Where does Melania live

1. Where she lives now — White House as base, but part-time

Reporting around and after the January 2025 inauguration describes Melania Trump as primarily living in Washington, D.C., and acting publicly from the White House while continuing to travel and to keep homes elsewhere; El País states she “will primarily live in Washington” and NewsNation and E!News repeat her own phrasing that she “will be in the White House” ^{[3] [5] [1]}. Her public role in White House events — including unveiling holiday decorations and remarks at Blair House — reinforces that presence ^{[6] [7]}.

2. Multiple residences: New York and Mar‑a‑Lago remain in the picture

Multiple outlets report Melania maintains residences in Manhattan’s Trump Tower and at Mar‑a‑Lago in Palm Beach and intends to spend substantial time in New York because her son Barron is attending NYU; she told Fox that she will be in New York “when I need to be” and that she has homes in New York and Florida ^{[1] [2] [4]}. The Independent and People cite sources saying she will split time among the White House, Trump Tower, and Mar‑a‑Lago ^{[8] [4]}.

3. Conflicting sourcing on whether she’ll be “permanent” at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Insiders speaking to People and other outlets suggested Melania is “not likely” to make the White House her permanent residence, with one source saying she “definitely won't be going back to Washington to live” and will “stay between Florida and NYC” ^[4]. By contrast, her own statements and reporting around the inauguration emphasize that she will live at the White House and carry out first‑lady duties there, creating a divergence between her public words and anonymous sourcing ^{[1] [2] [5]}.

4. Why the split makes logistical and personal sense

The split residence pattern mirrors practical and personal priorities cited in reporting: Barron’s NYU enrollment anchors a New York presence, longstanding family ties and club operations anchor a Palm Beach residence, and the first‑lady role anchors Washington duties ^{[2] [4]}. Media coverage also notes renovations and construction at the White House that have in past administrations prompted partial residency elsewhere, offering a pragmatic reason for movement among homes ^{[7] [9]}.

5. What the reporting does — and doesn’t — confirm

Available sources confirm she has a living apartment and will be present at the White House and that she keeps homes in New York and at Mar‑a‑Lago ^{[1] [4] [3]}. Sources disagree about permanence: People and The Independent report anonymous sources saying the White House is unlikely to be her full‑time residence ^{[4] [8]}. Available sources do not mention a definitive, centralized schedule or a legal residency declaration beyond these reported intentions and statements — there is no sourced, single document in the material provided that fixes her official domicile.

6. Read the sourcing carefully — public statements vs. anonymous insiders

Much of the divergence comes from two types of source: Melania’s own on‑camera answers (quoted by E! News, People and Fox) and anonymous or “insider” sourcing quoted by People and The Independent saying she won’t be permanent in Washington ^{[1] [2] [4]}. Those anonymous accounts may reflect friends or aides; they offer a competing viewpoint to her public remarks. Readers should weigh direct quotes from Melania (public, attributable) against unnamed sources (contextual but unverifiable) when assessing where she will actually spend most nights.

7. Bottom line for someone asking “Where does Melania live?”

Current reporting says Melania Trump’s base of operations is the White House in Washington, D.C., while she maintains and will continue to use residences in New York (Trump Tower) and at Mar‑a‑Lago in Florida; multiple outlets and Melania herself describe a split‑time arrangement, while insiders quoted by People and The Independent predict she will not make the White House her permanent home ^{[1] [2] [4] [3]}.