Census tract · Shelby County
Census Tract 72, Shelby County, Tennessee
Census Tract 72, GEOID 47157007200, in Shelby County, Tennessee, entirely within Memphis. 2,782 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±329); the 2020 Census counted 2,966.
Residents, 2020-2024
2,782
±329 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 2,966
Median household income
$88,411
±$16,918 (90% margin)
Shelby County: $63,767
Median home value
$303,200
±$36,942 (90% margin)
Shelby County: $249,100
Median gross rent
$1,694
±$192 (90% margin)
Shelby County: $1,232
Where is Census Tract 72?
Census Tract 72 is one of 249 census tracts in Shelby County, Tennessee. It covers 0.86 square miles of land, 3,453 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 47157007200, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Memphis | 100% |
4 census tracts border Census Tract 72: Tract 30, Tract 70 ($23,653), Tract 71 ($124,583) and Tract 73 ($36,908). 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 72?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 72's population at 2,782 (±329) in 1,615 households; the 2020 Census counted 2,966 residents and 1,759 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 72 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,782±329 | 618,980 |
| Households | 1,615±183 | 253,120 |
| Average household size | 1.72±0.14 | 2.39 |
| Housing units | 1,791±183 | 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 72?
The median resident of Census Tract 72 is 31.4 years old; 11.0% are under 18 and 15.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 79.1%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 11.9%.
| Measure | Tract 72 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.4±1.6 | 34.2 |
| Under 18 years | 11.0%±4.2 pts | 25.2% |
| 65 years and over | 15.1%±4.8 pts | 14.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.5%±2.4 pts | 10.4% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 79.1%±9.3 pts | 22.4% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 11.9%±7.4 pts | 62.7% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 3.1%±3.6 pts | 1.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.6 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.6 pts | 0.1% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.4%±3.0 pts | 2.3% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.6 pts | 0.5% |
| Born outside the United States | 4.7%±3.5 pts | 7.7% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.7%±4.8 pts | 11.5% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.2%±1.8 pts | 5.2% |
| With a disability | 7.4%±3.4 pts | 13.7% |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.3%±2.0 pts | 14.7% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.8%±1.5 pts | 87.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 75.1%±6.6 pts | 28.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 47.0%±7.5 pts | 11.3% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 79.8%±7.5 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 72 earn?
Half of the 1,615 households in Census Tract 72 earn less than $88,411 a year (±$16,918), against $63,767 across Shelby County: 62nd highest of the county's 236 tracts with a reliable estimate. 16.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 72 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $88,411±$16,918 | $51,736 |
| Mean household income | $106,623±$15,552 | $78,517 |
| Per capita income | $62,408±$10,229 | $33,100 |
| People below the poverty line | 16.5%±7.1 pts | 23.1% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0%±14.1 pts | 35.7% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 5.9%±6.9 pts | 19.9% |
| Households with a computer | 98.8%±1.6 pts | 93.7% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 96.7%±4.6 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 72?
Owners occupy 50.1% of Census Tract 72's occupied homes and renters 49.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $303,200 by its owner (±$36,942). The median renter pays $1,694 a month including utilities, and 58.1% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 72 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $303,200±$36,942 | $169,000 |
| Median gross rent | $1,694±$192 | $1,181 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 58.1%±16.0 pts | 46.9% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,850±$273 | $1,420 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 50.1%±9.1 pts | 44.9% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 49.9%±9.1 pts | 55.1% |
| Housing units | 1,791±183 | 289,887 |
| Single-family detached homes | 60.8%±7.0 pts | 59.5% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±2.5 pts | 1.1% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±2.5 pts | 0.8% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 30.2%±6.8 pts | 3.8% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 27.6%±8.6 pts | 7.7% |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.1%±1.7 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 72 get to work?
81.8% of Census Tract 72's workers drive alone and 14.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 17.5 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 72 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 82.4%±5.4 pts | 63.8% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4%±5.9 pts | 8.3% |
| Drove alone to work | 81.8%±6.9 pts | 76.2% |
| Carpooled | 3.0%±2.8 pts | 10.4% |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±2.3 pts | 0.8% |
| Walked | 0.0%±2.3 pts | 1.7% |
| Worked from home | 14.1%±6.2 pts | 9.2% |
| Mean travel time to work | 17.5 min±1.5 | 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 72 compare with the other tracts in Shelby County?
Among Shelby County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 72 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Shelby County | In Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 172nd of 245 | 125th of 193 |
| Residents per square mile | 87th of 249 | 82nd of 197 |
| Median household income | 62nd of 236 | 25th of 184 |
| Per capita income | 32nd of 244 | 16th of 192 |
| Median home value | 57th of 227 | 24th of 176 |
| Median gross rent | 40th of 236 | 18th of 190 |
| Poverty rate | 121st of 161 | 118th of 149 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 8th of 209 | 4th of 157 |
| Median age | 184th of 245 | 135th of 193 |
| Owner-occupied share | 117th of 229 | 72nd of 178 |
The tracts next to it on Shelby County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 211.41 | 59th | $89,205±$17,698 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 95.02 | 60th | $88,625±$11,205 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 86 | 61st | $88,519±$28,037 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 72 | 62nd | $88,411±$16,918 |
| Tract 206.52 | 63rd | $87,727±$18,976 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 213.54 | 64th | $87,594±$14,830 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 205.11 | 65th | $87,080±$3,029 · 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 72?
2 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 72 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