Where a top-rated small-town school district and some of the lowest crime in North Texas sit minutes north of McKinney, for a genuine value
Melissa, a Collin County city that roughly doubled to about 30,000 residents (Census estimate, 2025), runs from a rebuilding downtown to established Liberty and a wave of new-construction communities. Here are 8 areas with dated price context and the PID questions to ask.
Older homes; priced individually
The original town center around Harrison Street, where the city’s design guidelines aim to recreate a historic downtown near the Melissa ISD campuses.
Melissa Gateway Village, at SH 5 and Harrison, added HOPE Coffee, Ace Hardware and other shops, and Harrison is being rebuilt with on-street parking. Melissa ISD.
Resale; builders sold out
A 535-acre Hillwood community that opened in 2003, with about 1,855 homes by builders including Drees, Highland and Bloomfield.
The Stars & Stripes amenity center has a pool and splash pad, plus a fishing pond, sports fields and trails. McKillop Elementary sits inside the community. HOA applies. Melissa ISD.
New homes about $438K–$630K
A newer community where Pacesetter Homes was selling homes of about 1,870 to 3,380 square feet in 2026.
Community pool, amenity center, trails and a playground. The builder states it has no MUD or PID taxes. HOA about $1,000 a year per a secondary source. Melissa ISD.
New homes from about $483K
A Bloomfield Homes community with plans of about 2,040 to 4,230 square feet and three to five bedrooms.
Builder pricing listed from about $482,990 in fall 2026. Location details, PID status and city limits weren’t confirmed, so check the appraisal record. Melissa ISD.
New homes from about $471K
A Bloomfield Homes community named for Milrany Lane, home to Melissa High School.
Builder pricing listed from about $470,990 in fall 2026. PID status and city limits weren’t confirmed, so read the seller’s disclosure. Melissa ISD.
New homes from about $318K
Newer homes of about 1,690 to 3,140 square feet from Ashton Woods and Bloomfield.
Listed from about $317,990 (Bloomfield) and $375,000 (Ashton Woods) in fall 2026, among Melissa’s lower new-home starting prices. PID status wasn’t confirmed. Melissa ISD.
Listings about $344K
An established resale neighborhood that Redfin lists among Melissa’s popular areas.
Redfin showed a median listing price of about $344,000, one of the lower entry points in Melissa. Builder, year and HOA details weren’t confirmed. Melissa ISD.
New; PID proposed
A new community where a public hearing to levy public improvement district assessments on Phase 1 was on the City Council’s August 2026 agenda.
Owners pay a PID installment on top of property taxes to repay infrastructure costs; per-lot amounts weren’t published. Ask for the PID notice and payoff before you buy. Melissa ISD; verify.
Swipe or drag sideways to see them all.
Redfin’s three-month median through August 2026 was about $457,200, down 2.9 percent, with homes selling in about 64 days.
August sales dipped to 90 homes from 98.
Melissa grew from 13,901 residents in 2020 to about 30,000 by 2025, roughly doubling.
New-construction communities dominate the housing stock.
Many newer Melissa communities carry public improvement district assessments on top of taxes.
Get the PID notice and annual amount for every address.
Melissa ISD, rated A (91) for 2025–26, serves most Melissa addresses.
Confirm the district for every address, especially near the edges.
Melissa counted 13,901 residents in the 2020 census; the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate is 29,969, as reported through Data Commons, and other estimates are lower. It lies in Collin County. Price figures are dated snapshots: Redfin’s three-month city median ending August 2026, builder base prices listed in fall 2026 and a Redfin median listing price; they are context, not values. Builder prices change often and some listings labeled Melissa sit outside city limits. Neighborhood boundaries are approximate. Liberty’s builder pages still list plans after the developer reported new-home sales ended in 2024. Meadow Run’s no-PID statement is the builder’s; its HOA fee is from a secondary source. Location, PID and city limits status for Legacy Ranch, Milrany Ranch and Meadow Park, and the outcome and per-lot amounts of the Vineyard Hills Estates PID, weren’t confirmed. School districts are listed at the district level only and must be confirmed by address. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Melissa’s food and shopping scene is growing fast, from a 131,000-square-foot H-E-B and Buc-ee’s on US 75 to coffee and new shops at Melissa Gateway Village downtown. Here’s a 2026-checked list of 20.
2617 Sentinel Way, Ste. 400
A locally owned restaurant and bar known for wine, bourbon and flatbreads such as the Tre Carne and Hot Honey.
Melissa Gateway Village
A Chinese restaurant in the new Melissa Gateway Village downtown.
Melissa
A Melissa spot for Mexican food.
Melissa
A locally owned Mexican kitchen.
Melissa
Indian and Nepali cooking, including momo dumplings.
Melissa
A brunch house for breakfast and midday plates.
2321 Sam Rayburn Hwy.
A Thai restaurant along the SH 121 corridor.
Melissa
A local doughnut shop for morning runs.
2907 McKinney St., Ste. 100
A faith-based coffeehouse serving breakfast until 11 a.m., open Monday–Saturday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
1280 Sam Rayburn Hwy.
An independent coffee shop with a drive-thru, indoor and outdoor seating and seasonal drinks.
2211 Central Expy.
A coffeehouse from a Utah-founded regional brand, serving breakfast and paninis.
US 75 at SH 121
A 131,000-square-foot grocery store with a drive-thru pharmacy and a True Texas BBQ restaurant inside, opened May 14, 2025.
1550 Central Expy.
A 50,000-square-foot travel center known for Beaver Nuggets and brisket sandwiches.
2801 McKinney St.
A hardware store that held its grand opening in October 2025 at Melissa Gateway Village.
SH 5 at Harrison St.
A new downtown center of about 55,000 square feet, with HOPE Coffee, Ace Hardware, Fan Chinese and more.
SH 121
A mixed-use development off SH 121 with retail and a planned medical office component.
McKinney courthouse square
The nearby McKinney square adds independent shops, restaurants and a winery south on US 75.
H-E-B site, US 75 at SH 121
A Whataburger under construction at the H-E-B site; reports expected an October 2026 opening, not yet confirmed.
SH 121 at Melissa Rd.
A 22-acre project whose first phase includes about 36,000 square feet of retail, expected in 2027.
US 75 at SH 121
A 43-acre mixed-use development anchored by H-E-B; other tenants haven’t been announced.
Melissa’s shopping centers on US 75 and SH 121, anchored by H-E-B and Buc-ee’s, while Melissa Gateway Village is reviving downtown.
McKinney’s square, south on US 75, rounds out the options.
