ZIP 63863 vs ZIP 63837

This side-by-side compares ZIP 63863 (Malden, MO) and ZIP 63837 (Clarkton, MO) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 63863 has a population of 6,359 at 41 people per square mile, while ZIP 63837 has 1,653 at 28 per square mile. That difference in population size and density alone reshapes how every other metric should be interpreted — a higher-income ZIP with 1,200 residents behaves very differently from one with 45,000.

On income and education, ZIP 63863 reports a median household income of $47,205 against $46,066 in ZIP 63837, with per-capita income of $27,871 vs $29,684. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 12.8% in 63863 and 3.7% in 63837. Poverty rate reads 22.8% vs 28.1%, and unemployment 7.2% vs 1.4% — these four fields alone drive most of the difference in the scorecard grades you will see for each ZIP.

Housing separates these two ZIPs further: median home value sits at $91,900 in 63863 versus $53,800 in 63837, with median rent of $669 and $627 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 55.1% vs 66.9%. When reading the comparison table below, focus on paired metrics rather than single winners — a ZIP with lower home values and lower income is not strictly "worse" if rent-to-income ratios and commute times land in the same zone. Every value is pulled from the exact same ACS table so the two columns are genuinely comparable.