Best Places63742, MO Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 63742, 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.
63742 ranks 26,102nd of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on a stable housing market by a wide margin, and cell coverage ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 63742
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.
63742's strengths and weaknesses
Where 63742 ranks high
- Housing crash safetyBetter than 99% of zip codes
- Cheap childcare$415 a month, better than 98% of zip codes
- Low property taxBetter than 79% of zip codes
- State fiscal healthBetter than 74% of zip codes
- Short commute22.4 minutes each way, better than 73% of zip codes
Where 63742 ranks low
- Cell coverageBetter than only 3% of zip codes
- WalkabilityBetter than only 5% of zip codes
- Nice weatherabout 61 pleasant days a year, better than only 10% of zip codes
- Disaster safetyBetter than only 14% of zip codes
- Local economyBetter than only 17% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 63742
A household needs to earn about $28,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 63742 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $65,313, 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 63742's effective rate of 0.53%, 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 3 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 63742
63742's age mix sits close to the national median, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 63742.
Who works in 63742, and how
Work in 63742 centers on retail trade and construction. Unemployment is low, and the job base is shrinking.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 94%
- Work from home 5%
- Transit, walk, or bike 1%
Life in 63742
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 63742.
What the weather is like in 63742, month by month
63742 sees roughly 61 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 90 degrees. January highs sit near 44, with lows near 28. The comfortable stretch runs April, May, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 36° | 28° |
| April | 70° | 58° | 48° |
| July | 90° | 79° | 71° |
| October | 74° | 60° | 49° |
Flying in and out of 63742
The nearest airport, Cape Girardeau Regional, is about 8 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is St Louis Lambert International, about 121 miles away.
The best schools in and around 63742
Schools across 63742 average a C, better than 32% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Scott Co. Elem.C− · 30% proficient
Top middle schools
- Scott Co. MiddleD · 22% proficient
Top high schools
- Thomas W. Kelly HighC+ · 38% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 63742 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
63742 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 63742 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 63742
Is 63742 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 63742 ranks 26,102nd of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on a stable housing market, affordable childcare, and low property taxes, and lowest on cell coverage and walkability. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 63742 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $110,600. The overall cost of living runs about 9% below the national average. Set against a $65,313 median income, cost of living beats 34% of zip codes.
Is 63742 safe?
Yes, 63742 is safer than 65% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $306 per resident a year.
Compare 63742 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 63742. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 63742 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.
63742 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 63742: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 63742: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 63742: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 63742: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
63742 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.