613,110
Memphis is a city located in Fayette County and 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.
Memphis Population Statistics
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.
Memphis Population Growth
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.
Memphis Demographics
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Memphis was:
- Black or African American: 64.36%
- White: 26.46%
- Other race: 3.88%
- Two or more races: 3.3%
- Asian: 1.65%
- Native American: 0.31%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.05%
State
Tennessee
County
Fayette County
Shelby County
Land Area (mi²)
296.2
sq mi
Density (mi²)
2,069.90
/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
-3.48% (
-22,115
)
The current population of Memphis, Tennessee is 613,110 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates (released May 2024). The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 635,225.
Population by Race
Black or African American
White
Other race
Two or more races
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Memphis Population by Race
Memphis Population Pyramid 2024
Memphis Median Age
34.5
Total
33
Male
36.3
Female
Memphis Adults
There are 475,181 adults, (88,265 of whom are seniors) in Memphis.
Memphis Age Dependency
62.8
Age Dependency Ratio
22.8
Old Age Dependency Ratio
40
Child Dependency Ratio
Memphis Sex Ratio
Female | 330,325 | 52.43% |
Male | 299,702 | 47.57% |
Memphis Population by Age
Memphis Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type
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
Memphis Households and Families
Male
Female
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
Memphis Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)
Memphis Educational Attainment by Race
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
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%.
Memphis Educational Attainment by Race
All
Male
Female
$38,570
Average Earnings
$41,659
Average Male
$36,026
Average Female
Memphis Earnings by Educational Attainment
Memphis Language by Age
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
Memphis Language
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.
Memphis Language
Memphis Poverty by Race
rate
23.6%
Overall Poverty Rate
21.6%
Male Poverty Rate
25.4%
Female Poverty Rate
Poverty in Memphis
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%.
Memphis Poverty
rate
Memphis Poverty Rate by Education
rate
Memphis Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex
Memphis Income by Household Type
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
mean
median
Income by Household Type
Memphis Marital Status
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Marriage Rates
31.1%
Overall Marriage Rate
34.4%
Male Marriage Rate
28.2%
Female Marriage Rate
Memphis Married by Age and Sex
male
female
Memphis Marriage
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.
Memphis Marital Status by Race
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Memphis Marital Status
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
Memphis Veterans by War
Memphis Veterans by Age
count
Memphis Veterans by Race
Memphis Veterans by Education
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
12.13%
Veteran Poverty Rate
29.41%
Veteran Disability Rate
Memphis Veterans by Education
LaborForceParticipation
63.6%
Labor Force Participation
57.9%
Employment Rate
8.6%
Unemployment Rate
Memphis Employment by Age
LaborForceParticipation
Memphis Employment by Race
LaborForceParticipation
Memphis Employment by Education
Origin of Non-Citizens
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.
Origin of Naturalized Citizens
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
Place of Birth
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.
Memphis Place of Birth
Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change
Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
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% |
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