Memphis is a city located in Shelby County Tennessee. Memphis has a 2024 population of 613,110. It is also the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis is currently declining at a rate of -0.89% annually and its population has decreased by -3.48% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 635,225 in 2020.
The average household income in Memphis is $74,176 with a poverty rate of 23.6%. The median age in Memphis is 34.5 years: 33 years for males, and 36.3 years for females.
Memphis is located in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and it is the county seat of Shelby County and the second-largest city in Tennessee. with an estimated 2021 population of 651,011, Memphis is also the fifth-largest city in the Southeastern U.S., the largest city on the Mississippi and the 20th largest city in the United States.
The greater Memphis metropolitan area, which includes counties in Arkansas and Mississippi, has an estimated population of 1.33 million, which makes Memphis the second-largest metro area in Tennessee after Nashville. This metropolitan statistical area (MSA) includes the Tennessee counties of Fayette, Tipton, and Shelby, along with the Mississippi counties of Tate, Marshall, DeSoto and Tunica, and Crittenden County, Arkansas. The overall metro area has a higher percentage of white residents and a higher per capita income than the city proper.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Memphis is the poorest city in the United States with a median household income of $32,285, or $37,767 for a family. 17% of families and almost 21% of the population lives below the poverty line, including 30% of people under the age of 18.
Population growth in the Memphis metropolitan area is currently stagnant, according to recent Census estimates. The nine-county metro area has grown just 0.6% per year, while Metro Nashville is growing three times faster.
Memphis is located on a large bluff rising from the Mississippi River, which means Native Americans quickly settled it. The Mississippi Culture first settled it. Europeans first explored the area in the 16th century, first by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and then French explorers. The Spanish governor of Louisiana acquired land in the area at the end of the 18th century and built a fort, although the territory was ceded eventually to the United States. It then became the westernmost point of the new state of Tennessee in 1796.
Memphis was not laid out as a city until 1819, at which point it was named after the ancient Egyptian capital on the Nile. It quickly became a transportation center because it is located in a flood-free area high above the river, while the outlying areas became cotton plantations.
Many African-American slaves were brought to the area, and Memphis transformed into a slave market. Around one million slaves were transported to plantations in the area in a forced migration in the 1800s, many along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Increased immigration in the 1840s through 1860s caused the Irish population to increase from 9.9% to 23.2% in 1860.
Tennessee seceded from the Union in 1861 and Memphis became a Confederate stronghold until the Union captured it Army and used as a supply base. This attracted many escaped slaves to the city, and the population rose from 3,000 in 1860 to 20,000 just five years later. This led to growing tension between Irish policeman and black Union soldiers after the war, culminating in the Memphis Riot in 1866, with the population plummeting to 15,000 by 1870. In the next decade, the population was further decimated by an outbreak of yellow fever, which caused the Memphis population to fall by 75%. This led the city to lose its city charter for five years.
The city quickly began to grow again, with a population that rose 92% from 1880 to 1890.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Memphis was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
Black or African American | 405,463 | 64.36% |
White | 166,679 | 26.46% |
Other race | 24,476 | 3.88% |
Two or more races | 20,819 | 3.3% |
Asian | 10,367 | 1.65% |
Native American | 1,925 | 0.31% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 298 | 0.05% |
Black or African American
White
Other race
Two or more races
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 251,586 | 2.45 | 46.6 | 53.4 |
Non Family | 113,638 | 1.21 | 38.4 | 61.6 |
Married | 68,970 | 3.26 | 71.1 | 28.9 |
Female | 56,034 | 3.73 | 34.8 | 65.2 |
Male | 12,944 | 3.49 | 38.2 | 61.8 |
3.36
Average Family Size
2.45
Average Household Size
46.6%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 34,926 | 8.46% |
Associates Degree | 24,281 | 5.88% |
Bachelors Degree | 69,869 | 16.93% |
Graduate Degree | 45,107 | 10.93% |