Compiled October 2026. Listings are from the City of Melissa, H-E-B, Melissa Gateway Village, the Melissa Area Chamber, Community Impact, Local Profile, Bisnow, Connect CRE, business websites and review listings, and were not confirmed with owners; call ahead to confirm hours and that a business is still open. Fan Chinese, Maria’s, Guadalajara, Himalayan Hub, Nonis Brunch House, Sugar Babes and Pat Thai were confirmed only through review listings, and most of their street addresses weren’t confirmed. HOPE Coffee’s opening year is inferred from permit records. Whataburger’s opening and Melissa Park Village’s timeline are projections and may change. Price levels are approximate. Listings are provided for general reference and are not endorsements; I receive no compensation from any business named. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
From a Prairie Rail Stop to a City of Nearly 30,000
Rich Blackland Prairie soil and the waters of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River drew people to the Melissa area long before the town existed.
The Handbook of Texas places Melissa in north central Collin County, about seven miles northeast of McKinney, and credits the rich soils of the Blackland Prairie and the waters of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River with attracting settlers. The land stayed open prairie until farmers arrived, and a county historical marker at one early homestead notes that its site had remained blackland prairie until it was settled.
Native peoples used this prairie long before Anglo-American settlement. Local histories record that a stockade was built around an 1840s settlement near present Melissa to protect settlers, a sign that Native groups were still active in the area. The sources reviewed for this timeline don’t name the specific tribes of the Melissa vicinity, so this timeline describes their presence in general terms.
Settlers arrived through the Peters Colony in the 1840s, and nearby Highland became the area’s first community with its own post office.
The Handbook says settlers came in the 1840s, when the Peters Colony opened the area to settlement. Dr. William Edward Throckmorton, a Virginia-born physician, bought land two miles northwest of present Melissa in 1841 and moved his family there; he died in 1843, and Throckmorton County is named for him. His son, James Webb Throckmorton, later served as governor of Texas and as a congressman.
Before Melissa existed, settlers gathered at Highland, about two and a half miles north, where a post office opened on September 9, 1853, with Isaac N. Foster as postmaster. Pioneer families named in county histories include the Moores, Taylors, Fitzhughs, Witts and Kincaids. Highland Cemetery, marked by the state in 1985, still holds many of the area’s earliest settlers.
Melissa was laid out in 1872 when the Houston and Texas Central Railway reached the area, and it received a post office in May 1873.
The Handbook of Texas says the town was laid out in 1872, when the Houston and Texas Central Railway reached the area, on the D. E. W. Babb and John and William Fitzhugh surveys. Melissa received a post office in May 1873, and residents of Highland moved to the new rail town. Its population was estimated at 100 in 1884, with a flour mill, a cotton gin and several businesses by 1886.
The town’s name is debated. The Handbook says Melissa was probably named for the daughter of either George A. Quinlan, a railroad official, or C. P. Huntington, a prominent railroad executive. Quinlan’s daughter Anna is the namesake of neighboring Anna. The City of Melissa’s own profile says the namesake is not certain, since two railroad executives had daughters named Melissa.
Melissa’s first schoolhouse rose on land deeded in 1882, followed by a brick school in 1910 as the town grew.
A 1982 state historical marker at 1904 Cooper Street records that trustees James Graves, John Gibson and George Fitzhugh acquired land for Melissa’s first schoolhouse in 1882. The deed required the building to be used forever for educational and religious purposes, so the one-room school also hosted Sunday worship. Mary Huckerston was the first teacher, and F. O. Jones was the first principal.
A new brick schoolhouse was completed on the same site in 1910 to accommodate Melissa’s growth as a railroad center, led by longtime school advocate W. N. Osburn. Churches grew alongside it. Melissa Christian Church traces its origins to schoolhouse gatherings as early as 1868 and is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, and First Baptist Church of Melissa also carries a state marker.
The Texas Electric Railway interurban linked Melissa to Dallas from 1908, and the town became a cotton-shipping center.
The Handbook says that beginning in 1908, Melissa was connected by the Texas Electric Railway to surrounding Collin County towns and to Dallas. The city’s community profile describes it as part of the interurban line running from Denison to Dallas. The connection made Melissa a commercial and community center for area farmers, and its population reached 400 by 1914. Passengers could ride to McKinney, Sherman or Dallas without a wagon trip.
Unlike many rural Texas communities, Melissa had electric lights, a telephone exchange and paved roads before 1920, according to the Handbook. The town then had five churches, a large school and a number of businesses, including a bank and two cotton gins that together shipped about 3,000 bales of cotton a year from the rail line. Cotton remained the backbone of the local economy for decades.
A tornado killed 13 people on April 13, 1921, and a 1929 fire destroyed much of the rebuilt town.
The Handbook records that a tornado struck Melissa on April 13, 1921, killing 13 people, injuring 54 and demolishing many businesses. A wire report the next day said every church, three cotton gins and every business except a bank, along with the post office and the railway station, had been wrecked. The 1910 brick schoolhouse was severely damaged and later rebuilt.
Recovery was cut short eight years later, when a fire destroyed many of the buildings rebuilt after the tornado. A 1958 county history dates the blaze to August 8, 1929. The school district eventually needed a new building, which a state marker says was built in 1939 and 1940 after Melissa consolidated with nearby rural schools. That consolidation laid the groundwork for today’s Melissa ISD.
Melissa’s population peaked at 500 in 1925, then fell for decades before the town incorporated in the 1970s.
The Handbook ties Melissa’s long slowdown to the Great Depression, the mechanization of farming and job opportunities in the Dallas area after World War II. The population fell from a high of 500 in 1925 to 285 in 1949, then recovered to about 375 by 1966. Melissa remained a small farm town along US 75, with its original townsite streets as its core.
The Handbook says Melissa incorporated in the early 1970s, and the Texas Municipal League’s directory lists 1975 as the year. The city counted 604 residents and nine businesses in 1980 and 557 residents in 1990. Those original downtown streets, including Harrison, Cooper and Fannin, now form the heart of the city’s planned downtown district, where new shops have begun to replace empty lots.
Melissa more than doubled to 1,350 residents by 2000, Hillwood’s Liberty community opened in 2003 and tollway access arrived by 2011.
The Handbook notes that Melissa’s population more than doubled to 1,350 by 2000 as growth spread north from McKinney. Hillwood Communities opened Liberty, a 535-acre master-planned community, in 2003, with an elementary school on site, fishing ponds and an amenity center. Builders including Drees, Highland and Bloomfield completed about 1,855 homes there, and the developer reports its last new homes sold in 2024.
US 75 runs through Melissa, and the North Texas Tollway Authority says the Sam Rayburn Tollway opened in phases from 2008 to 2011, linking to US 75 in McKinney, where SH 121 continues north into Melissa. The 2010 census counted 4,695 residents, more than triple the 2000 figure, as new subdivisions filled former farmland. The 2020 census then counted 13,901, nearly triple again.
The city adopted a Downtown Overlay District plan in 2018, and Melissa Gateway Village became its first anchor project.
The City of Melissa says the City Council unanimously accepted its Downtown Overlay District ordinance and plan in 2018, setting design standards and a mix of commercial and residential uses for the original townsite. Planned reconstruction covers Harrison, Cooper and Fannin and the north-south streets between them, adding on-street parking, sidewalks and landscaping around the historic core. The goal is a walkable town center near the school campuses.
The council reviewed the final site plan for Melissa Gateway Village in December 2022, on about five acres at McKinney Street and Fannin Road. The city describes about 55,000 square feet, anchored by Ace Hardware and HOPE Coffee, with a two-story office building. Ace Hardware held its grand opening in October 2025, giving downtown its first major new storefronts in decades.
Buc-ee’s opened its 36th travel center, a store of more than 50,000 square feet, in Melissa on April 29, 2019.
Buc-ee’s announced plans for Melissa in January 2017 and broke ground in early February 2018, according to KXII. The company set the grand opening for April 29, 2019, at 6 a.m. at 1550 Central Expressway, describing a store with more than 50,000 square feet, then its 36th location across Texas and Alabama. The store opened about 14 months after construction began.
Fox 4 reported the store opened that Monday morning with nearly 100 fuel pumps, and KXII said it created more than 200 jobs. The Dallas Morning News noted it was then one of only a handful of North Texas Buc-ee’s locations, alongside Fort Worth, Terrell and Denton. Its US 75 exit is now signed Buc-ee’s Boulevard, a landmark for travelers between Dallas and Sherman.
In May 2025, H-E-B opened a store of more than 130,000 square feet, and Melissa ISD voters approved an $875 million bond.
H-E-B broke ground in January 2024 and opened its Melissa store on May 14, 2025, at US 75 and SH 121. The Dallas Morning News called it the company’s largest store in the region, at about 136,000 square feet, while H-E-B’s newsroom cited 131,000. The store includes a two-level True Texas BBQ and a drive-thru pharmacy and employs several hundred people.
On May 3, 2025, voters approved Melissa ISD’s $875 million bond: $800 million for facilities, land and buses and $75 million for technology. The district said it would keep its debt tax rate at 50 cents per $100. In December 2025 the district, home of the Cardinals, said state law changes meant it could take about two years before bond funds could be used for new projects.
The city opened Melissa Lake Park Phase II in May 2026, as Census estimates put the population near 30,000.
The City of Melissa held a ribbon cutting for Melissa Lake Park Phase II on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 4101 Liberty Way, with free admission. The park’s new amphitheater hosted the relocated Melissa Tribute Festival on September 12, 2026, and the weekly Melissa Market moved to the park the same spring, making it a new gathering place for the growing city.
The Census Bureau estimated Melissa at 29,969 residents on July 1, 2025, more than double its 2020 census count of 13,901. That growth, from a town of a few hundred for most of the 20th century, has brought new schools, shopping and parks, while the city works to preserve the historic townsite where it began in 1872. New neighborhoods continue to rise on former farmland in every direction.
Compiled from the Texas State Historical Association Handbook of Texas (Melissa and Throckmorton entries), Texas Historical Commission and Collin County Historical Commission marker text via the Historical Marker Database, the City of Melissa, Melissa ISD, the U.S. Census Bureau, the North Texas Tollway Authority, Hillwood Communities, H-E-B, Buc-ee’s, the Dallas Morning News, Fox 4, KXII, KERA, NBC DFW and Community Impact. Sources disagree on several points: who Melissa was named for (a daughter of George A. Quinlan or of C. P. Huntington), whether the railroad arrived in 1872 or 1870, the incorporation year (the early 1970s or 1975) and the H-E-B store’s size. The 1929 fire date is from a 1958 county history. Population figures are census counts, historical estimates and the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Fireworks at the Stadium, Tribute Bands at the Lake and a Tree Lighting at City Hall
A chip-timed 5K and untimed 1-mile fun run starting at City Hall. The 5K was $30 in 2026 and the fun run $5 to $10. Held as the Shamrock 5K on March 15, 2025, and as the Big Dill on March 21, 2026. Next: March 2027.
Free outdoor movie nights for all ages, with concessions for sale. Showings were held December 11, 2025, and April 17 and May 8, 2026. Check the city calendar for upcoming dates.
Melissa’s Independence Day celebration, with food vendors, a kids zone, a flag ceremony and a fireworks finale over the high school stadium. Free. Held June 27, 2025, and June 26, 2026. Next: late June 2027.
Run by Melissa Parks and Recreation.
Some nearby streets close during the event.
Tribute bands, food trucks, vendors, a kids zone and a fireworks finale. Free. Started in 2023 on Melissa Road; held September 14, 2024, and September 13, 2025, then moved to the new lake park amphitheater on September 12, 2026. Next: September 2027.
Formerly the Melissa Road Tribute Fest.
A free shuttle has run from off-site parking.
Trick-or-treating with city departments, games, local vendors and food trucks; costumes encouraged. Free. Held October 31, 2023; 2026: Friday, October 30, 9 to 11 a.m.
The city tree lighting with live music, cocoa, crafts, a holiday market, Santa and, in 2025, a drone show and the Melissa High School choir. Free. Held December 7, 2024, and December 6, 2025; 2026 date not yet announced.
Run by the City of Melissa; first held in 2023.
Check the city calendar for the 2026 date.
A weekly market of local vendors with morning and evening sessions, which moved to the lake park in May 2026. Free entry. It has also hosted a fall trunk-or-treat and a Christmas market.
Melissa’s big gatherings center on City Hall Plaza, the high school stadium and the new Melissa Lake Park, from the Big Dill 5K in March to Sparks & Spangles in June and the Tree Lighting in December.
The Melissa Market runs every Saturday at the lake park.
Check organizers’ sites before you go; venues and dates can change.
Timing shown is the usual pattern for each event; exact dates, times and locations change from year to year and should be confirmed with organizers. Event details are from the City of Melissa, the Melissa Public Library, the Melissa Market, Local Profile and WFAA, and each event shown has at least two years of documented history. The Halloween Festival’s 2024 and 2025 dates, Sunset Cinema’s 2024 dates and the Market’s evening closing time weren’t confirmed. Attendance figures aren’t published. Listings are provided for general reference and are not endorsements. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
What to know about Melissa schools:
The rating: Check TXschools.gov for the district’s current status.
Nearby: Collin College’s McKinney Campus is about 15 minutes south. Texas treats homeschools as private schools.
Want the full breakdown? Read our complete Melissa schools guide →
Melissa addresses are served mainly by Melissa ISD, rated A (91) for 2025–26, which has grown more than 260 percent since 2016. A new Cardinal Renaissance Academy opened this year, and voters approved an $875 million bond in 2025 that the district says may take about two years to tap.
Citywide
Melissa ISD serves Melissa and small parts of neighboring Weston and McKinney. Whether any Melissa or ETJ addresses fall in another district wasn’t confirmed, so check before you buy.
Check the school district on the appraisal record and with the district’s enrollment office before you write an offer.
District-wide
Melissa ISD earned an A (91) for 2025–26. It enrolled 8,560 students on nine campuses, up more than 260 percent since 2016, and the district projects more than 9,300 students by 2027.
Rapid growth means new campuses and boundary changes, so recheck zoning before you buy.
Across Melissa
Elementary campuses include McKillop, North Creek, Willow Wood, Sumeer and Highland. Sixth graders attend the Sixth Grade Center (3150 Cardinal Dr.), then East Cardinal Middle (4390 FM 545) and Melissa High School (3030 Milrany Ln.).
East Cardinal Middle opened in 2025, and the Melissa Ridge Education Center serves pre-K and early childhood special education.
2950 Cardinal Dr.
A new PreK–5 campus in the former Sixth Grade Center building, using project-based learning aligned to the IB Primary Years Programme, with an accelerated math pathway. The district says it will pursue IB authorization.
Students zoned to it from the Villages of Melissa, Country Ridge and Legacy Ranch may choose to stay at Willow Wood or Highland.
District-wide
Voters approved $875 million in May 2025: $800 million for facilities, land and buses and $75 million for technology. In December 2025 the district said state exemption changes mean it could take about two years before the money can be used.
Melissa ISD has no bond or tax election on the November 3, 2026, ballot. A 62,000-square-foot high school arena from the 2021 bond was expected in 2026–27.
2026–27
Melissa ISD’s 2026 rate is $1.2008 per $100, down from $1.2245. On a $455,000 homestead, after the $140,000 state exemption, the school share is about $3,783, roughly 57 percent of the total bill.
Owners 65 and older get another $60,000 school exemption and a school tax ceiling.
1904 Cooper St.
The 2026–27 school year began August 13, 2026. Elementary runs 8:25 a.m. to 3:55 p.m., grades 6–8 run 7:50 to 3:30 and high school 7:15 to 2:55. New students can enroll online any time.
Central office: 1904 Cooper St., 972-837-2411.
Collin County
The nearest campus is Collin College’s McKinney Campus, 2200 W. University Dr. The college’s $600 million bond on the November 3 ballot includes new campuses in Anna and Royse City.
The college says it expects to keep its $0.08122 rate if the bond passes.
Melissa area
Private and charter schools also serve the McKinney–Melissa area; confirm grades, tuition and admissions directly with each school.
Texas treats homeschools as private schools.
Most Melissa addresses are Melissa ISD, but confirm the district and campus for every home.
Check the appraisal record and the district’s enrollment office.
On a $455,000 homestead, the school share runs about $3,783 at Melissa ISD’s $1.2008 rate.
Owners 65 and older pay less, then a ceiling applies.
Melissa ISD earned an A (91) for 2025–26.
Check TXschools.gov for current status.
Enrollment is projected to pass 9,300 by 2027, so new campuses and zoning changes keep coming.
Recheck boundaries before you buy.
Accountability ratings are shown at the district level only; campus ratings are intentionally not shown, and campuses are listed by name only. Ratings change every year; use TXschools.gov for current ratings. The 2026 rating covers the 2025–26 school year: Melissa ISD A (91), per TXschools.gov, released August 14, 2026. Enrollment is TEA’s 2025–26 figure; the growth figure is from the Texas Tribune, and the 2027 projection is the district’s. The 2026 school tax rate is from the Collin County Tax Assessor’s rate history; the operations and debt split wasn’t confirmed. Campus information, bond details, the calendar and bell times are from Melissa ISD; addresses for most elementary campuses and the arena’s opening weren’t confirmed. Whether any Melissa addresses lie in another school district wasn’t confirmed. Private and charter schools weren’t verified for this list. Tax figures are illustrations, not quotes. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Median Sales Price
What Melissa homes actually sold for each month. With older homes near downtown, established resales in Liberty and The Villages of Melissa, and new builder closings in Legacy Ranch and Meadow Park all trading in the same city, the mix of what sold moves this line as much as the market does.
Melissa’s median moves with which homes sold: established resales or new builder homes. Redfin’s three-month median ending August 2026 was about $457,000, down about 2.9 percent from a year earlier. Read the trend, not one month.
An older home near downtown, a Liberty resale and a new build in a PID can all land on this one line. The chart is not your comp. Your comps match your size, age, lot, condition and school district.
Texas is a non-disclosure state, so portal prices are models. This is MLS. Ask for the actual comparable sales, plus whether a PID assessment applies, since it adds to the tax bill in many newer neighborhoods.
Days on market describes how buyers behaved. Redfin reported a median of about 64 days to sell in the three months ending August 2026, and August sales dipped to about 90 homes from 98. Prices eased, and there’s room to negotiate.
The first two weeks bring the most traffic a listing will ever get. If they pass without an offer, that is pricing information. Acting in week three beats acting in week ten.
When homes sit longer, there’s usually room to negotiate on price, repairs or closing costs. A listing that has waited a while is usually where the negotiating room is, and builders often compete with rate buydowns and closing-cost help; ask what’s on the table.
Under 10 showings means buyers are deciding quickly. Rising counts mean people are walking through and walking away, which is a different problem from nobody looking at all.
This separates a pricing problem from a presentation problem. Plenty of showings and no offer usually means something specific is putting people off, and that is fixable without dropping the price.
High showings-to-pending means you can be selective without losing homes. Read it against days on market: low on both is a hot market, high on both means the leverage is yours.
Check how many homes closed before you read anything into the price or days-on-market charts. A month heavy with closings in one new community can move the median more than the market did, up or down depending on that builder’s price points.
Your competition includes builders across Melissa’s new communities, many offering rate buydowns, plus resales in Anna, McKinney and Van Alstyne. Price against true comparables and have your permit and repair records ready for buyers.
Inventory runs from older homes near downtown to new construction. Confirm the school district, any PID and the full tax bill early, because they affect your monthly cost more than the price chart does.
Charts supplied by NTREIS via 10K Research and Marketing and update automatically. Data reflects residential activity reported to the MLS and may be revised as late-reported sales come in. Melissa ZIP codes reach beyond city limits, so MLS city fields may not match the city boundary, and these charts don’t show the PID assessments some newer neighborhoods carry. The median, days on market and monthly sales counts are Redfin’s figures through August 2026. These charts do not separate new construction or resale, or homes with and without a PID. Market statistics describe the area as a whole and are not a substitute for a comparative market analysis on a specific property. Texas is a non-disclosure state, so publicly available sale prices elsewhere are estimates rather than recorded figures. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Pick a purchase year and the price fills in. If you own here, type over it with what you actually paid. This calculator runs on the Collin County index, the federal repeat-sales measure for the county that holds Melissa. A home bought in 2015 is worth about twice its price on the index, with the biggest jump between 2020 and 2022 and a slight dip in 2025.
Bought here? Tap the number and enter what you paid.
Federal house price index growth, indexed to the purchase year, where the purchase year equals 100.
From 2015 to 2025 the Collin County index about doubled, with a 43 percent jump between 2020 and 2022.
It slipped 0.75 percent in 2025, and Melissa’s three-month median through August 2026 was down 2.9 percent.
Redfin’s three-month Melissa median through August 2026 was about $457,200.
Type over the prefilled price with what you actually paid.
Owners who bought before 2021 carry large gains; many who bought new from 2022 on have little or none.
Indexes are county-wide, so value any specific property from true comparables.
A $455,000 homestead with no PID pays about $6,675 a year; PID installments add more in many newer neighborhoods.
Owners 65 and older pay about $5,692 the first year, then city, county, college and school ceilings apply.
Growth rates are the FHFA All-Transactions House Price Index, annual values 2009 through 2025: Collin County, Texas (FRED series ATNHPIUS48085A, base 2000 equals 100, last updated 31 March 2026), the State of Texas (TXSTHPI) and the United States (USSTHPI). State and national figures are annual averages of published quarters. The Collin County series recorded 152.85 in 2015, 290.83 in 2022, a peak of 310.46 in 2024 and 308.14 in 2025. FHFA describes county indices as developmental and subject to revision, and the annual series does not cover 2026. No city-specific index was used. The prefilled dollar figures are derived and illustrative, not published: they apply the Collin County index to a $455,000 anchor near Redfin’s three-month Melissa median through August 2026 ($457,197). Many Melissa homes are newer than the early years shown, so the earliest figures describe the county market, not a specific Melissa home. The index is built from conforming loans and excludes jumbo lending and all-cash purchases. Equity figures assume a 30-year fixed mortgage at that year’s Freddie Mac annual average rate (2025 approximately 6.6 percent), held to today, with no refinancing, no extra principal and no additional borrowing. They exclude closing costs, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, improvements and selling costs. The tax example uses 2026 rates per $100 from the Collin County Tax Assessor’s rate history: City of Melissa 0.454116, Melissa ISD 1.2008, Collin County 0.151414 and Collin College 0.08122. The city’s 2026 adoption wasn’t separately confirmed. It assumes a $455,000 appraised value for an owner under 65 with no homestead cap benefit and no PID, applying the city’s 6 percent homestead exemption, Collin County’s 5 percent, Collin College’s 20 percent and the $140,000 school exemption: about $6,675. For an owner 65 or older, the first-year figure is about $5,692, adding the city’s $30,000, Collin County’s $30,000, Collin College’s $100,000 and the school’s $60,000 over-65 exemptions; the county’s 2025 table shows tax ceilings at the city, county, college and school district. Exemption amounts are from the county’s 2025 table because the 2026 table hadn’t been posted. Many Melissa neighborhoods carry public improvement district assessments not included here; check the property’s tax statement. It is an illustration, not a quote. The homestead appraisal cap limits increases in a homestead’s taxable appraised value to 10 percent a year and ends on sale. This is an illustration for general reference, not an appraisal, a comparative market analysis, a valuation or investment advice. Past appreciation does not predict future appreciation. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Melissa more than doubled from 13,901 residents in 2020 to an estimated 29,969 in 2025, and the Census Bureau ranked it fourth in the nation for growth among cities of 20,000 or more. Redfin’s three-month median through August 2026 was about $457,000, down 2.9 percent. The trade-offs are real: PIDs in some neighborhoods, US 75 construction, no fixed-route transit and a school bond that can’t be spent yet.
Estimated Off-Peak Drive Time from Downtown Melissa
Around Town
Estimated minutes off-peak from Harrison Street downtown. These are planning estimates, so check a live map before relying on any of them.
Redfin’s three-month median through August 2026 was about $457,000, down 2.9 percent, with homes selling in about 64 days.
August sales dipped to 90 homes from 98.
Melissa grew 14.5 percent from 2024 to 2025, fourth among U.S. cities of 20,000 or more, per the Census Bureau.
The top five were all in Texas, including neighbors Celina, Princeton and Anna.
Melissa Lake Park added an amphitheater, splash pad, kayak launch and large playground in May 2026.
The public library won a statewide excellence award for the second straight year in 2025.
Harrison, Cooper and Red River streets downtown are being rebuilt through fall 2027.
Melissa Park Village at SH 121 and Melissa Road expects its first shops and offices in 2027.
Some neighborhoods carry PID assessments, US 75 widening continues north of Melissa Road and there’s no fixed-route transit.
Melissa ISD’s $875 million bond may take about two years to tap.
Collin County’s $817.5 million bond and Collin College’s $600 million bond, including a new Anna campus, are on the November 3 ballot.
Avelo flights start November 11 at McKinney National Airport.
Drive times are planning estimates from downtown Melissa, not live traffic, and weren’t checked against a live map; check one before you rely on them. Rush-hour times can run much longer, and some routes use toll roads; the Census Bureau reports a mean commute of about 34 minutes. Population and the growth ranking are from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimates released May 14, 2026. Market figures are Redfin’s three-month figures ending August 2026. Park and library details are from the City of Melissa. Street project and Melissa Park Village timelines are the city’s and the developer’s and may change. US 75 project limits are from the contractor; current status wasn’t confirmed with TxDOT. Bond details are from Melissa ISD, Collin County and Collin College. Airline details are from McKinney National Airport and news reports. No crime, school ranking or flood zone claims are made. This information is provided for general reference and is not a representation about any specific property, commute or future development outcome. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Answered with verified specifics, from PIDs, the 6 percent homestead exemption and the senior tax freeze to the new lake park, Everbridge alerts and a school bond on hold.
Melissa is in Collin County. Homes are appraised by the Collin Central Appraisal District, and taxes are collected by the Collin County Tax Office.
After you move in, file a residence homestead exemption on Texas Comptroller Form 50-114 with the appraisal district. The same form covers the over-65 exemption, which adds to the general homestead exemption rather than replacing it.
The homestead exemption takes $140,000 off your school taxable value, triggers Melissa’s 6 percent city exemption and starts the 10 percent homestead appraisal cap the following year. Check that it appears on your appraisal record before your first bill arrives, and keep your closing documents handy in case the district asks for proof of residency.
The city’s rate is $0.454116 per $100, unchanged for several years; the county’s 2026 rate history lists it again for 2026, though the city’s adoption wasn’t separately confirmed. The city gives a 6 percent homestead exemption, with a $5,000 minimum, starting in tax year 2024.
Melissa also adopted a senior and disabled tax freeze for tax year 2024, which caps the city portion of a qualifying owner’s bill. It applies automatically if your over-65 exemption is already on file.
The city’s own example put the city tax on a median taxable value of $441,633 at about $2,006 for fiscal 2026. The school district, Collin County and Collin College add their own rates, and school taxes are the largest share.
About $6,675 a year for an owner under 65 in a home without a PID, using 2026 rates from the county’s rate history. That’s roughly $3,783 to Melissa ISD after the $140,000 school exemption, $1,942 to the city after its 6 percent exemption, $654 to Collin County and $296 to Collin College.
An owner 65 or older pays about $5,692 the first year, and tax ceilings then cap the city, county, college and school portions. That works out to an effective rate of roughly 1.5 percent for younger owners.
