Health Profile of Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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C
Memphis Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Memphis | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 73.4 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 14.7% | 10.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 24.3% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Memphis is 73.4 years, about 1.4 years shorter than the Tennessee average of 74.8 years. The uninsured rate is 14.7%, higher than the Tennessee average of 10.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 24.3% of residents, higher than the Tennessee average of 19.5%.
Population by Age
Older residents
183,920 residents in Memphis are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 8,462 2,245 men · 6,217 women
- 75–84 22,667 8,649 men · 14,018 women
- 65–74 47,559 20,178 men · 27,380 women
- 50–64 105,232 48,502 men · 56,730 women
Younger residents
144,889 residents in Memphis are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 42,137 21,626 boys · 20,511 girls
- 7–12 43,036 22,074 boys · 20,963 girls
- 3–7 34,024 17,343 boys · 16,680 girls
- 0–3 25,692 13,052 boys · 12,641 girls
About 37,336 residents in Memphis (6.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 73.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Memphis | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 16.8% | 13.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.2% | 7.0% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.9% | 8.1% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 42.1% | 37.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Memphis is about 26% lower than in Tennessee. The rate of diabetes in Memphis is about 23% higher than in Tennessee. The rate of heart disease in Memphis is about 16% lower than in Tennessee.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Memphis | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 23.8% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 12.2% | 13.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 31.8% | 28.4% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Memphis are about the same as in Tennessee.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.1 million cigarettes a day, 32.5 million a month, or 395.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 11.9 million minutes a day and 4.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Memphis is 73.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.31 lifetimes a day, or 113 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Memphis | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.20 | 6.39 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Memphis is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Memphis, TN Health Compared With Nearby Cities
Memphis, TN is the largest of the 5 cities compared here, 607,914 residents against a local median of 48,376. Where Memphis, TN breaks from the cities next to it is uninsured, sitting 104% above the local median of 7.2% at 14.7%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 42.1% against a local median of 34.9%, 21% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Memphis, TN reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The cities themselves spread 8.1% on uninsured, so Memphis, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Memphis, TN has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TN | 607,914 | 73.4 yrs #5/5 | 14.7% #5/5 | 42.1% #5/5 |
| Southaven, MS | 54,424 | 75.5 yrs | 7.5% | 38.1% |
| Horn Lake, MS | 24,794 | 75.4 yrs | 10.7% | 41.3% |
| Germantown, TN | 42,327 | 80.4 yrs | 2.6% | 27.5% |
| Bartlett, TN | 58,448 | 78.7 yrs | 6.9% | 31.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Memphis, Tennessee has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with Tennessee, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Memphis, Tennessee.
Is Memphis, Tennessee a healthy place to live?
Memphis, Tennessee has a Map AI Health Index grade of C, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average.
What is the average lifespan in Memphis, Tennessee?
People in Memphis, Tennessee can expect to live 73.4 years on average, 1.4 years shorter than the Tennessee average of 74.8.
What percentage of Memphis, Tennessee residents are uninsured?
14.7% of residents in Memphis, Tennessee have no health insurance, about 1 in 7 people, 4.7 points above the Tennessee rate of 10.0%.
How common is obesity in Memphis, Tennessee?
42.1% of adults in Memphis, Tennessee are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 4.2 points above the Tennessee rate of 37.9%.
What health issue is more common in Memphis, Tennessee than elsewhere?
Compared with Tennessee as a whole, diabetes stands out most: the adult rate here is 16.8%, about 23% higher than the Tennessee rate of 13.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Memphis, Tennessee go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.1 million cigarettes a day, 32.5 million a month, or 395.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 11.9 million minutes a day and 4.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Memphis is 73.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.31 lifetimes a day, or 113 lifetimes a year.
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