Melissa, Texas
Melissa is a city in Collin County, near McKinney and roughly 20 miles north of Plano, on the blackland prairie of North Texas. Formerly a small farming town along the rail line north of the Dallas-Fort Worth core, it has grown rapidly in recent years as suburban development has pushed north through Collin County. The surrounding land is gently rolling prairie and former cropland.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 29,969
- Change from 2020 base
- +115.6%
- Land area
- 11.5 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Collin County
Place type, county footprint, and land area use the Census Bureau's January 1, 2025 geography. Population uses Vintage 2025 estimates through July 1, 2025; change compares that estimate with the April 1, 2020 estimates base. Geography file | Population file
Property here runs through the appraisal district and tax office for Collin County. The homestead exemption, appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level.
Official routes
Use the office for the parcel address; a mailing city is not always the governing city.
County context
What to know around Melissa
County lines carry much of the property, land, water, and outdoors context around Melissa.
County Origins
Collin County Was Named for a Signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence
Collin County was created in 1846 and named for Collin McKinney, who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.
Property Tax Relief
How the Homestead Exemption Lowers Your Property Tax Bill
If you own and live in your home in Collin County, you can apply for a homestead exemption that removes part of your home's value from the tax calculation.
County Seat
McKinney Grew from a Donated Townsite into the County Seat
McKinney became the county seat of Collin County in 1848 after a landowner donated 120 acres for the original townsite.
Nearby
Places near Melissa
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Melissa
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