Memphis, Tennessee Population 2024

610,944

Memphis is a city located in Shelby County Tennessee. Memphis has a 2024 population of 610,944. It is also the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis is currently declining at a rate of -0.82% annually and its population has decreased by -3.2% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 631,168 in 2020.

The average household income in Memphis is $74,176 with a poverty rate of 23.6%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. 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%
Land Area (mi²)
317.4 sq mi
Density (mi²)
1,925.10/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
-3.2% (-20,224)
The current population of Memphis, Tennessee is 610,944 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 631,168.

Memphis, Tennessee Population 2024

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
Black or African American405,46364.36%
White166,67926.46%
Other race24,4763.88%
Two or more races20,8193.3%
Asian10,3671.65%
Native American1,9250.31%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander2980.05%

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

Female330,32552.43%
Male299,70247.57%

Memphis Population by Age

Memphis Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All251,5862.4546.653.4
Non Family113,6381.2138.461.6
Married68,9703.2671.128.9
Female56,0343.7334.865.2
Male12,9443.4938.261.8

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

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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

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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

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$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

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Black397,152111,58528.1%
White146,72415,93910.86%
Hispanic49,41213,59027.5%
Other24,2947,09829.22%
Multiple20,5365,09224.8%
Asian10,1251,08310.7%
Native1,43880255.77%
Islander29517258.31%

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

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade35.16%
High School25.13%
Some College15.19%
Bachelors or Greater5.97%

Memphis Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed44.76%
Male Unemployed38.55%
Female Employed11.71%
Male Employed6.81%

Memphis Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Memphis Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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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

27,319

Number of Veterans

23,617

Male Veterans

3,702

Female Veterans

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Memphis Veterans by War

count

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Memphis Veterans by Age

count

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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

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
2029585,664-5,056-0.86%
2028590,720-5,056-0.85%
2027595,776-5,056-0.84%
2026600,832-5,056-0.83%
2025605,888-5,056-0.83%
2024610,944-5,056-0.82%
2023616,000-5,056-0.81%
2022621,056-4,926-0.79%
2021625,982-5,186-0.82%
2020631,168-19,830-3.05%
2019650,998-702-0.11%
2018651,7003020.05%
2017651,398-1,628-0.25%
2016653,026-1,443-0.22%
2015654,469-830-0.13%
2014655,299-2,087-0.32%
2013657,386-1,575-0.24%
2012658,9613,5270.54%
2011655,4343,0850.47%
2010652,34900%
2000650,10039,7636.51%
1990610,337-35,837-5.55%
1980646,17422,1863.56%
1970623,988126,46425.42%
1960497,524101,52425.64%
1950396,000103,05835.18%
1940292,94239,79915.72%
1930253,14390,79255.92%
1920162,35131,24623.83%
1910131,10528,78528.13%
1900102,32037,82558.65%
189064,49530,90392%
188033,592-6,634-16.49%
187040,22617,60377.81%
186022,62313,782155.89%
18508,841-576,823-98.49%
showing: 36 rows

Memphis Population by Year