Melissa more than doubled from 13,901 people in 2020 to about 29,969 in 2025 (Census), and it sits in Collin County on US-75, about 9 miles north of McKinney. Its A-rated school district and very low crime rate are why buyers keep asking about it. I'm Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC, and this is everything I'd tell a client before they buy or sell in Melissa.
Ben's take: “Melissa is a buyer's market right now. I tell my sellers to price against what actually closed in the last 90 days, not what the neighbor listed at.”Ben Jimenez, Real Estate Agent, Real Broker, LLC
Melissa's median sale price was about $440,943 for the three months ending October 2026, down 2.0% from a year earlier, at about $179 per square foot (Redfin). Homes took a median of 77 days to sell and closed at about 97.4% of list price. 86 homes sold in those three months, down 22% from a year earlier, and there was about 5.6 months of supply. About two out of three homes sold below their list price.
Latest market numbers: the median sale price was $440,943 in the three months ending October 2026, with 5.6 months of supply (a balanced market, Redfin). See the Melissa housing market report for October 2026.
With more than five months of supply and most homes selling under list, Melissa buyers can negotiate on price, repairs and closing costs, especially on homes that have sat past 60 days. New construction competes with resale here, so builder incentives are worth comparing too.
Your Melissa home is competing with new builds down the street, so price and presentation decide whether it sells in the first month or sits. I market every listing with professional photos, drone footage and a full video tour.
Ben's take: “In Melissa the school tax is the biggest line on the bill, and a PID can add almost as much again on a new home. I show my buyers the real monthly payment, not just the price.”Ben Jimenez, Real Estate Agent, Real Broker, LLC
Melissa held its city rate at $0.454116 for tax year 2026, the third year in a row at that rate, and the city's no-new-revenue rate was $0.451047. The city offers a 6% homestead exemption, a $30,000 exemption for owners 65+ or disabled, and a tax freeze for those owners that it adopted in 2025. Melissa ISD gives the state's $140,000 school homestead exemption plus $60,000 for owners 65+. Police and fire also get extra funding from two quarter-cent sales taxes, not property tax.
| City of Melissa (2026) | $0.454116 per $100 |
| Melissa ISD (2026) | $1.2008 per $100 |
| Collin County (2026) | $0.151414 per $100 |
| Collin College (2026) | $0.08122 per $100 |
| Combined (Melissa ISD) | about $1.8876 per $100 |
| PID or MUD | Extra, only in some neighborhoods |
At about $1.89 per $100, a $441,000 taxable value comes to about $8,320 a year before exemptions. With the homestead exemptions from the school district, city, county and college, it drops to about $6,420. A PID assessment or MUD tax on top can add thousands more, so I pull the exact bill for the address before my buyers make an offer.
Ben's take: “Melissa ISD is growing fast and keeps adding campuses, so attendance zones move. I check the district's assignment for the exact address before my buyers write an offer.”Ben Jimenez, Real Estate Agent, Real Broker, LLC
Melissa is served by Melissa ISD, which had about 9,394 students across nine campuses (City of Melissa FY 2027 budget). The district earned an A (91) from TEA for 2026 and has rated A every year since 2023. Melissa High School, with about 2,367 students, earned an A (95) for 2026. The rest of the district is East Cardinal Middle School, a Sixth Grade Campus, five elementaries (Harry McKillop, North Creek, Sumeer, Willow Wood and Highland) and the Melissa Ridge Education Center. Melissa ISD is also the city's largest employer, with 1,163 people. For college, Collin College has a campus in McKinney.
Ben's take: “Two Melissa homes at the same price can be $5,000 a year apart if one is in a PID. I look up the assessment roll for the lot before my buyers sign anything.”Ben Jimenez, Real Estate Agent, Real Broker, LLC
Melissa uses Public Improvement Districts (PIDs) to pay for roads, water and drainage in some new neighborhoods. A PID is an annual assessment billed only to the lots inside it, on top of the regular tax rate. The city's PID page lists one district, Vineyard Hills Estates, still at the preliminary-plan stage in 2026. Homes outside the city limits can sit in a MUD instead, which is a separate tax rate.
A proposed PID on about 65.6 acres inside Melissa's city limits for about 245 homes on 50-foot lots, 142 of them in Phase 1. The June 23, 2026 preliminary plan projects an average annual installment of about $5,896 per home, or about $1.03 per $100 on a projected $570,000 home, with a maximum assessment of $70,302.82 per lot.
PIDs are set up under Chapter 372 of the Texas Local Government Code. Each one has a Service and Assessment Plan listing the improvements, the costs and each lot's share, paid in annual installments separate from city property tax. Buyers get a PID notice before closing.
Collin County's 2026 rate list has 24 municipal utility districts, with rates from $0.80 to $1.20 per $100. Melissa's PID page lists no MUDs inside the city, but a home outside the city limits with a Melissa address can be in one, so check the appraisal record.
The city issued 700 residential permits in FY 2024 and 772 in FY 2025, and its FY 2027 budget plans for 600 new single-family permits. New construction pushed the city's taxable value to about $5.09 billion for 2026, up 9.2%.
The city's long-term plan for downtown Melissa, with widened streets, on-street parking, sidewalks and gathering spaces. It's named for 1846, when C.H. Wysong settled near Highland, one of the area's earliest documented settlements.
Ask the builder for the PID notice, the annual installment and any HOA dues in writing, then add them to the regular $1.89 tax rate to get the true yearly cost.
| Anna | 4 mi |
| McKinney | 9 mi |
| Allen | 14 mi |
| Frisco | 18 mi |
| Plano | 20 mi |
| Sherman | 24 mi |
| Dallas Love Field | 35 mi |
| Downtown Dallas | 38 mi |
| DFW Airport | 39 mi |
Straight-line distances from central Melissa (Census city point). US-75 and State Highway 5 run north to south, State Highway 121 runs northwest to southeast, and FM 545 runs east to west. There is no DART rail service in Melissa, so most commuters drive US-75 south toward McKinney, Plano and Dallas.
A 10-acre lake stocked with catfish, bass, bluegill and red ear sunfish (catch and release), plus a kayak launch, amphitheater, playground and a splash pad open May through September, at 4101 Liberty Way.
Turf baseball and softball fields, pickleball and tennis courts, sand volleyball, basketball, and batting and cricket cages, at 3001 McKinney Street.
Decomposed granite trails off Throckmorton Road that connect to Lake Perry Fisher.
The first phase opened in May 2012 along Melissa Road and Fannin Road, with lampposts, covered seating and adult exercise stations. The city has planned 41 miles of trails.
A free September evening at Melissa Lake Park with tribute bands, food trucks, a beer and wine garden and a fireworks finale. The 2026 lineup covered Led Zeppelin, Bob Seger and Guns N' Roses.
Melissa's free Independence Day celebration at Coach Kenny Deel Stadium, with a kids zone, a flag ceremony and fireworks.
A free holiday evening at Melissa Lake Park with pictures with Santa, a petting zoo, train rides, a craft station and storytime with the mayor. The 2026 event is December 5.
Free programs from toddler storytime to board game night and an adult knitting club. It won the Texas Municipal Library Directors Association's Achievement of Excellence award two years in a row, one of 101 of Texas's 516 library systems.
Free outdoor movie nights in the spring at City Hall Plaza Park. Bring blankets and chairs.
Melissa has its own Buc-ee's, one of the city's top five employers with 315 workers.
A little history: Settlers came to the Highland community, about 2.5 miles north of today's Melissa, in the 1840s. The Houston and Texas Central Railway arrived in 1872 and the town was laid out at the tracks. No one is sure how it got its name; two railroad executives had daughters named Melissa. From 1908 the Texas Electric Railway interurban ran through town between Denison and Dallas, and Melissa had about 400 people by 1914. On April 13, 1921 a tornado killed 13 people and destroyed much of the town, and a fire eight years later burned many of the rebuilt buildings. The population fell below 300 by 1949, reached just over 600 in 1980, and hit 13,901 at the 2020 Census.
