The Town Files

Shelby County, Tennessee

919,173 people. The median home is worth $249,100 (typical Tennessee town: $204,650) and the median household earns $63,767.

Towns in Shelby County

Towns in Shelby County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
Memphis633,104$169,000$51,73634.2
Bartlett57,786$310,400$102,07041.2
Collierville51,324$485,900$138,59841.0
Germantown41,333$470,800$149,92044.3
Arlington14,549$424,400$135,10536.7
Lakeland13,904$388,900$116,25041.0
Millington10,582$207,300$49,97937.6

People and housing

Shelby CountyTypical Tennessee town
Median home value$249,100$204,650
Median rent$1,232$863
Median household income$63,767$57,917
Median age35.940.8
Bachelor's degree or higher34.3%18.2%
Below the poverty line17.8%14.2%

Jobs and pay

482,470 jobs in 2024, average pay $71,518 a year.

Largest industries in Shelby CountyHealth care & social assistan…72,996 jobs · $71,431Transportation & warehousing66,573 jobs · $84,694Retail43,896 jobs · $44,580Administrative & support38,724 jobs · $45,503Hotels & restaurants38,226 jobs · $26,170Wholesale trade28,341 jobs · $90,277
BLS QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in Shelby County0%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023 4.3%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 1,185 storm events in Shelby County from 1996 to 2026, with 103 deaths.

Storm events in Shelby County by type since 1996Hail246Heat100Flood21Drought23High Wind12Lightning27Flash Flood206Strong Wind18Winter Storm30Excessive Heat46
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

Shelby County has been included in 28 FEMA declarations since 1953.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
February 6, 2026Winter StormDR-4898: Severe Winter Storm
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3635: Severe Winter Storm
June 19, 2025Severe StormDR-4878: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
April 2, 2025Severe StormEM-3625: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
September 4, 2023Severe StormDR-4735: Severe Storms And Straight-Line Winds
August 17, 2023Severe StormDR-4729: Severe Storms And Straight-Line Winds
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).