Best Places63557, MO Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 63557, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
63557 ranks 21,078th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on affordable childcare by a wide margin, and biking ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 63557
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.
63557's strengths and weaknesses
Where 63557 ranks high
- Cheap childcare$429 a month, better than 98% of zip codes
- Low property taxBetter than 81% of zip codes
- Healthcare accessBetter than 80% of zip codes
- Nice weatherabout 126 pleasant days a year, better than 78% of zip codes
- State fiscal healthBetter than 74% of zip codes
Where 63557 ranks low
- BikingBetter than only 3% of zip codes
- WalkabilityBetter than only 5% of zip codes
- Cell coverageBetter than only 8% of zip codes
- Short commute35.2 minutes each way, better than only 10% of zip codes
- Big-city accessBetter than only 14% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 63557
A household needs to earn about $50,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 63557 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $70,699, 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 63557's effective rate of 0.51%, 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 9 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 63557
63557's age mix sits close to the national median, and households here run larger than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 63557.
Who works in 63557, and how
Work in 63557 centers on agriculture & forestry and health care & social. Unemployment runs well above the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 71%
- Work from home 23%
- Transit, walk, or bike 6%
Life in 63557
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 63557.
What the weather is like in 63557, month by month
63557 sees roughly 126 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 87 degrees. January highs sit near 36, with lows near 20. The comfortable stretch runs May, June, and August through October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 27° | 20° |
| April | 66° | 53° | 43° |
| July | 87° | 76° | 67° |
| October | 69° | 56° | 46° |
Flying in and out of 63557
The nearest airport, Kirksville Regional, is about 20 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Kansas City International, about 108 miles away.
The best schools in and around 63557
Schools across 63557 average a B−, better than 52% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Bucklin Elem.A− · 60% proficient
- Brookfield Elem.B · 45% proficient
- La Plata Elem.C+ · 39% proficient
Top middle schools
- Brookfield MiddleA− · 56% proficient
- William Matthew Middle SchoolC · 32% proficient
Top high schools
- Macon Co. HighB+ · 55% proficient
- Kirksville Sr. HighB− · 42% proficient
- Bucklin HighC · 34% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 63557 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
63557 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 63557 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 63557
Is 63557 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 63557 ranks 21,078th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on affordable childcare, low property taxes, and health care access, and lowest on biking and walkability. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 63557 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $198,118. The overall cost of living runs about 24% below the national average. Set against a $70,699 median income, cost of living beats 67% of zip codes.
Is 63557 safe?
Yes, 63557 is safer than 63% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $340 per resident a year.
Compare 63557 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 63557. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 63557 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.
63557 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 63557: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 63557: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 63557: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 63557: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
63557 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.