Melissa and Prosper receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Melissa
Prosper
Opportunity
71 · Top 20%
vs73 · Top 17%
Growth
70 · Top 16%
vs66 · Top 23%
Climate
65 · Bottom 33%
vs65 · Bottom 33%
Physical resilience
67 · Top 40%
vs66 · Top 42%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 36%
vs86 · Top 40%
Schools
87 · Top 5%
vs85 · Top 7%
Access
85 · Bottom 30%
vs88 · Bottom 36%
Economic stability
86 · Top 1%
vs76 · Top 15%
Measured values
| Metric | Melissa | Prosper | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,136 | 37,869 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $138,763 | $195,281 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,817 | $72,601 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,757/sq mi | 1,503/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $454,000 | $823,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,532 | $2,176 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 88.7% | 87.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52.6% | 66.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 1.9% | 5.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 351 | 368 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 17.4 | 9.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -43.6% | -50.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 38.3" | 38.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 32 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 37.1 min | 31.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.3 | 37.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.22 | 15.30 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 73.3% | 63.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 68.3% | 61.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 18.4% | 5.7% | 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.
Prosper
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Melissa, TX · Prosper, TX · How this is calculated: methodology