Memphis, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Memphis, TN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Memphis | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 607,914 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2035.1 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.60% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.0 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 248,032 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Memphis declined by 8.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 607,914 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Memphis is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.5% of residents. That is 2.1 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 142,573 23.5% +2.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 134,838 22.2% +0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 111,560 18.4% -1.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 90,590 14.9% -2.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Tennessee, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 52.5% of the people living in Memphis and men 47.5%.
- Women 52.5% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 47.5% Tennessee 49.1%
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100% of everyone living in Memphis
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Economy
Memphis has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Memphis | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,272 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.51% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.5% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Memphis is about 25% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Memphis | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $230,707 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,173 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 45.6% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Memphis is about 16.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,173 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Memphis spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 175 hours, about 7.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Memphis | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.0 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.1 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 175 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,434 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.2% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 16,524 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,763 | 1,225 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Memphis is 21 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Tennessee.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Memphis has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Memphis | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.5% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Health
Memphis has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Memphis | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.4 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.3% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.8% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
Memphis, TN 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 median household income, sitting 40% below the local median of $87,351 at $52,272. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $230,707 against a local median of $179,392, 29% above it. The cities themselves spread $88,047 on median household income, so Memphis, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Memphis, TN has the 5th highest median household income of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TN | 607,914 | $52,272 #5/5 | $230,707 #3/5 | 21.0 min #1/5 |
| Southaven, MS | 54,424 | $79,998 | $120,242 | 23.1 min |
| Horn Lake, MS | 24,794 | $53,691 | $113,219 | 25.6 min |
| Germantown, TN | 42,327 | $141,738 | $498,811 | 22.0 min |
| Bartlett, TN | 58,448 | $94,703 | $238,542 | 23.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Memphis, Tennessee.
How many people live in Memphis, Tennessee?
About 607,914 people live in Memphis, Tennessee, in 248,032 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 33.0, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Memphis, Tennessee mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Memphis, Tennessee has 2,035 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 24 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Memphis, Tennessee?
The median home costs 4.4 times the median household income ($230,707 against $52,272), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,173 a month takes about 27% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Memphis, Tennessee?
Unemployment in Memphis, Tennessee is 8.5%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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