Census tract · Shelby County
Census Tract 59, Shelby County, Tennessee
Census Tract 59, GEOID 47157005900, in Shelby County, Tennessee, entirely within Memphis. 2,082 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±775); the 2020 Census counted 1,952.
Residents, 2020-2024
2,082
±775 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 1,952
Median household income
$14,982
±$2,640 (90% margin)
Shelby County: $63,767
Median home value
$61,800
±$39,586 (90% margin)
Shelby County: $249,100
Median gross rent
$913
±$183 (90% margin)
Shelby County: $1,232
Where is Census Tract 59?
Census Tract 59 is one of 249 census tracts in Shelby County, Tennessee. It covers 0.55 square miles of land, 3,562 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 47157005900, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Memphis | 100% |
4 census tracts border Census Tract 59: Tract 57 ($29,014), Tract 58 ($17,344), Tract 115 ($27,460) and Tract 116 ($18,182). 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 59?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 59's population at 2,082 (±775) in 567 households; the 2020 Census counted 1,952 residents and 996 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 59 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,082±775 | 618,980 |
| Households | 567±120 | 253,120 |
| Average household size | 3.63±1.20 | 2.39 |
| Housing units | 848±113 | 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 59?
The median resident of Census Tract 59 is 33.6 years old; 34.4% are under 18 and 16.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 90.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 4.1%.
| Measure | Tract 59 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.6±6.5 | 34.2 |
| Under 18 years | 34.4%±11.7 pts | 25.2% |
| 65 years and over | 16.0%±6.7 pts | 14.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.1%±4.2 pts | 10.4% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 3.2%±3.7 pts | 22.4% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 90.4%±5.9 pts | 62.7% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.1 pts | 1.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.1 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.1 pts | 0.1% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.3%±2.5 pts | 2.3% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.1 pts | 0.5% |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0%±0.1 pts | 7.7% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.7%±1.9 pts | 11.5% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.8%±4.5 pts | 5.2% |
| With a disability | 23.3%±11.0 pts | 13.7% |
| No health insurance coverage | 17.9%±8.1 pts | 14.7% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 78.1%±7.7 pts | 87.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 7.3%±6.2 pts | 28.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.8%±1.9 pts | 11.3% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 83.2%±11.2 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 59 earn?
Half of the 567 households in Census Tract 59 earn less than $14,982 a year (±$2,640), against $63,767 across Shelby County: 235th highest of the county's 236 tracts with a reliable estimate. 83.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 59 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $14,982±$2,640 | $51,736 |
| Mean household income | $24,670±$7,425 | $78,517 |
| Per capita income | $7,370±$3,389 | $33,100 |
| People below the poverty line | 83.6%±8.0 pts | 23.1% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 99.6%±0.9 pts | 35.7% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 41.3%±13.3 pts | 19.9% |
| Households with a computer | 98.6%±2.3 pts | 93.7% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.1%±10.1 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 59?
Owners occupy 44.3% of Census Tract 59's occupied homes and renters 55.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $61,800 by its owner (±$39,586). The median renter pays $913 a month including utilities, and 78.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 59 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $61,800±$39,586 | $169,000 |
| Median gross rent | $913±$183 | $1,181 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 78.0%±16.8 pts | 46.9% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $911±$134 | $1,420 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 44.3%±17.6 pts | 44.9% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 55.7%±17.6 pts | 55.1% |
| Housing units | 848±113 | 289,887 |
| Single-family detached homes | 61.2%±12.6 pts | 59.5% |
| Mobile homes | 1.8%±2.9 pts | 1.1% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±5.2 pts | 0.8% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0%±5.2 pts | 3.8% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 23.6%±11.3 pts | 7.7% |
| Households with no vehicle | 12.5%±8.3 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 59 get to work?
90.4% of Census Tract 59's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 22.8 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 43.8%.
| Measure | Tract 59 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 35.0%±9.2 pts | 63.8% |
| Unemployment rate | 43.8%±19.2 pts | 8.3% |
| Drove alone to work | 90.4%±12.0 pts | 76.2% |
| Carpooled | 4.1%±10.9 pts | 10.4% |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±15.3 pts | 0.8% |
| Walked | 3.0%±7.3 pts | 1.7% |
| Worked from home | 2.6%±4.3 pts | 9.2% |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.8 min±2.7 | 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 59 compare with the other tracts in Shelby County?
Among Shelby County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 59 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Shelby County | In Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 197th of 245 | 147th of 193 |
| Residents per square mile | 83rd of 249 | 78th of 197 |
| Median household income | 235th of 236 | 183rd of 184 |
| Per capita income | 244th of 244 | 192nd of 192 |
| Median home value | 213th of 227 | 162nd of 176 |
| Median gross rent | 216th of 236 | 170th of 190 |
| Poverty rate | 1st of 161 | 1st of 149 |
| Median age | 159th of 245 | 114th of 193 |
| Owner-occupied share | 143rd of 229 | 95th of 178 |
The tracts next to it on Shelby County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Tract 37 | 234th | $17,266±$9,047 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 59 | 235th | $14,982±$2,640 |
| Tract 50 | 236th | $12,132±$2,622 · 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 59?
5 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 59 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