High School Graduate | 127,068 | 30.79% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 18,050 | 4.37% |
Some College | 93,381 | 22.63% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
Black | 257,405 | 222,840 | 44,807 |
White | 117,812 | 112,343 | 59,373 |
Hispanic | 23,305 | 12,154 | 3,987 |
2+ Races | 11,099 | 8,132 | 3,106 |
Other Race | 10,883 | 5,066 | 1,501 |
Asian | 7,515 | 6,464 | 4,400 |
Native American | 717 | 454 | 112 |
Islander | 277 | 267 | 128 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 96.39%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 58.55%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $51,888 | $59,521 | $45,473 |
Graduate Degree | $69,959 | $84,275 | $63,260 |
High School Graduate | $30,540 | $34,447 | $26,298 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $26,690 | $29,982 | $20,660 |
Overall | $38,570 | $41,659 | $36,026 |
Some College | $34,966 | $38,058 | $33,687 |
$38,570
Average Earnings
$41,659
Average Male
$36,026
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
90.43% of Memphis residents speak only English, while 9.57% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 6.59% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Black | 397,152 | 111,585 | 28.1% |
White | 146,724 | 15,939 | 10.86% |
Hispanic | 49,412 | 13,590 | 27.5% |
Other | 24,294 | 7,098 | 29.22% |
Multiple | 20,536 | 5,092 | 24.8% |
Asian | 10,125 | 1,083 | 10.7% |
Native | 1,438 | 802 | 55.77% |
Islander | 295 | 172 | 58.31% |
23.6%
Overall Poverty Rate
21.6%
Male Poverty Rate
25.4%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Memphis is Islander, with 58.31% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Memphis is Asian, with 10.7% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.62%. Among those working part-time, it was 24.54%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 35.89%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 35.16% |
High School | 25.13% |
Some College | 15.19% |
Bachelors or Greater | 5.97% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Female Unemployed | 44.76% |
Male Unemployed | 38.55% |
Female Employed | 11.71% |
Male Employed | 6.81% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $60,089 | $91,025 |
Households | $48,090 | $74,176 |
Married Families | $91,962 | $129,867 |
Non Families | $35,505 | $50,734 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
31.1%
Overall Marriage Rate
34.4%
Male Marriage Rate
28.2%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
27,319
Number of Veterans
23,617
Male Veterans
3,702
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Vietnam | 9,642 |
Second Gulf War | 5,977 |
First Gulf War | 5,484 |
Korea | 881 |
World War II | 226 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
65 to 74 | 7,224 |
55 to 64 | 6,863 |
35 to 54 | 6,121 |
75+ | 4,378 |
18 to 34 | 2,733 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
Black | 17,728 | 5.96% |
White | 8,667 | 6.17% |
2+ Races | 621 | 4.73% |
Hispanic | 300 | 1.05% |
Asian | 149 | 1.67% |
Other Race | 114 | 0.85% |
Native American | 37 | 4.37% |
Islander | 3 | 1.08% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
12.13%
Veteran Poverty Rate
29.41%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
63.6%
Labor Force Participation
57.9%
Employment Rate
8.6%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
65.9%
Born in Memphis
93.68%
Native Born
6.32%
Foreign Born
4.2%
Non Citizen
2.12%
Naturalized
93.68% of Memphis residents were born in the United States, with 65.9% having been born in Tennessee. 4.2% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
---|---|---|---|
2029 | 585,467 | -5,528 | -0.94% |
2028 | 590,995 | -5,529 | -0.93% |
2027 | 596,524 | -5,529 | -0.92% |
2026 | 602,053 | -5,528 | -0.91% |
2025 | 607,581 | -5,529 | -0.9% |
2024 | 613,110 | -5,529 | -0.89% |
2023 | 618,639 | -5,201 | -0.83% |
2022 | 623,840 | -5,653 | -0.9% |
2021 | 629,493 | -5,732 | -0.9% |
2020 | 635,225 | -15,773 | -2.42% |
2019 | 650,998 | -702 | -0.11% |
2018 | 651,700 | 302 | 0.05% |
2017 | 651,398 | -1,628 | -0.25% |
2016 | 653,026 | -1,443 | -0.22% |
2015 | 654,469 | -830 | -0.13% |
2014 | 655,299 | -2,087 | -0.32% |
2013 | 657,386 | -1,575 | -0.24% |
2012 | 658,961 | 3,527 | 0.54% |
2011 | 655,434 | 3,085 | 0.47% |
2010 | 652,349 | 0 | 0% |
2000 | 650,100 | 39,763 | 6.51% |
1990 | 610,337 | -35,837 | -5.55% |
1980 | 646,174 | 22,186 | 3.56% |
1970 | 623,988 | 126,464 | 25.42% |
1960 | 497,524 | 101,524 | 25.64% |
1950 | 396,000 | 103,058 | 35.18% |
1940 | 292,942 | 39,799 | 15.72% |
1930 | 253,143 | 90,792 | 55.92% |
1920 | 162,351 | 31,246 | 23.83% |
1910 | 131,105 | 28,785 | 28.13% |
1900 | 102,320 | 37,825 | 58.65% |
1890 | 64,495 | 30,903 | 92% |
1880 | 33,592 | -6,634 | -16.49% |
1870 | 40,226 | 17,603 | 77.81% |
1860 | 22,623 | 13,782 | 155.89% |
1850 | 8,841 | -576,626 | -98.49% |