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METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Memphis Metro

Memphis, TN-MS-AR · 9 counties · 1,075,309 residents · 4,982 sq mi
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The short version

Memphis is home to 1,075,309 people. The typical home is worth $62,486. 19.2% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The population has fallen 11% since 2000. The median household earns $26,356, about 13% below the national median. About 18% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Younger
median age 31.3
US median: 33.0
Average education
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 7%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
1,075,309
−11%vs 2000
vs 1,213,230 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
216 / sq mi
−11%vs 2000
vs 244 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
31.3
−6%vs 2000
vs 33.2 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
4,982 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
1.0M1.1M1.2M1.3M1.4M19902000201020202024Memphis
20241.3M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 58.1%(86,812)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 97.9%(85,238)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.7%(82,279)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197.8%(84,357)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247.5%(80,488)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3417.8%(191,102)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4415.3%(164,202)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 549.8%(105,471)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 647.7%(82,797)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 746.2%(66,498)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 843.3%(35,545)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1%(10,520)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$26,356
−12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $39,451 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$12,537
−37%vs 2000
vs $19,941 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
19.2%
+3.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 15.7% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$62,486
−7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $88,866 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$379
−10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $551 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
62.8%
−3.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 66.2% in 2000
37.2% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic51.9%(630,093)
Black43.3%(525,338)
Hispanic / Latino2.3%(28,485)
Asian1.3%(15,789)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic57.6%(619,838)
Black41.2%(442,739)
Hispanic / Latino0.7%(7,833)
Asian0.8%(8,173)
Other0.4%(4,559)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin
Mexican4.2%(56,572)
Central American1.6%(21,835)
Guatemalan0.6%(8,414)
Honduran0.7%(8,160)
South American0.6%(7,722)
Puerto Rican0.4%(4,573)
Venezuelan0.3%(4,085)
Salvadoran0.3%(3,339)
Cuban0.2%(2,714)
Colombian0.1%(1,697)
Nicaraguan0.1%(1,216)
Dominican0.1%(1,134)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0.1%(857)
Peruvian0%(526)
Panamanian0.1%(517)
Chilean0%(325)
Argentine0%(308)
Uruguayan0%(261)
Ecuadorian0%(242)
Bolivian0%(52)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.9%(10,943)
Chinese0.4%(4,845)
Vietnamese0.4%(4,794)
Filipino0.3%(3,478)
Korean0.1%(1,052)
Pakistani0.1%(909)
Japanese0.1%(679)
Laotian0%(505)
Cambodian0%(447)
Indonesian0%(372)
Nepalese0%(299)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Mongolian0%(220)
Taiwanese0%(204)
Thai0%(191)
Burmese0%(187)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.1%(1,184)
Chamorro0%(494)
Samoan0%(415)
Guamanian0%(91)
Tongan0%(35)
Ancestry
English8%(107,671)
American6.2%(83,095)
Irish6%(80,997)
German5.2%(69,128)
Italian1.9%(24,902)
Subsaharan African1.3%(17,750)
Scottish1.2%(16,632)
French0.9%(12,148)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(11,905)
Polish0.6%(8,438)
Arab0.4%(5,577)
Dutch0.4%(4,873)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.3%(3,987)
Welsh0.3%(3,544)
British0.3%(3,534)
Swedish0.3%(3,464)
Nigerian0.3%(3,348)
West Indian0.2%(2,282)
Russian0.2%(2,256)
Greek0.2%(1,924)
Ukrainian0.1%(1,538)
French Canadian0.1%(1,441)
Lebanese0.1%(1,309)
Swiss0.1%(1,279)
Czech0.1%(1,140)
Portuguese0.1%(1,135)
Jamaican0.1%(941)
Austrian0.1%(902)
Hungarian0.1%(901)
Danish0.1%(771)
Lithuanian0.1%(688)
Ghanaian0.1%(681)
Ethiopian0.1%(645)
Canadian0%(625)
Palestinian0.1%(602)
Croatian0%(543)
Brazilian0%(405)
Kenyan0%(405)
Belgian0%(404)
Romanian0%(401)
Syrian0%(383)
Guyanese0%(381)
Iranian0%(354)
Finnish0%(316)
Slovak0%(268)
Moroccan0%(264)
Egyptian0%(257)
Haitian0%(247)
Jordanian0%(238)
Armenian0%(216)
Turkish0%(203)
Somali0%(160)
Latvian0%(133)
Iraqi0%(132)
Australian0%(130)
Israeli0%(97)
Serbian0%(91)
Bulgarian0%(66)
Slovene0%(51)
Barbadian0%(29)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
18.1%
−3.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 21.9% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
71.8%
−7.0 ptsvs 2000
vs 78.8% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
6.2%
−1.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 7.5% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.4 min
+28%vs 2000
vs 16.0 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 married40.3%(201,954)
Married47.4%(237,940)
Widowed3.1%(15,481)
Divorced9.2%(46,092)
Women 15+
Never married37.2%(210,084)
Married41.6%(235,022)
Widowed8.6%(48,503)
Divorced12.5%(70,742)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
11.0%
−4.6 ptssince 2013
from 15.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
53.4%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 54.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
12.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 11.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.7%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 16.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
22.7%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 22.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
63.7%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 64.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.6%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 35.8% 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)25.5%(16,136)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)28.8%(18,215)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era30.8%(19,437)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.7%(1,723)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(305)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 63,169 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
In this metro

Largest cities

MemphisCENTRAL609,647Southaven57,819Bartlett56,416Collierville51,909Olive Branch47,563Germantown40,001Horn Lake26,741West Memphis23,336Hernando18,824Arlington15,703Lakeland14,422Marion13,378Millington12,953Oakland10,835Atoka10,645Covington8,585Senatobia8,473Munford6,996Holly Springs6,402Somerville3,622Bridgetown3,195Brighton2,892Piperton2,889Tunica Resorts2,281Lynchburg2,161Earle1,721Walls1,420Byhalia1,412Mason1,342Coldwater1,326

The 30 most populous of 71 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

9 component counties

Shelby CountyCENTRAL910,226DeSoto CountyCENTRAL197,918Tipton County62,287Crittenden CountyCENTRAL46,210Fayette County45,071Marshall County34,654Tate County28,725Tunica County8,819Benton County7,502
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Memphis

Birmingham
Pop 1,197,766
Louisville
Pop 1,402,509
Oklahoma City
Pop 1,512,813
Buffalo
Pop 1,155,653
Places similar to Memphis
Head to head

Compare Memphis side by side

MEMPHIS VS
Birmingham
Income$72,464+175%
Home value$241,872+287%
Population1,197,766−11%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MEMPHIS VS
Louisville
Income$75,127+185%
Home value$252,743+304%
Population1,402,509+5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MEMPHIS VS
Oklahoma City
Income$72,641+176%
Home value$228,101+265%
Population1,512,813+13%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MEMPHIS VS
Buffalo
Income$72,257+174%
Home value$225,816+261%
Population1,155,653−14%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Memphis, TN-MS-AR?

Memphis, TN-MS-AR has about 1,075,309 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Memphis, TN-MS-AR?

The typical household in Memphis, TN-MS-AR earns about $26,356 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Memphis, TN-MS-AR expensive?

In Memphis, TN-MS-AR, the median home is worth about $62,486, and the typical rent is about $379 a month.

How educated are people in Memphis, TN-MS-AR?

About 18.1% of adults age 25 and over in Memphis, TN-MS-AR hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Memphis, TN-MS-AR?

About 19.2% of people in Memphis, TN-MS-AR live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →