Shelby County · Tennessee
Memphis, TN demographics
Population, income and the local tax burden that sits on top of them — sourced from the Census Bureau and the Tennessee Department of Revenue.
Quick answer
Memphis, TN has a population of 618,639 and a median household income of $47,948 — about $3,996 a month before tax. That ranks 87 of 94 covered metros by income and 28 of 94 by population.
Population
618,639
City limits, ACS 5-year
Median household income
$47,948
ACS 5-year estimate
Combined sales tax
9.75%
Tennessee + local
Income rank
#87
of 94 covered metros
Estimated annual sales tax on a median household
A Memphis household at the median income of $47,948 spending roughly a quarter of pre-tax income on taxable retail goods would pay about $1,169 a year in sales tax at 9.75%. This is an illustration, not a filing figure: the taxable share of spending varies with household composition, and Tennessee exempts or discounts several categories. Memphis added a half-cent city increment in 2023 for public safety pay, taking it to Tennessee's statutory maximum.
Method: median household income × 25% taxable share × combined rate. The 25% share is a rough national benchmark from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, not a Memphis-specific measurement.
Sources
What each figure on this page comes from.
- Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates
- Source: Tennessee Department of Revenue rate tables · rates as published for 2026