Downing Railroad Depot · National Register of Historic Places
Downing’s story
154 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1872Downing is settled
DowningMO
This town of 308 people was settled in 1872.
Photo: Sector001 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
308
2025 Census estimate · +2.7% since 2020
Median home value
$79K
Census ACS
Household income
$32K
median
Median age
48.6
years
Jobs based here
26
A commuter town
Is Downing a good place to live?
No town among the 243 in Missouri we compare has a lower typical rent than Downing. Downing Railroad Depot is on the National Register of Historic Places. Downing has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
308 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Downing: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Downing, and how to reach them.
PowerUnion Electric13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDowning PWSNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Downing’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Missouri you can register online until 27 days before Election Day, in person until 27 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 27 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSchuylerSchuyler County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code6353663536 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Downing.
Work & commute
Downing stands out in Missouri and nationally, with the median household income lower than most
Downing’s mean commuting time is 26 minutes, where Missouri’s towns sit at 22 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Jobs based locally fell to 26 in 2023, 53 fewer than in 2013. 2.6% of working residents work locally here. The top destinations are Kirksville (16%), Queen City (10%) and Lancaster (7%).
3%work in town
| Downing | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $32,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.6% | 13% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 14% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Downing3%
Kirksville16%
Queen City10%
Lancaster7%
Greentop5%
22 mi
median commute distance
26
jobs based in Downing
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Downing, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 16° and about 23 inches of snow falls in a winter. No town among the 248 in Missouri we compare has a lower July high than Downing.
23″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–37°
Spring40–62°
Summer63–84°
Fall42–64°
Oct 17
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Downing is
In Downing, 17% of adults report frequent physical distress, and 34% get no exercise outside work. CDC measures, 32 in all: Downing beats Missouri on 1 and trails on 9. Downing: 42% of adults have high blood pressure, above both the Missouri town median (37%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). The share of adults in Downing who smoke cigarettes: 18%.
| Downing | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 30% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Missouri
1 better22 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Downing | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.3% | 77.2% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.5% | 6.8% |
Scotland County Hospital
10.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: moderate risk in Downing, mostly inland flooding
Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 57% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 36% of Downing’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 30% to tornadoes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Downing after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2008.
43risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHeat waves
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
$250Kmedian sale price
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Outdoors
0% of Downing is conserved land
Trails run 0.4 miles in 2 parks and preserves. The trail density for Downing comes to 0.6 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 426 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Appreciation Days Park | — | 2 |
| 2. Downing CIty Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Downing
17pages on Downing
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Downing; the nearest are
A T Still University of Health SciencesUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Kirksville23.3 miTruman State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Kirksville23.5 mi$9,838 in-state tuitionIndian Hills Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ottumwa, IA38.6 mi$5,040 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Downing residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Downing for work
Where Downing’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
26jobs based in Downing
3%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Downing
City in Schuyler County, Missouri, United States
Downing is a city in Schuyler County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 300. It is part of the Kirksville Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1872
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 873 ft
- ZIP code
- 63536
- Area code
- 660
Questions about Downing
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Downing, MO a good place to live?
Downing has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.