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CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Memphis

Tennessee · 610,337 residents · 296 sq mi
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The short version

With 610,337 people, Memphis is a city in Tennessee. 23.0% of people here live below the federal poverty line. The typical home is worth $54,900. 55% of homes are owner-occupied. The median household earns $22,674, about 25% below the national median. About 17% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 31.6
US median: 33.0
Average education
17% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

610,337
−6%vs 2000
vs 650,100 in 2000
1990 – 2025
31.6
−1%vs 2000
vs 31.9 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
296 sq mi
Population, 19902024
603K624K645K665K686K19902000201020202024Memphis
2024619K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 58.1%(49,394)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 97.5%(45,864)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147%(42,989)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197.4%(44,945)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 248%(49,093)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3418.1%(110,186)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4414.2%(86,418)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 549.2%(55,978)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 648.4%(51,022)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 747.1%(43,616)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 843.8%(23,475)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.2%(7,357)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$22,674
−7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $32,285 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
$11,682
−35%vs 2000
vs $17,838 in 2000
US average: $14,340
23.0%
+2.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 20.6% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

$54,900
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $72,300 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
$373
−10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $548 in 2000
US average: $450
55.1%
−0.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 55.8% in 2000
44.9% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic33.3%(216,174)
Black61.2%(397,732)
Hispanic / Latino3%(19,317)
Asian1.4%(9,373)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic44%(268,420)
Black54.9%(334,981)
Hispanic / Latino0.7%(4,011)
Asian0.8%(4,589)
Other0.4%(2,347)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.5%(33,941)
Central American2.9%(17,981)
Honduran1.2%(7,648)
Guatemalan1.1%(6,835)
South American0.8%(4,691)
Venezuelan0.4%(2,638)
Salvadoran0.4%(2,538)
Puerto Rican0.3%(1,996)
Cuban0.2%(1,363)
Colombian0.2%(955)
Spaniard0.1%(654)
Nicaraguan0.1%(535)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0.1%(489)
Panamanian0.1%(408)
Peruvian0%(287)
Uruguayan0%(238)
Argentine0%(177)
Chilean0%(82)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.4%(2,690)
Vietnamese0.4%(2,388)
Chinese0.3%(1,812)
Filipino0.1%(752)
Korean0.1%(456)
Bangladeshi0.1%(340)
Nepalese0%(299)
Cambodian0%(259)
Mongolian0%(220)
Japanese0%(216)
Laotian0%(208)
Taiwanese0%(107)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(90)
Pakistani0%(87)
Thai0%(71)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(212)
Chamorro0%(24)
Ancestry
English5.2%(31,992)
Irish3.7%(23,149)
German3.3%(20,702)
American2.9%(18,033)
Italian1.4%(8,484)
Scottish0.9%(5,391)
French0.7%(4,270)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(3,811)
Polish0.4%(2,455)
Arab0.3%(2,148)
Dutch0.2%(1,530)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.2%(1,384)
West Indian0.2%(1,378)
British0.2%(1,349)
Nigerian0.2%(1,216)
Welsh0.2%(1,108)
Russian0.2%(1,037)
Swedish0.2%(986)
Greek0.1%(798)
Swiss0.1%(651)
Jamaican0.1%(575)
Lebanese0.1%(574)
Czech0.1%(486)
Austrian0.1%(473)
Ghanaian0.1%(460)
Hungarian0.1%(430)
Portuguese0.1%(406)
Lithuanian0.1%(354)
Ukrainian0.1%(316)
Ethiopian0%(271)
Canadian0%(227)
Romanian0%(223)
Danish0%(180)
Egyptian0%(175)
Brazilian0%(175)
Iranian0%(173)
Haitian0%(159)
Turkish0%(158)
Slovak0%(125)
Syrian0%(119)
Croatian0%(103)
Kenyan0%(87)
Moroccan0%(84)
Finnish0%(84)
Somali0%(68)
Bulgarian0%(66)
Israeli0%(53)
Latvian0%(48)
Belgian0%(45)
Armenian0%(29)
Jordanian0%(28)
Guyanese0%(23)
Iraqi0%(19)
Serbian0%(19)
Barbadian0%(18)
Slovene0%(8)
Section 05

Education

17.5%
−3.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 20.9% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
70.4%
−5.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 76.4% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
6.4%
−1.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 7.7% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

18.9 min
+36%vs 2000
vs 14.0 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married50.1%(113,089)
Married37.1%(83,821)
Widowed2.9%(6,515)
Divorced9.9%(22,394)
Women 15+
Never married47.1%(123,423)
Married30.8%(80,713)
Widowed8.7%(22,754)
Divorced13.3%(34,904)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

14.7%
−4.3 ptssince 2013
from 19.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
46.2%
−2.5 ptssince 2020
from 48.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
10.0%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 9.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
16.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 15.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
29.7%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 28.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 2.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
54.2%
−2.4 ptssince 2020
from 56.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
42.1%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 41.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)22.6%(5,383)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.9%(5,449)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era32.8%(7,825)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.5%(594)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(108)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 23,827 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Memphis, Tennessee?

Memphis, Tennessee has about 610,337 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Memphis, Tennessee?

The typical household in Memphis, Tennessee earns about $22,674 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Memphis, Tennessee expensive?

In Memphis, Tennessee, the median home is worth about $54,900, and the typical rent is about $373 a month.

How educated are people in Memphis, Tennessee?

About 17.5% of adults age 25 and over in Memphis, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Memphis, Tennessee?

About 23.0% of people in Memphis, Tennessee live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →