Community guide · Collin County
One of the fastest-growing cities in America, with an A-rated school district, new parks and a 12-minute drive to downtown McKinney.
By Shayla Eadler, REALTOR® · TREC #0747934 · Based in Van Alstyne · Updated
Melissa, Texas
Yes — if you want a newer home, an A-rated school district and quick access to US-75 and SH-121, living in Melissa, TX makes a lot of sense. The trade-off is growth: more construction, busier roads and a combined tax rate of about 1.91% inside city limits.
Melissa has changed fast. The 2020 Census counted 13,901 people; the Census Bureau’s July 2025 estimate is 29,969, a 14.5% jump in a single year that ranked Melissa the #4 fastest-growing city of its size in the country. The city covers roughly 21 square miles of rolling Blackland Prairie between the East Fork of the Trinity River and Sister Grove Creek, about seven miles northeast of McKinney.
What I hear most from buyers is that they come for Melissa ISD and stay for the parks and the in-town convenience — H-E-B, Kroger and Buc-ee’s are all here now. The city is also putting real money into its original downtown through the District 46 project, so the old town grid is getting new sidewalks, lighting and gathering spaces while the subdivisions keep spreading out around it. If you’re comparing Melissa TX homes for sale with Anna or McKinney, the questions I’d focus on are the school zone, the full tax line and how much construction is still planned nearby.
Melissa’s biggest employers in 2025 were Melissa ISD (1,128 employees), H-E-B (525), Redden Concrete (400), Beam Concrete Construction (350), Buc-ee’s (315), Kroger (166) and the City itself (137), according to the city’s FY2025 financial report. Taxable value reached about $4.59 billion for FY2026, up $492 million in a year.
The city has a long list of projects under contract: Melissa Lake Park ($13.65 million), a second fire station ($14.08 million), Telephone Road and Melissa Road West rebuilds, a trail connector along SH-121 and new downtown overlay roadways. District 46 street construction starts in October 2026, with substantial completion targeted for fall 2027.
The honest version
Every town has trade-offs. Here’s what I tell my own clients before they buy.
Pros
Cons
For sale now
Most Melissa homes are suburban single-family houses built in the last twenty years, from established master-planned streets to brand-new subdivisions still under construction. The city issued 774 residential building permits in FY2025 and 1,442 in FY2024.
Resale homes in communities like Liberty, where building started in 2003 and finished in 2024. You get mature landscaping, finished amenities and HOA-run pools and parks, often at a different price point than new builds.
Builders are still adding hundreds of homes a year. New homes come with builder warranties, but check the tax line for each subdivision and expect some ongoing construction nearby for a while.
The streets around Harrison, Cooper and Red River are Melissa’s oldest. Lots and home ages vary more here, and the District 46 project is adding sidewalks, lighting and public space through 2027.
Melissa ISD reaches past the city limits. Willow Wood Elementary, for example, has a McKinney mailing address, so I always confirm the city, the ETJ status and the school zone for each home.
Be the first to know
I’ll send new listings, price drops and my Coming Soon homes in Melissa — with my honest notes on each one.
Schools & growth
Melissa ISD is the main reason many of my clients look here. TEA’s TXschools.gov lists the district at an A (91) for 2025–26, after an A (92) for 2024–25 and an A (90) for both 2023–24 and 2022–23. Enrollment reached 8,560 students in 2025–26 across nine campuses, with about 15.6 students per teacher.
That growth is why voters approved an $875 million bond on May 3, 2025. The district said the bond would not raise its $0.50 debt (I&S) tax rate, and its 2026 total rate actually came down to $1.2008. For buyers, the practical takeaway is that new campuses — and new attendance boundaries — are coming, so I check the assigned school for every address.
What the 2025 bond pays for
| Campus | Grades | TEA rating |
|---|---|---|
| Melissa High School | High school | A |
| East Cardinal Middle School | 6–8 | A |
| Sixth Grade Center | 6 | B |
| Harry McKillop Elementary | Early ed–5 | A |
| Willow Wood Elementary | Early ed–5 | A |
| Highland Elementary | Early ed–5 | B |
| North Creek Elementary | Early ed–5 | B |
| Sumeer Elementary | Pre-K–5 | B |
| Melissa Ridge Education Center | Early education | Not rated |
Campus ratings as shown on TEA’s TXschools.gov in October 2026. Ratings and boundaries change — confirm the campus for any address with the district.
What’s changing
Very fast. In May 2026 the Census Bureau named Melissa the #4 fastest-growing U.S. city with 20,000 or more residents, up 14.5% to 29,969 people between July 2024 and July 2025. Four of the top five were in Texas, and Anna — the next town up US-75 — was #5.
Jobs and shopping have followed the rooftops. H-E-B is now the city’s second-largest employer with 525 workers, and Buc-ee’s employs 315. Downtown, the District 46 plan is turning Harrison, Cooper and Red River streets into a walkable core with gateway signs, shade, lighting and seating; XIT Paving won the construction contract in June 2026.
Projects to watch
| Fiscal year | Residential permits | New water connections |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 905 | 907 |
| 2023 | 903 | 1,124 |
| 2024 | 1,442 | 1,856 |
| 2025 | 774 | 1,206 |
From the City of Melissa’s FY2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (operating indicators).
Where to live
Melissa is mostly master-planned subdivisions around a small original downtown — here’s how I describe the main areas to clients.
Master-planned · Built out
Hillwood’s 535-acre community with 1,855 homes, built from 2003 to 2024 by builders including Drees, Highland, Perry and Bloomfield. Amenity center with pool and splash pad, sand volleyball, a fishing pond, soccer fields and walking paths.
Melissa ISD · Harry McKillop Elementary is inside the community
Original town · In city limits
The historic grid around Harrison, Cooper and Red River streets, laid out when the railroad arrived in 1872. Home ages and lot sizes vary, and the District 46 streetscape work brings new sidewalks, lighting and gathering spaces through 2027.
Melissa ISD
Established · Park access
Streets near Beech Boulevard, where a 10-acre stocked lake has a three-quarter-mile concrete loop trail that connects to Country Ridge Park. A good fit if you want a daily walk without getting in the car.
Melissa ISD
Newer subdivisions · Growth area
The east side has filled in quickly, with East Cardinal Middle School on FM 545, Highland Elementary on Highland Road and the Z-Plex sports complex on East Melissa Road. Expect active construction and new streets.
Melissa ISD
Outside city limits · Check the details
Part of Melissa ISD sits outside the city, including Willow Wood Elementary on Parkdale Drive with a McKinney address. These homes can have different city services and tax lines, so I verify both before you write an offer.
Melissa ISD · Willow Wood Elementary
Subdivision names are a starting point. Lot sizes, HOA rules and school zoning vary street by street — I’ll confirm all of it for any home you’re considering.
Cost of living
Inside Melissa city limits, the tax-year 2025 stack adds up to about $1.91 per $100 of taxable value: the City of Melissa ($0.454116, unchanged for two years and down from $0.61 in 2016), Melissa ISD ($1.2245), Collin County ($0.149343) and Collin College ($0.08122).
Two 2026 updates are worth knowing. Melissa ISD adopted a lower $1.2008 rate for tax year 2026 on August 17, 2026 ($0.7008 operations plus $0.50 debt). The City’s 2026 notice listed a no-new-revenue rate of $0.451047 and a voter-approval rate of $0.491481; I’ll pull the final adopted city rate for any home we look at.
Schools
Melissa is served by Melissa ISD, a single-town district that has grown from 2,399 students in 2016 to 8,560 in 2025–26. TEA’s TXschools.gov rates the district A (91) for 2025–26, with an A (92) the year before. The Cardinals play at Coach Kenny Deel Stadium on Milrany Lane, next to Melissa High School and the Melissa Arts Center.
Because enrollment keeps climbing, the district is building. Voters approved an $875 million bond in May 2025 for new elementary schools, a middle school, a 9th grade center and an early childhood center. New campuses mean attendance zones will shift, so I confirm the assigned school for every home rather than relying on a subdivision name.
Getting around
Melissa sits where US-75, SH-121 and SH-5 meet, with FM 545 running east–west across town. SH-121 is the quick way toward Frisco, Plano and DFW Airport.
Downtown McKinney
12 min≈ 7 mi
SH-5 / US-75 S
McKinney National Airport
18 min≈ 9 mi
US-75 S
Van Alstyne
15 min≈ 10 mi
US-75 N
Legacy West (Plano)
30 min≈ 23 mi
SH-121 W
The Star (Frisco)
30 min≈ 23 mi
SH-121 W
Downtown Sherman
30 min≈ 26 mi
US-75 N
Downtown Dallas
45 min≈ 39 mi
US-75 S
DFW Airport
55 min≈ 44 mi
SH-121 W
Typical drive times without heavy traffic. Rush hour on US-75 and the Tollway can add 15–30 minutes.
Local favorites
Melissa’s parks are newer and bigger than most people expect, and the city keeps a busy event calendar.
A 10-acre stocked lake at 4101 Liberty Way with concrete trails, an amphitheater, kayak launch, splash pad (May–September), pavilions, a playground and a food truck area.
About 10 acres of catch-and-release fishing for bass, catfish and bluegill, with a three-quarter-mile loop trail that links to Country Ridge Park.
Turf baseball and softball fields, grass and turf soccer, tennis courts, D-BAT and a playground on East Melissa Road. It hosted 73 weekend tournaments in FY2025.
The first phase opened in 2012 along Melissa Road and Fannin Road, with lamp posts, shaded benches and exercise stations. The city’s plan calls for 41 miles of trails.
The city’s free Fourth of July celebration at Coach Kenny Deel Stadium, with a kids zone, flag ceremony and fireworks. The 2026 show was June 26.
A free evening of tribute bands at Melissa Lake Park with market vendors, food trucks, a kids play zone and a fireworks finale. The 2026 festival was September 12.
Storytimes, craft classes, tween events and family shows on a busy monthly calendar — a good first stop for meeting neighbors after you move.
Melissa ISD’s performing arts center at 3030 Milrany Lane, on the same campus as Melissa High School and Coach Kenny Deel Stadium. Check the district calendar for upcoming shows.
Melissa’s original 1872 railroad town, now getting a full streetscape makeover. Watch for new gathering spaces and small businesses as construction wraps up in 2027.
Before you move
Here’s the practical checklist I walk through with every client moving to Melissa.
FAQ
Quick answers to the questions I hear most from people moving to Melissa.
For many buyers, yes. Melissa offers an A-rated school district, newer homes, big city parks and quick access to US-75 and SH-121, with downtown McKinney about 12 minutes away. The trade-offs are steady construction, rising traffic and a combined in-city tax rate of about 1.91%. I’m happy to drive you through a few areas so you can feel the difference between them.
For tax year 2025, the in-city stack is about $1.91 per $100 of value: City of Melissa $0.454116, Melissa ISD $1.2245, Collin County $0.149343 and Collin College $0.08122. Melissa ISD lowered its rate to $1.2008 for 2026. Homestead exemptions reduce the school portion; any PID or MUD assessment would be added on top.
Melissa is served by Melissa ISD, home of the Cardinals. TEA rated the district A (91) for 2025–26, and it had about 8,560 students on nine campuses. The district also reaches past the city limits, including Willow Wood Elementary with a McKinney address, so always confirm the assigned campus for a specific home.
Downtown Dallas is about 39 miles from Melissa, roughly 45 minutes with no traffic via US-75 South. Legacy West in Plano and The Star in Frisco are each about 23 miles, around 30 minutes via SH-121, and DFW Airport is about 55 minutes. Rush hour can add 15–30 minutes.
It depends on the subdivision. The core in-city stack is about 1.91%, and any PID or MUD assessment would be an extra line on top of that. Rather than guess from a neighborhood name, I pull the tax record on CollinTaxInfo.org and the seller’s disclosures for every home so you see the full rate before you make an offer.
Yes — quickly. The Census Bureau ranked Melissa the #4 fastest-growing U.S. city of 20,000 or more people, up 14.5% to 29,969 between 2024 and 2025. The 2020 Census counted 13,901. The city issued 1,442 residential permits in FY2024 and 774 in FY2025, and it’s rebuilding its downtown through the District 46 project.
Melissa is known for its fast growth, Melissa ISD and its Cardinals, and its Buc-ee’s. The town was laid out in 1872 when the Houston and Texas Central Railroad came through, and it later became a stop on the Interurban line between Dallas and Denison. Today it’s best known for Melissa Lake Park and the Z-Plex.
The City of Melissa provides water, sewer and trash service, using treated water bought from the North Texas Municipal Water District. Electricity is Oncor in most areas, where you pick a retail provider, but some subdivisions are served only by Grayson-Collin Electric Cooperative. Atmos Energy provides natural gas. I confirm each provider for the specific address.
Compare nearby towns
Collin CountyAnnaThe next town up US-75, ranked #5 fastest-growing in the U.S. right behind Melissa.Read the Anna guide 
Collin CountyMcKinneyAbout 12 minutes south: a larger city with McKinney National Airport and more established neighborhoods.Read the McKinney guide 
Grayson CountyVan AlstyneMy home base, 15 minutes north on US-75, with a smaller downtown and more land.Read the Van Alstyne guide 
Collin CountyCelinaThe #1 fastest-growing U.S. city, linked toward Melissa by the new Collin County Outer Loop.Read the Celina guide Facts on this page were checked against public sources in October 2026. Tax rates, school ratings and road plans change — confirm anything important for your decision.
Ready when you are
I’ll show you around — the neighborhoods, the schools and the places locals love — and put together homes in Melissa that fit your budget.