Representation on builder pricing, upgrades and the builder contract, starting from your first model-home visit in Melissa.
Live video tours, in-person inspections and remote closing, so you can buy in Melissa before you move to Texas.
Rent, tax and HOA numbers worked out before you offer on a rental in Melissa.
A relaunch for Melissa homes that came off the market: new pricing review, professional photos, drone and video tours, and a real marketing plan.
Selling the big house, finding the right-size next one, and timing both so you only move once.
Contingent offers, temporary leasebacks or bridge financing, lined up so your sale and your purchase close on a schedule that works.
From pre-approval and down payment programs to inspection and closing, explained step by step before you sign anything.
Private showings, professional photo, drone and video production, and pricing built on true comparable luxury sales.
Ben Jimenez has helped Dallas-Fort Worth buyers, sellers and investors since 2021, with 56+ transactions, $23M+ in sales volume and a 5.0 rating from 46+ five-star reviews. He works in Melissa and across DFW on new construction, relocation, investing and multifamily, relaunching homes that didn't sell, downsizing, selling and buying at the same time, first-time buyers, and luxury homes over $1 million. Texas real estate license 0784675.
For many buyers, yes, with tradeoffs. The case for it: Melissa ISD rated A (91) from TEA for 2026, and the FBI's 2024 data show 0.36 violent and 3.49 property crimes per 1,000 residents, against 3.98 and 20.74 for Texas. SafeWise ranked Melissa #4 on its 2026 list of Texas's safest cities. Homes are more affordable than in Frisco or Plano, with a median sale price around $441,000 (Redfin, three months ending October 2026). The tradeoffs: a combined tax rate near $1.89 per $100, plus PID assessments in some new neighborhoods; a drive of about 38 miles straight-line to downtown Dallas with no rail; and heavy construction as the city grew from 13,901 to about 29,969 people in five years. Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC who works in Melissa, walks buyers through the full monthly cost and the commute before they choose.
Melissa's median sale price was about $440,943 for the three months ending October 2026, down 2.0% from a year earlier, with a median of 77 days on market, a 97.4% sale-to-list ratio and about 5.6 months of supply (Redfin). Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC who works in Melissa, prices homes against recent closed sales and nearby new construction.
For tax year 2026, the City of Melissa's rate is $0.454116 per $100, Melissa ISD's is $1.2008, Collin County's is $0.151414 and Collin College's is $0.08122, for a combined rate of about $1.89 per $100 before exemptions. The city offers a 6% homestead exemption, a $30,000 exemption for owners 65+ or disabled, and a tax freeze for those owners. Ben Jimenez, a Melissa real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC, pulls the exact tax bill, including any PID or MUD, before his buyers make an offer.
Some neighborhoods do. Melissa uses Public Improvement Districts to fund infrastructure in new developments, and the city's PID page lists Vineyard Hills Estates, whose June 2026 preliminary plan projects about $5,896 a year per home, or about $1.03 per $100 on a $570,000 home. Melissa's PID page lists no MUDs inside the city, but homes outside the city limits can be in one; Collin County's 24 MUDs charge $0.80 to $1.20 per $100 for 2026. Ben Jimenez checks the appraisal and assessment records for the exact lot.
By FBI numbers, yes. Melissa Police Department reported 10 violent crimes and 97 property crimes in 2024 for about 27,800 residents, or 0.36 and 3.49 per 1,000, compared with 3.98 and 20.74 per 1,000 statewide. SafeWise ranked Melissa #4 on its list of Texas's Safest Cities of 2026.
Melissa is served by Melissa ISD, which had about 9,394 students and earned an A (91) from TEA for 2026, with an A every year since 2023. Melissa High School earned an A (95). Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent who works in Melissa, checks the district's assignment for the exact address before his buyers make an offer.