Many newer Melissa neighborhoods add a public improvement district installment on top of these taxes. Treat these figures as estimates and ask for the tax certificate on any home you’re considering.
A public improvement district, or PID, funds streets, utilities and other neighborhood infrastructure through an annual assessment that appears on top of your property taxes, usually for many years.
Melissa has PIDs. A hearing to levy assessments on Vineyard Hills Estates Phase 1 was on the City Council’s August 2026 agenda, and a PID was pending for the H-E-B development area in 2023. A builder says Meadow Run has no MUD or PID taxes. No citywide list of PID neighborhoods or per-lot amounts was found.
Before you buy, read the seller’s PID disclosure, ask for the tax certificate showing the installment and payoff amount, and check the city council’s PID agenda items. Two homes at the same price can carry very different yearly costs.
Melissa ISD serves most of the city and earned an A (91) for 2025–26. It enrolled 8,560 students on nine campuses, up more than 260 percent since 2016, and opened a new PreK–5 campus, Cardinal Renaissance Academy, this fall.
Voters approved an $875 million bond in May 2025, but the district says state exemption changes mean it could take about two years before the money can be used. There’s no Melissa ISD election on the November 3, 2026, ballot.
Whether any Melissa addresses fall in another district wasn’t confirmed, so check the appraisal record and the district’s enrollment office for every home, and use TXschools.gov for current ratings.
Contact City of Melissa Utility Billing at City Hall, 3411 Barker Ave. Call 972-838-2035 or email [email protected]. The office is open Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday 7:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Pay online through the city’s municipal online payments portal. Bills mail around the 20th of the month, are due about 20 days later and carry a 10 percent late fee. For water or wastewater emergencies, call 972-837-4222.
Water service starts at a $27.68 monthly minimum for standard meters, and residential sewer is billed on your winter-quarter average. Confirm the deposit amount when you apply, and set up electricity separately, since providers vary by address.
Community Waste Disposal collects trash and recycling weekly on the same day, with carts out by 7 a.m. Bulk pickup is free once a month on a Friday, with no call needed: Monday and Tuesday customers on the first Friday, Wednesday the second, Thursday the third and Friday the fourth.
Bulk limits are 4 cubic yards, brush bundled no larger than 4 by 2 feet and 40 pounds, and no single item over 150 pounds. Tires, batteries and household chemicals aren’t accepted at the curb.
Monthly door-side pickup of household chemicals and electronics is included. For larger loads, call CWD at 972-392-9300, option 2; for extra carts, call Utility Billing at 972-838-2035.
The North Texas Municipal Water District supplies water to Melissa and treats its wastewater. The city also cites supply from the Collin Grayson Municipal Alliance and well water.
Melissa sets its residential sewer charge using your winter-quarter average, from mid-November to mid-February, so keeping winter use low can lower sewer bills for the rest of the year. Sewer runs $9.65 per 1,000 gallons under the fiscal 2026 rates.
Watering rules can change with drought conditions, and the current stage wasn’t confirmed, so check the city’s Public Works page before reseeding a lawn or installing new landscaping. A rain sensor or smart controller helps keep irrigation efficient.
It depends on the address. The city lists Grayson-Collin Electric Cooperative as the sole provider for certain subdivisions and Oncor for other areas.
In Oncor’s area, you shop for a retail electric plan on PowerToChoose, and Oncor handles outages. In co-op areas, Grayson-Collin provides service and billing directly, and you can’t choose another retailer.
Ask the seller which provider serves the home and request recent bills. Natural gas and internet availability also vary by street, so check the FCC broadband map and each provider before moving day, especially if you work from home and need fiber.
No fixed-route bus or rail serves Melissa. The city is a member of the McKinney Urban Transit District, so residents who are 65 or older, have a disability or qualify for a low-income program can use Collin County Transit on-demand rides.
Apply by mail to DDTC, Attn: Collin County Transit, 604 East Hickory, Denton, TX 76205, or call the Denton County Transportation Authority at 940-243-0077 for help enrolling.
Most residents drive. US 75 runs north and south through Melissa, and SH 121 heads southwest toward the Sam Rayburn Tollway. The Census Bureau puts the mean commute at about 34 minutes.
For some programs, yes. Since September 1, 2026, select programs at the Melissa Public Library require registration, marked with a red pin on the calendar. Registration opens one week before, with a waitlist when full.
The library is at 3411 Barker Ave. and is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., closed Sunday. Call 972-837-4540, option 7. Services end 20 minutes before closing.
Cards are free. Adults need a Texas driver’s license or a bill showing a current address, and minors need a parent or guardian with a card. The library won a statewide achievement award in 2024 and 2025.
Melissa Lake Park, at 4101 Liberty Way, opened its Phase II expansion on May 30, 2026, adding an amphitheater, a large playground, a splash pad, a large gazebo, a kayak launch, more restrooms and parking.
The park centers on a stocked fishing lake; fishing is allowed only in designated areas there and at Lake Perry Fisher. The new amphitheater hosted the Melissa Tribute Festival in September 2026, and the weekly Melissa Market now meets at the park on Saturdays.
The city was updating its parks and open space master plan, last revised in 2009. No city recreation center was confirmed, so check the Parks and Recreation page for programs and rentals.
In an emergency, call 911. Melissa doesn’t have its own hospital; residents typically use hospitals in nearby McKinney, a short drive south on US 75.
The Melissa Fire Department partnered with PHI Air Medical and Medical City Plano in 2026 on an ECMO cardiac-arrest response protocol, described as the first of its kind in North Texas, which can speed advanced care for certain patients.
For non-emergencies, check your insurance network for the hospitals, freestanding emergency rooms and urgent care clinics closest to the address you’re considering, since networks and locations vary. Save your nearest options in your phone before you need them.
Melissa voters decide Collin County’s $817.5 million bond, with propositions for courts and detention, roads, parks and an elections facility, and Collin College’s $600 million bond, which includes a new campus in Anna. No City of Melissa or Melissa ISD item is on the ballot.
Early voting runs October 19–30, 2026, and Election Day is November 3, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mail-ballot applications must be received by October 23.
Collin County Elections runs voting at vote centers across the county; check its website for locations and hours, which vary by day during early voting. City council elections are normally held in May.
Most fences, pools, patios and remodels need a city permit from Development & Neighborhood Services. Call 972-838-2036; the office is open Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday 7:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Many Melissa neighborhoods also have HOA design rules that require separate approval, so check both before you hire a contractor. Licensed contractors usually pull the permit, but the homeowner is responsible if work goes unpermitted, which can complicate a future sale.
For property maintenance concerns, call Code Compliance at 972-838-1089. Downtown projects within the Downtown Overlay District follow added design standards.
Melissa switched to Everbridge on February 1, 2026, replacing CodeRED. Register free on the city’s Everbridge sign-up page or with the Everbridge Public Safety app.
National Weather Service alerts require you to opt in separately, so turn them on during sign-up. North Texas storms can bring hail, high winds and tornado warnings with little notice.
For other city questions, call City Hall at 972-838-2338, 3411 Barker Ave. The city contracts with Collin County Animal Services in McKinney for animal calls; reach them at 972-547-7292. Update your alert contacts whenever you change phone numbers.
Buc-ee’s is at 1550 Central Expy., open 24 hours, and opened in 2019 as one of the chain’s early North Texas locations. H-E-B opened in May 2025 at US 75 and SH 121, a store of about 131,000 square feet with a True Texas BBQ restaurant and a drive-thru pharmacy.
H-E-B anchors a 43-acre mixed-use development, and a Whataburger is planned nearby at the northeast corner of US 75 and SH 121.
Downtown, Melissa Gateway Village at SH 5 and Harrison Street added HOPE Coffee and Ace Hardware. For more dining and shopping, downtown McKinney is a short drive south.
Very fast. Melissa grew from 13,901 residents in 2020 to an estimated 29,969 in 2025, up 115.6 percent. The Census Bureau ranked it fourth in the nation for growth among cities of 20,000 or more, up 14.5 percent from 2024 to 2025.
What’s coming: Melissa Park Village, with first shops and offices expected in 2027; a planned Whataburger; a 252-unit apartment community beginning vertical construction by mid-2027; and downtown street rebuilding through fall 2027.
Growth brings new schools, shopping and parks, along with construction traffic and changing school zones. Recheck plans near any address you’re considering.
Slightly. Redfin’s three-month median sale price through August 2026 was about $457,000, down 2.9 percent from a year earlier, with homes selling in a median 64 days, up from 61. August sales dipped to 90 homes from 98.
Redfin rated the market somewhat competitive, and new-construction competition gives buyers leverage on price, closing costs and builder incentives. Other sources that use small 30-day samples show wider swings, so a three-month median is steadier.
With Freddie Mac’s 30-year average at 7.28 percent on October 1, 2026, compare a builder’s rate buydown with a price cut. For any specific home, recent nearby sales are the true guide.
The city adopted a Downtown Overlay District plan in 2018 to recreate a historic town center around Harrison Street, near the Melissa ISD campuses, with design standards and a mix of shops and homes.
In June 2026 the city awarded a contract to rebuild Harrison, Cooper and Red River streets, with construction expected through fall 2027. Melissa Gateway Village, at SH 5 and Harrison, added about 55,000 square feet of shops and offices, anchored by Ace Hardware and HOPE Coffee.
Expect detours downtown during construction. Older homes near the original townsite are priced individually, so check recent nearby sales and the district’s design rules before planning renovations.
Answers were verified as of October 7, 2026, from the City of Melissa, Collin County, the Collin Central Appraisal District, Melissa ISD, the Texas Education Agency, the U.S. Census Bureau, Community Waste Disposal, the Denton County Transportation Authority, H-E-B, Collin College, Freddie Mac, Redfin, Connect CRE, PR Newswire and other local reporting. Rates, fees, providers and hours change; verify anything you intend to rely on. Tax figures use 2026 rates per $100 from the Collin County Tax Assessor’s rate history: City of Melissa 0.454116, Melissa ISD 1.2008, Collin County 0.151414 and Collin College 0.08122. They are illustrations for a $455,000 homestead with no PID, not quotes; the city’s 2026 adoption and the over-65 exemption amounts weren’t separately confirmed. No citywide PID list or per-lot amounts were found. The water deposit, current drought stage, gas and internet providers and nearest-hospital details weren’t confirmed. This is general information, not legal, tax, lending, insurance, environmental or engineering advice. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Verified numbers and links for Melissa. Three things to check on every address: who provides electricity and water, whether a PID applies and the school district. Start with the green first-week cards; health care is in red and travel and buying help in purple.
Water, sewer and trash through Utility Billing: a $150 deposit; same-day service if paperwork and payment arrive by 2 p.m. Monday–Thursday or 10 a.m. Friday.
972-838-2035 3411 Barker Ave. Do this firstMain breaks and sewer problems route to on-call Public Works staff; reconnections aren’t done after hours or on weekends.
972-837-4222 24/7 Do this firstHomestead and over-65 exemptions, values and protests. File the homestead exemption after you move in, generally by April 30.
469-742-9200 250 Eldorado Pkwy., McKinney Do this firstProperty tax bills, including any PID installment, and vehicle registration, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
972-547-5014 2300 Bloomdale Rd., McKinney Do this firstCommunity Waste Disposal collects weekly; free bulk pickup runs one Friday a month based on your trash day.
972-392-9300 Option 2 Do this firstRegister to vote or update your address. Early voting for the November 3 election runs October 19–30.
972-547-1990 2010 Redbud Blvd., Ste. 102, McKinney Do this firstThe city switched to Everbridge in February 2026; sign up from the city homepage or the Everbridge Public Safety app, and opt in to weather alerts.
cityofmelissa.com City HallThe main city line for general questions; Utility Billing, the library and municipal court share the building.
972-838-2338 3411 Barker Ave. PermitsPermits for fences, pools, patios and remodels, Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday 7:30 to 11:30 a.m.
972-838-2036 3411 Barker Ave. NeighborhoodsProperty maintenance and code questions; leave a detailed message if the officer is out.
972-838-1089 PetsThe city contracts with the county shelter for animal calls, strays and adoptions.
972-547-7292 4750 Community Ave., McKinney PoliceAt the Public Safety Building; the non-emergency tip line takes messages. Call 911 in an emergency.
972-838-2075 2402 McKinney St. FireHeadquartered at the Public Safety Building, with an ISO Class 2 rating since 2013; Fire Station 2 near Melissa Lake Park is expected in late 2026.
cityofmelissa.com 2402 McKinney St. CourtCitations, fines and payment plans; card payments by phone or online.
877-873-8954 3411 Barker Ave. LibraryOpen Monday–Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 to 3; some programs require registration since September 2026.
972-837-4540 3411 Barker Ave., option 7 ParksA stocked fishing lake with a new amphitheater, splash pad and kayak launch, opened in May 2026.
cityofmelissa.com 4101 Liberty Way DisposalA regional landfill for larger loads, Monday–Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
972-295-6380 3820 Sam Rayburn Hwy. ElectricThe sole electric provider for certain Melissa subdivisions; co-op members can’t choose a retail provider. Report outages by phone.
903-482-7100 Outages ElectricIn Oncor’s area, shop retail plans on PowerToChoose; Oncor handles outages. Confirm the provider by address.
888-313-4747 Oncor outages GasThe state lists Atmos for Melissa natural gas. For a gas leak, leave the area, then call 911 and Atmos at 866-322-8667.
888-286-6700 Customer service WaterSome addresses with a Melissa mailing address get water from this district rather than the city; confirm by address.
972-837-2331 2333 Sam Rayburn Hwy. InternetOptions vary by street; check the FCC broadband map and each provider.
broadbandmap.fcc.gov Before you digFree utility line locates before you dig for fences or pools.
