Census tract · Shelby County
Census Tract 205.42, Shelby County, Tennessee
Census Tract 205.42, GEOID 47157020542, in Shelby County, Tennessee, entirely within Memphis. 5,229 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±1,470); the 2020 Census counted 5,237.
Residents, 2020-2024
5,229
±1,470 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 5,237
Median household income
$43,865
±$2,804 (90% margin)
Shelby County: $63,767
Median home value
$186,400
±$8,193 (90% margin)
Shelby County: $249,100
Median gross rent
$1,048
±$69 (90% margin)
Shelby County: $1,232
Where is Census Tract 205.42?
Census Tract 205.42 is one of 249 census tracts in Shelby County, Tennessee. It covers 1.76 square miles of land, 2,974 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 47157020542, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Memphis | 100% |
5 census tracts border Census Tract 205.42: Tract 89 ($41,635), Tract 205.41 ($59,911), Tract 205.43 ($43,013), Tract 206.10 ($54,764) and Tract 206.21 ($50,884). 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 205.42?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 205.42's population at 5,229 (±1,470) in 2,156 households; the 2020 Census counted 5,237 residents and 2,472 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 205.42 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,229 ±1,470 | 618,980 |
| Households | 2,156 ±316 | 253,120 |
| Average household size | 2.43 ±0.50 | 2.39 |
| Housing units | 2,601 ±275 | 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 205.42?
The median resident of Census Tract 205.42 is 26.7 years old; 24.7% are under 18 and 6.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 88.7%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 3.7%.
| Measure | Tract 205.42 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 26.7 ±1.3 | 34.2 |
| Under 18 years | 24.7% ±10.6 pts | 25.2% |
| 65 years and over | 6.1% ±2.7 pts | 14.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.7% ±4.7 pts | 10.4% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 3.7% ±2.4 pts | 22.4% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 88.7% ±6.2 pts | 62.7% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.7 pts | 1.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.1% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.1% ±3.0 pts | 2.3% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.8 pts | 0.5% |
| Born outside the United States | 5.5% ±5.5 pts | 7.7% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 9.5% ±8.5 pts | 11.5% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 0.6% ±1.0 pts | 5.2% |
| With a disability | 18.9% ±7.3 pts | 13.7% |
| No health insurance coverage | 23.1% ±10.8 pts | 14.7% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.1% ±5.6 pts | 87.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 9.5% ±5.8 pts | 28.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.0% ±2.0 pts | 11.3% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 85.8% ±10.9 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 205.42 earn?
Half of the 2,156 households in Census Tract 205.42 earn less than $43,865 a year (±$2,804), against $63,767 across Shelby County: 150th highest of the county's 236 tracts with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Tract 205.42 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $43,865 ±$2,804 | $51,736 |
| Mean household income | $53,049 ±$8,488 | $78,517 |
| Per capita income | $22,932 ±$4,597 | $33,100 |
| People below the poverty line | 15.2% ±10.8 pts | 23.1% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 31.4% ±23.9 pts | 35.7% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 31.7% ±11.7 pts | 19.9% |
| Households with a computer | 94.1% ±6.1 pts | 93.7% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.5% ±7.8 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 205.42?
Owners occupy 20.4% of Census Tract 205.42's occupied homes and renters 79.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $186,400 by its owner (±$8,193). The median renter pays $1,048 a month including utilities, and 43.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 205.42 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $186,400 ±$8,193 | $169,000 |
| Median gross rent | $1,048 ±$69 | $1,181 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 43.7% ±14.1 pts | 46.9% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,293 ±$178 | $1,420 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 20.4% ±10.7 pts | 44.9% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 79.6% ±10.7 pts | 55.1% |
| Housing units | 2,601 ±275 | 289,887 |
| Single-family detached homes | 26.9% ±8.0 pts | 59.5% |
| Mobile homes | 2.1% ±3.0 pts | 1.1% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 0.8% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 3.8% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 5.8% ±6.4 pts | 7.7% |
| Households with no vehicle | 18.9% ±9.0 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 205.42 get to work?
79.6% of Census Tract 205.42's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 24.7 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 205.42 | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 73.2% ±11.1 pts | 63.8% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.7% ±7.4 pts | 8.3% |
| Drove alone to work | 79.6% ±12.0 pts | 76.2% |
| Carpooled | 18.2% ±12.0 pts | 10.4% |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 0.8% |
| Walked | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 1.7% |
| Worked from home | 0.8% ±1.5 pts | 9.2% |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.7 min ±2.8 | 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 205.42 compare with the other tracts in Shelby County?
Among Shelby County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 205.42 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Shelby County | In Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 53rd of 245 | 32nd of 193 |
| Residents per square mile | 125th of 249 | 112th of 197 |
| Median household income | 150th of 236 | 99th of 184 |
| Per capita income | 174th of 244 | 122nd of 192 |
| Median home value | 111th of 227 | 63rd of 176 |
| Median gross rent | 174th of 236 | 129th of 190 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 202nd of 209 | 150th of 157 |
| Median age | 228th of 245 | 176th of 193 |
| Owner-occupied share | 220th of 229 | 169th of 178 |
The tracts next to it on Shelby County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 205.32 | 147th | $44,833±$6,068 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 217.56 | 148th | $44,777±$13,682 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 117 | 149th | $43,875±$12,255 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 205.42 | 150th | $43,865±$2,804 |
| Tract 25 | 151st | $43,852±$16,474 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 217.24 | 152nd | $43,694±$8,377 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 99.01 | 153rd | $43,655±$9,645 · 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 205.42?
4 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 205.42 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