Best Places36263, AL Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 36263, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. This page is for people who live here or already know they want to. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
36263 ranks 23,227th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on low property taxes by a wide margin, and walkability ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 36263
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
36263's strengths and weaknesses
Where 36263 ranks high
- Low property taxBetter than 98% of zip codes
- Cheap childcare$549 a month, better than 91% of zip codes
- Local economyBetter than 88% of zip codes
- State infrastructureBetter than 87% of zip codes
- QuietBetter than 87% of zip codes
Where 36263 ranks low
- WalkabilityBetter than only 5% of zip codes
- Internet speedBetter than only 6% of zip codes
- Low vacancyBetter than only 8% of zip codes
- Short commute33.9 minutes each way, better than only 14% of zip codes
- BikingBetter than only 14% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 36263
A household needs to earn about $44,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 36263 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $61,770, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses 36263's effective rate of 0.21%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 6 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 36263
36263 runs younger than the country, though it still carries a larger-than-average share of residents over 65.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 36263.
Who works in 36263, and how
Work in 36263 centers on manufacturing and public administration. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 88%
- Work from home 8%
- Transit, walk, or bike 4%
Life in 36263
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 36263.
What the weather is like in 36263, month by month
36263 sees roughly 95 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 88 degrees. January highs sit near 53, with lows near 34. The comfortable stretch runs April through June, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 42° | 34° |
| April | 73° | 60° | 49° |
| July | 88° | 77° | 69° |
| October | 74° | 62° | 52° |
Flying in and out of 36263
Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International sits about 54 miles away. It is a large hub and boarded 51.5 million passengers in 2025, with 278 nonstop destinations.
The best schools in and around 36263
Schools across 36263 average a C−, better than 19% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Ephesus Elementary SchoolA− · 57% proficient
- Ranburne Elementary SchoolB · 45% proficient
- Woodland Elementary SchoolC− · 27% proficient
Top middle schools
- Bowdon Middle SchoolB · 43% proficient
Top high schools
- Ranburne High SchoolC · 31% proficient
- Woodland High SchoolD− · 17% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 36263 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
36263 measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare 36263 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 36263
Is 36263 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 36263 ranks 23,227th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on low property taxes, affordable childcare, and a strong job market, and lowest on walkability and internet speeds. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 36263 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $184,605. The overall cost of living runs about 15% below the national average. Set against a $61,770 median income, cost of living beats 32% of zip codes.
Is 36263 safe?
Yes, 36263 is safer than 72% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $229 per resident a year.
Compare 36263 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 36263. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 36263 represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
36263 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 36263: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 36263: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 36263: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 36263: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
36263 detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.