46%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 36%
vs79 · Bottom 48%
Schools
87 · Top 5%
vs36 · Bottom 30%
Access
85 · Bottom 30%
vs96 · Top 30%
Economic stability
86 · Top 1%
vs65 · Top 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Melissa | Grand Prairie | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,136 | 201,883 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $138,763 | $81,619 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,817 | $35,192 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,757/sq mi | 2,788/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $454,000 | $295,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,532 | $1,629 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 88.7% | 58.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52.6% | 30.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 1.9% | 12.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 351 | 1,222 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 17.4 | 6.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -43.6% | -21.8% | 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 | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 37.1 min | 30.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.3 | 34.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 57 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.22 | 15.20 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 73.3% | 30.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 68.3% | 36.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 18.4% | 73.1% | 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.
Grand Prairie
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Melissa
78
Your Score
75
Area Score
Grand Prairie
65
Your Score
62
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Melissa, TX · Grand Prairie, TX · How this is calculated: methodology