Living in Memphis, TN
Big city in Tennessee
Memphis is a big city in Tennessee, home to about 629,000 people, with 1.1 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.
Is Memphis a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $148k and rents for $1,680 a month
- Easy flying: MEM is 4 mi away
- Strong healthcare: 1 top-rated (4–5★) hospital within 31 mi
- Low taxes: no state income tax, 1.18% property tax
👎 Cons
- Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Higher crime: violent crime is 5.0× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Few dog parks: 6 within 9 mi
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Memphis ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Memphis: common questions
What is the cost of living in Memphis?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $148k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,680 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 92, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Memphis?
Tennessee has no state income tax, and homeowners here pay about 1.18% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Memphis safe?
Violent crime is well above the national rate (5.0× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Memphis?
Memphis has mild winters: winter days average around 53°F and summer days around 91°F, with roughly 3″ of snow a year.
Does Memphis get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is high, mainly from earthquakes, flooding and tornadoes: 18 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 2.04 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Memphis?
The nearest major airport is MEM, about 4 mi away.
How Memphis scores
Each bar compares Memphis with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Memphis
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 23 aspects.
Nearby
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Is Memphis right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.