811 SchoolsEnrollment and registration online any time; office open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the school year.
972-837-2411 1904 Cooper St. CollegeThe nearest Collin College campus; the November 3 bond includes a new campus in Anna.
972-548-6790 2200 W. University Dr., McKinney HospitalA Level II trauma center south on US 75.
medicalcityhealthcare.com 4500 Medical Center Dr., McKinney HospitalA hospital with emergency care in west McKinney.
methodisthealthsystem.org 8000 W. Eldorado Pkwy., McKinney HospitalA full-service hospital in west McKinney.
bswhealth.com 5252 W. University Dr., McKinney Help linesPoison Control 1-800-222-1222; 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline; 211 for Texas health and social services.
1-800-222-1222 TransitOn-demand rides for Melissa residents 65 and older, with a disability or with low income; enroll before booking.
940-243-0077 DCTA AirportAvelo Airlines starts service November 11, 2026, with nine destinations by mid-December.
flytki.com 1910 FM 546, McKinney RoadsPlans for FM 545 (East Melissa Road), the FM 455 study and other area roads; right-of-way questions by phone.
214-320-6675 TollsThe Sam Rayburn Tollway southwest of town; a TollTag costs less than pay-by-mail.
ntta.org Before you buyCheck any parcel near a creek or drainage corridor, and ask for an elevation certificate.
msc.fema.gov BuyingState down payment and mortgage credit certificate programs, with income and price limits.
tsahc.org tdhca.texas.govLinks, phone numbers and addresses verified October 2026 against the City of Melissa (utility billing, rates, fire, police tip line, code compliance, court, library, utilities and transit pages), Melissa ISD, Grayson-Collin Electric Cooperative, the Railroad Commission of Texas, North Collin SUD, TxDOT and other official sites, and subject to change; if something has moved, tell me and I will correct it. Electric, water and gas providers vary by address in Melissa. Confirm every provider and taxing unit, including any PID, before you buy. The Collin CAD, county tax office, elections, animal services, Community Waste Disposal, Collin College, hospital, DCTA, airport, NTTA, FEMA and TSAHC details are from earlier verification or official sites and weren’t rechecked this round. The police department’s main line, the fire department’s direct number, the Everbridge sign-up link and a parks department contact weren’t confirmed; an older city page lists the police at City Hall. The fire ISO rating dates from 2013. Listings are provided for general reference and are not endorsements; I receive no compensation from any organization named. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Melissa, the nation’s fourth-fastest-growing city of its size in 2025, reached an estimated 29,969 residents. Most homes are newer, some neighborhoods carry PIDs and two electric providers split the city. Two homes at the same price can carry very different yearly costs. I sort out the details that matter here, and the awkward parts are named.
Some Melissa neighborhoods carry a public improvement district assessment, billed with your taxes for years to repay streets and utilities. A hearing to levy assessments in Vineyard Hills Estates was on the city’s August 2026 agenda, and a builder says Meadow Run has none. I get the PID disclosure, annual installment and payoff amount for every address.
The city lists Grayson-Collin Electric Cooperative as the sole provider for certain subdivisions and Oncor for others. In co-op areas you can’t shop retail plans; in Oncor areas you choose a provider on PowerToChoose. Some addresses also get water from North Collin SUD instead of the city. I confirm each before closing.
Melissa ISD serves more than 8,600 students and projects 9,300 by 2027. A new PreK–5 Cardinal Renaissance Academy opened this year, buses moved to triple routing and the $875 million bond may take about two years to tap. Zones can change, so I check the current map for every address.
With builders competing, ask for incentives in writing and compare a rate buydown with an equal price cut. On a new build, hire an independent inspector before drywall and again before closing, and read the warranty; many follow a 1-2-10 pattern for workmanship, systems and structure.
US 75 has been widened from north of Melissa Road toward FM 455, TxDOT is planning a rebuild of FM 545 (East Melissa Road) and studying a new FM 455 arterial, and SH 121 is slated to widen north of the Outer Loop. Downtown streets are being rebuilt through fall 2027. I check what’s planned near every address.
The city’s rate has held at $0.454116 per $100, with a 6 percent homestead exemption and a senior tax freeze adopted for 2024. On a $455,000 home without a PID, the illustrative total is about $6,675 a year. A PID adds to that, so I compare total yearly costs, not just prices.
Redfin rated Melissa only somewhat competitive, with homes taking about 65 days to sell, and Orchard counted about 11 months of supply in early October, up from about 4. Price, closing costs and builder incentives are all on the table. I pull the comparable sales for the exact street.
Melissa has real trade-offs: PID assessments in some neighborhoods, construction on US 75, FM 545 and downtown streets, no fixed-route transit, fast-changing school zones, limited dining compared with McKinney and a school bond that can’t be spent yet. If any of that is a dealbreaker, you will hear it from me first.
Ask whether a PID applies and get the payoff amount. Second, confirm the electric and water providers. Third, check the current school zone. Fourth, get builder incentives in writing. Fifth, order independent inspections, even on new homes. And sixth, look at the road projects near the address.
Melissa-specific things to raise with all four. Freddie Mac’s 30-year average was 7.28 percent on October 1, 2026, so ask how a builder or seller-paid buydown compares with a price cut. Collin County’s FHA limit is $563,500, above Melissa’s median of about $457,000, and the $832,750 conforming limit covers most homes. Ask about TSAHC and TDHCA programs, and make sure any PID installment is in the payment estimate. I recommend these lenders based on their expertise and service. I do not receive compensation for referrals.
Either is fine. I answer my own phone, and you will never be routed to a call center or handed to a junior agent. Send me an address and I will tell you which county and school district it’s in, whether it carries a PID, who provides power and water, what the full tax bill looks like and what’s planned nearby.
Bobby Franklin, REALTOR® · Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team · 214-228-0003 · northtexasmarketinsider.com
Information on this page is provided for general reference and is not legal, tax, insurance, environmental, engineering or lending advice. Tax figures are illustrations for a $455,000 homestead with no PID using 2026 rates per $100 from the Collin County Tax Assessor’s rate history (City of Melissa 0.454116, Melissa ISD 1.2008, Collin County 0.151414, Collin College 0.08122) and 2025 exemption amounts. They are not quotes. The city’s 2026 rate adoption wasn’t separately confirmed. The Vineyard Hills Estates PID outcome and per-lot PID amounts weren’t confirmed. Provider areas are from the City of Melissa and North Collin SUD and must be confirmed by address. School figures are from Melissa ISD; attendance zones are determined by address. The construction, incentive and warranty notes are general guidance, not findings about any property or builder. Road project details are from TxDOT and the city, and current US 75 status wasn’t confirmed. Market figures are Redfin’s and Orchard’s as of early October 2026; Orchard’s figures rest on a small sample. The FHA limit is from HUD’s published 2026 limits; the conforming limit is FHFA’s 2026 limit. The mortgage rate is Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey for October 1, 2026. All real estate services are provided through Legacy Realty Group. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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