Census tract · Shelby County
Census Tract 21, Shelby County, Tennessee
Census Tract 21, GEOID 47157002100, in Shelby County, Tennessee, entirely within Memphis. 1,533 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±400); the 2020 Census counted 1,422.
Residents, 2020-2024
1,533
±400 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 1,422
Median household income
$31,369
±$10,430 (90% margin)
Shelby County: $63,767
Median home value
$176,400
±$88,623 (90% margin)
Shelby County: $249,100
Median gross rent
$1,027
±$84 (90% margin)
Shelby County: $1,232
Where is Census Tract 21?
Census Tract 21 is one of 249 census tracts in Shelby County, Tennessee. It covers 0.30 square miles of land, 4,772 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 47157002100, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Memphis | 100% |
4 census tracts border Census Tract 21: Tract 1 ($65,236), Tract 2 ($23,231), Tract 20 ($32,093) and Tract 113 ($42,462). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 21?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 21's population at 1,533 (±400) in 775 households; the 2020 Census counted 1,422 residents and 809 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 21 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,533±400 | 618,980 |
| Households | 775±130 | 253,120 |
| Average household size | 1.98±0.42 | 2.39 |
| Housing units | 882±83 | 289,887 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 21?
The median resident of Census Tract 21 is 32.5 years old; 28.5% are under 18 and 10.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 78.0%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 13.0%.
| Measure | Tract 21 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.5±6.9 | 34.2 |
| Under 18 years | 28.5%±12.0 pts | 25.2% |
| 65 years and over | 10.1%±3.3 pts | 14.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 13.0%±14.8 pts | 10.4% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 7.5%±5.4 pts | 22.4% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 78.0%±15.1 pts | 62.7% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.1%±0.1 pts | 1.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.9 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.9 pts | 0.1% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.4%±2.2 pts | 2.3% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.9 pts | 0.5% |
| Born outside the United States | 0.8%±1.3 pts | 7.7% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.4%±2.8 pts | 11.5% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.2%±2.8 pts | 5.2% |
| With a disability | 17.5%±6.8 pts | 13.7% |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.4%±2.8 pts | 14.7% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 83.7%±7.3 pts | 87.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 29.5%±9.9 pts | 28.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.1%±4.4 pts | 11.3% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.0%±5.3 pts | 86.4% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Census Tract 21 earn?
Half of the 775 households in Census Tract 21 earn less than $31,369 a year (±$10,430), against $63,767 across Shelby County: 202nd highest of the county's 236 tracts with a reliable estimate. 24.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 21 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $31,369±$10,430 | $51,736 |
| Mean household income | $44,106±$8,138 | $78,517 |
| Per capita income | $22,806±$5,726 | $33,100 |
| People below the poverty line | 24.9%±9.5 pts | 23.1% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 24.0%±24.2 pts | 35.7% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 24.8%±9.3 pts | 19.9% |
| Households with a computer | 90.1%±5.4 pts | 93.7% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.7%±6.2 pts | 87.5% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Census Tract 21?
Owners occupy 17.2% of Census Tract 21's occupied homes and renters 82.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $176,400 by its owner (±$88,623). The median renter pays $1,027 a month including utilities, and 59.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 21 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $176,400±$88,623 | $169,000 |
| Median gross rent | $1,027±$84 | $1,181 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 59.5%±11.8 pts | 46.9% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $926±$138 | $1,420 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 17.2%±8.0 pts | 44.9% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 82.8%±8.0 pts | 55.1% |
| Housing units | 882±83 | 289,887 |
| Single-family detached homes | 37.9%±11.5 pts | 59.5% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±5.0 pts | 1.1% |
| Built 2020 or later | 15.6%±10.1 pts | 0.8% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 33.7%±10.4 pts | 3.8% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 2.8%±2.6 pts | 7.7% |
| Households with no vehicle | 21.8%±7.7 pts | 10.3% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Census Tract 21 get to work?
81.1% of Census Tract 21's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 24.5 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 21 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 72.5%±6.2 pts | 63.8% |
| Unemployment rate | 10.5%±7.1 pts | 8.3% |
| Drove alone to work | 81.1%±7.0 pts | 76.2% |
| Carpooled | 4.0%±3.6 pts | 10.4% |
| Public transportation | 10.5%±6.8 pts | 0.8% |
| Walked | 0.0%±6.0 pts | 1.7% |
| Worked from home | 3.3%±4.0 pts | 9.2% |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.5 min±4.9 | 21.1 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
How does Census Tract 21 compare with the other tracts in Shelby County?
Among Shelby County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 21 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Shelby County | In Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 222nd of 245 | 172nd of 193 |
| Residents per square mile | 36th of 249 | 36th of 197 |
| Median household income | 202nd of 236 | 150th of 184 |
| Per capita income | 176th of 244 | 124th of 192 |
| Median home value | 114th of 227 | 64th of 176 |
| Median gross rent | 185th of 236 | 140th of 190 |
| Poverty rate | 88th of 161 | 86th of 149 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 102nd of 209 | 64th of 157 |
| Median age | 174th of 245 | 125th of 193 |
| Owner-occupied share | 224th of 229 | 173rd of 178 |
The tracts next to it on Shelby County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 20 | 199th | $32,093±$10,845 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 221.31 | 200th | $32,083±$19,114 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 67 | 201st | $31,559±$8,289 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 21 | 202nd | $31,369±$10,430 |
| Tract 81.10 | 203rd | $31,354±$6,966 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3 | 204th | $31,146±$12,227 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 28 | 205th | $30,862±$8,566 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 21?
4 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 21 on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections