At $1,784/mo, rent takes about 15% of the local median household income, comfortably within the 30% benchmark.
Rent by unit size
Bedroom figures are derived from HUD Fair Market Rents and scaled to match Melissa's market median, because the published HUD values all ran above it. They are gross rents that include essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, sewer, trash).
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
Rent in Melissa is 2.9% below its high of $1,837 in April 2023, at $1,784 as of September 2026.
Rent in Melissa changed -0.2% over the year to September 2026. Across the 224 Texas cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +1.0%.
Rent has fallen 2 months in a row, and rose in 4 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($138,763) is $3,469 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,830); a 3-bedroom is $3,550.
Sherman, 24 miles away, rents for 28% less ($1,287/mo), about $6,000 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Melissa. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Melissa, TX is majority owner-occupied, has a large share of families with children, has a median income above the national average, 52.6% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Melissa, TX has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2023, rent in Melissa, TX has declined by $53 per month, settling near $1,784 after starting the period at $1,837. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $127,391 in 2021 to $138,763 more recently. Income growth outran rent by about 11.8 percentage points, easing the affordability math somewhat compared with 2021. Headcount in the area went from 13,671 to 20,136 between 2021 and 2024, a 47.3% change. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 45.5% to 52.6%. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Melissa, TX market of 2023.
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Can you afford rent in Melissa on your salary?
At $1,784/mo, how Melissa rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Melissa rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Melissa. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Melissa
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Melissa is $1,784/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,347/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,657/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,412/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,079/mo.
At 15% of local median household income ($138,763/yr), Melissa ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have decreased 0.2% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
How much income do you need to rent in Melissa?
Is rent going up or down in Melissa?
How does Melissa rent compare to other cities in Texas?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Melissa?
At $1,784/mo, rent takes ~15% of Melissa's median household income ($138,763/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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