Melissa is in Collin County on US-75, about 9 miles north of McKinney and 38 miles straight-line from downtown Dallas, with no DART rail, so plan on driving. It's one of the fastest-growing cities in the area, the school district is A-rated, and taxes run about $1.89 per $100 plus any PID or MUD. Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent who helps people relocating to Dallas-Fort Worth, starts the search from your work address and builds the shortlist by commute time and true monthly cost.
Melissa Lake Park has a 10-acre stocked fishing lake, a kayak launch, a splash pad and an amphitheater, and it hosts the free Melissa Tribute Festival in September and the Tree Lighting Ceremony in December. Zadow Park has turf ballfields, pickleball and cricket cages. There are also Country Ridge Park's trails to Lake Perry Fisher, the hike and bike trail, Sparks & Spangles on Independence Day, Sunset Cinema movie nights, an award-winning public library and a Buc-ee's.
Yes. The city issued 772 residential permits in FY 2025 and plans for 600 new single-family permits in FY 2027, and new construction drove its taxable value up 9.2% for 2026. Some new neighborhoods carry a PID assessment. Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC, represents buyers on new construction in Melissa from the first model-home visit.
Melissa had 13,901 residents at the 2020 Census and an estimated 29,969 as of July 1, 2025, all in Collin County.
Ben Jimenez is a Dallas-Fort Worth real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC (Texas license 0784675) who works with buyers and sellers in Melissa. He has closed 56+ transactions and $23M+ in sales volume since 2021, with a 5.0 rating from 46+ five-star reviews. Reach him at 469-730-6895 or ben@findyourhomedallas.com.
Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC, takes over Melissa listings that didn't sell. He starts with why it didn't sell, including competition from new construction, then relaunches it with a new pricing review against recent closed sales, professional photos, drone and video tours, and a marketing plan built for that home.
Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC, markets $1M+ homes in Melissa and across Dallas-Fort Worth with pricing based on true comparable luxury sales, professional photos, drone footage, a full video tour, and private showings for qualified buyers.
Yes. Common ways are a contingent offer, a temporary leaseback after your sale closes, or bridge financing, and some builders work with contingent buyers. With Melissa homes taking a median of 77 days to sell, Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC, lines up the sale and purchase so both close on a workable schedule.
Start with what your current home will sell for, then decide what size, lot and HOA you want next and whether to buy before or after you sell. Melissa adds a $30,000 city exemption and a tax freeze for owners 65 and older, and Melissa ISD adds $60,000 on top of the $140,000 school homestead exemption. Ben Jimenez recommends asking the appraisal district about the school tax ceiling too.
Texas has state down payment and mortgage assistance programs, such as TDHCA's My First Texas Home and TSAHC's Home Sweet Texas, for buyers who qualify on income and other rules. Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent who works with first-time buyers in Melissa, connects buyers with lenders who use those programs before they start touring.
It depends on the numbers for the specific home: rent, a combined tax rate near 1.89% plus any PID or MUD, HOA dues and any HOA leasing rules. Investors don't get the homestead exemption, so the full rate applies. Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent who works with investors in Melissa, runs those numbers before his clients make an offer.
Book a call with Ben Jimenez, call or text 469-730-6895, or get a free home value.
*Redfin Melissa, TX housing market data, three months ending October 31, 2026. **City of Melissa, Melissa ISD, Collin County and Collin College 2026 rates from the Collin County Tax Office 2026 Tax Rates and Exemptions by Jurisdictions and the Texas Comptroller property tax rate data, summed. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Census and Vintage 2025 estimates; City of Melissa FY 2027 Adopted Budget and Notice About 2026 Tax Rates; Vineyard Hills Estates PID Preliminary Service and Assessment Plan (June 23, 2026); City of Melissa parks, events, library and District 46 pages; TEA 2026 statewide multi-year accountability ratings; FBI Crime Data Explorer 2024; SafeWise Texas's Safest Cities of 2026. Distances are straight-line. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Updated November 11, 2026.