Census tract · Shelby County
Census Tract 38, Shelby County, Tennessee
Census Tract 38, GEOID 47157003800, in Shelby County, Tennessee, entirely within Memphis. 699 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±131); the 2020 Census counted 818.
Residents, 2020-2024
699
±131 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 818
Median household income
$20,560
±$11,790 (90% margin)
Shelby County: $63,767
Median home value
not published
Shelby County: $249,100
Median gross rent
$910
±$65 (90% margin)
Shelby County: $1,232
Where is Census Tract 38?
Census Tract 38 is one of 249 census tracts in Shelby County, Tennessee. It covers 0.28 square miles of land, 2,953 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 47157003800, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Memphis | 100% |
5 census tracts border Census Tract 38: Tract 24 ($41,471), Tract 36, Tract 37 ($17,266), Tract 39 ($19,139) and Tract 114.01 ($39,555). 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 38?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 38's population at 699 (±131) in 433 households; the 2020 Census counted 818 residents and 712 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 38 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 699±131 | 618,980 |
| Households | 433±57 | 253,120 |
| Average household size | 1.32±0.26 | 2.39 |
| Housing units | 579±56 | 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 38?
The median resident of Census Tract 38 is 41.0 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 59.5%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 25.8%. 22.2% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 38 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.0±12.5 | 34.2 |
| Under 18 years | 2.3%±3.2 pts | 25.2% |
| 65 years and over | 16.2%±6.7 pts | 14.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.6%±3.5 pts | 10.4% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 25.8%±12.3 pts | 22.4% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 59.5%±15.1 pts | 62.7% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 5.9%±6.6 pts | 1.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±6.2 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 4.3%±7.0 pts | 0.1% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.0%±6.2 pts | 2.3% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±6.2 pts | 0.5% |
| Born outside the United States | 22.2%±11.2 pts | 7.7% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 11.6%±8.3 pts | 11.5% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 12.7%±7.1 pts | 5.2% |
| With a disability | 22.4%±11.4 pts | 13.7% |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.6%±5.2 pts | 14.7% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 74.6%±12.2 pts | 87.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 12.9%±8.2 pts | 28.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.2%±5.3 pts | 11.3% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 63.4%±13.0 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 38 earn?
Half of the 433 households in Census Tract 38 earn less than $20,560 a year (±$11,790), against $63,767 across Shelby County: 230th highest of the county's 236 tracts with a reliable estimate. 33.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 38 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $20,560±$11,790 | $51,736 |
| Mean household income | $39,572±$12,775 | $78,517 |
| Per capita income | $26,958±$5,620 | $33,100 |
| People below the poverty line | 33.3%±13.1 pts | 23.1% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0%±100.0 pts | 35.7% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 28.4%±15.5 pts | 19.9% |
| Households with a computer | 90.8%±5.8 pts | 93.7% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 84.3%±8.7 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 38?
The median renter pays $910 a month including utilities, and 39.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 38 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $910±$65 | $1,181 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 39.2%±15.9 pts | 46.9% |
| Owner-occupied homes | 1.4%±2.2 pts | 44.9% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 98.6%±2.2 pts | 55.1% |
| Housing units | 579±56 | 289,887 |
| Single-family detached homes | 5.7%±6.3 pts | 59.5% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±7.5 pts | 1.1% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±7.5 pts | 0.8% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0%±7.5 pts | 3.8% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 4.7%±4.7 pts | 7.7% |
| Households with no vehicle | 52.4%±14.1 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 38 get to work?
41.0% of Census Tract 38's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 27.4 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 38 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 53.3%±10.6 pts | 63.8% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.2%±6.6 pts | 8.3% |
| Drove alone to work | 41.0%±15.4 pts | 76.2% |
| Carpooled | 12.7%±11.0 pts | 10.4% |
| Public transportation | 8.1%±11.0 pts | 0.8% |
| Walked | 27.7%±13.3 pts | 1.7% |
| Worked from home | 6.9%±8.5 pts | 9.2% |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.4 min±17.7 | 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 38 compare with the other tracts in Shelby County?
Among Shelby County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 38 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Shelby County | In Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 243rd of 245 | 191st of 193 |
| Residents per square mile | 127th of 249 | 114th of 197 |
| Median household income | 230th of 236 | 178th of 184 |
| Per capita income | 139th of 244 | 88th of 192 |
| Median gross rent | 218th of 236 | 172nd of 190 |
| Poverty rate | 55th of 161 | 54th of 149 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 177th of 209 | 125th of 157 |
| Median age | 74th of 245 | 47th of 193 |
The tracts next to it on Shelby County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4 | 227th | $23,370±$11,386 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 2 | 228th | $23,231±$2,575 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 99.02 | 229th | $20,563±$9,761 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 38 | 230th | $20,560±$11,790 |
| Tract 39 | 231st | $19,139±$9,528 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 116 | 232nd | $18,182±$10,724 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 58 | 233rd | $17,344±$9,650 · 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 38?
4 of the 17 figures for Census Tract 38 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