Your EZ Home Search Guide to Moving to Memphis, TN

Memphis may be the “Home of the Blues,” but you won’t feel blue living in such an energetic city. Roll on down the Mississippi to where famous musicians have got their start to see why Memphis’ star is rising. Our moving guide dishes some essential information about living in Memphis, from a few bucket list attractions to its cost of living! Learn what life in modern “Bluff City” looks like.

A Storied History

No one can deny Memphis, Tennessee, is wealthy in history and culture. Founded in 1819 on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River, it was named after Memphis, Egypt, because of its strategic location on the “Nile of the Americas.” Thanks to its riverfront, it quickly became a major transportation and commerce hub.

Later on, Memphis played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement, with notable figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks appearing in the city to champion the end of segregation policies.

And we can’t skip over the city’s musical heritage. Many consider it to be the birthplace of rock and roll, with legendary musicians such as Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, and Justin Timberlake either being born or launching their careers here. Just check out this comprehensive list of musicians and you’ll be impressed. “Memphis Soul” is its own sound.

Besides the musical styling, Memphis’ soul includes world-famous “soul food,” with world-renowned barbecue and cooking traditions. Add to that a vibrant arts scene, numerous festivals and events, and a large parks system, and Memphis is a modern dynamic city with a flavor all its own.

Hot Weather

Living in Memphis comes with its own set of climate challenges. The city experiences hot, humid summers, with July and August averaging about 90F. Air conditioning and water parks will be your friend! The tradeoff is mild winters with occasional snowfall, totaling only about four inches yearly. And it won’t stick around long when it does snow. Ice storms are a bigger threat than snowfall.

Average temperatures range from low-50Fs to upper 80Fs during the year, so it’s essential to be prepared for both extremes when moving to Memphis. Gardeners will be pleased that rainfall happens all year round, making it fertile land for growing.

As far as storms go, high winds are a threat. Memphis lies inside Dixie Alley, a smaller but still powerful version of “Tornado Alley” that crosses Mississippi and Alabama. Spring is the ripe time to be on the lookout for tornadic activity.

Cost of Living

Stretch your dollars further so you have more time to enjoy Memphis’s musical sites and festivals. Expenses typically run lower than the national average, making it a great place to live for those on a budget.

Housing costs are among the most affordable in the US, with median home prices around $199,000 in May 2023. Sperling’s Best Places Index has Memphis housing running 57% under the national rate and 37% under the Tennessee median!

Memphis truly has some great neighborhoods to call home, so check out some of its top neighborhoods and see how much you could save while living in a fun city.

Taxes

One thing about Tennessee living is its high sales taxes on goods and services. Memphis’s combined state, county, and city sales tax ran 9.75% in 2022. Tennessee took 7% of that, while Memphis took 0.5%.

But on the bright side, Tennessee is one of the few states without an individual income tax! You’ll still pay federal taxes, of course.

Tennessee has a reputation for generously low property taxes. City property taxes for 2022 were $2.701640 per $100 of assessed value. Memphis residents also pay Shelby County taxes, which, combined with the Memphis rate, brought property taxes up to $3.39 per $100 assessed value.

Job Market

Memphis has indeed seen its fair share of hard times. In May 2023, the unemployment rate was 3.8% for the greater Memphis area, just slightly above the US rate of 3.6%. However, that doesn’t tell the whole story, as Memphis is adding jobs. The local Chamber set a goal to add 50,000 new jobs in the region by 2030, and it added 2,700 in the first year. Memphis has four Fortune 1000 companies with headquarters: FedEx, International Paper, First Horizon, and AutoZone. These are also some of the city’s major employers.

Leading industries based on the number of persons employed were trade, transportation, and utilities, followed by professional services, education, and healthcare. The average per-hour salary was $31.61, also under the US going rate. Just remember the cost of living is cheaper here, too, so wages reflect that.

Education

With over 290 private and public schools in the area, Memphis has some schools ranking in the top 20 for the state, like Middle College High School (no 14). But the quality standards aren’t cohesive, so if access to top-notch education is a priority, research the individual school options.

If you want to attend a college that excels in academics and athletics, put the University of Memphis on your radar. With over 200 areas of study, plus Division I athletics, it’s a local powerhouse for higher education. It ranked no. 263 in the nation and enrolled 16,700 undergraduates for 2021.

Another prized Memphis institution is Rhodes College, a private liberal arts college on a beautiful, historic campus with around 2,000 undergraduates. It’s a top 100 liberal arts college in the nation as it pairs studies with interdisciplinary research.

Navigating Daily Life

Memphis’ public transportation system (MATA) uses buses and three trolleys that cover most of the city. For tourists, it may be a cheap way to get around, but for locals, it can sometimes test their patience.

Driving is the easiest way to get where you want to go in Memphis. When you visit downtown, parking can be found in garages and lots and on the street.

Thanks to 60 miles of pathways, biking is a popular way to get around. The Explore Bike Share program has 60 stations in key areas around the city center. While biking is increasingly popular, there’s still a lot of vehicle traffic. It’s a good idea to wear high-vis colors or lights to help drivers see you.

Exploring Memphis

When exploring Memphis, there’s no shortage of things to do. Iconic attractions like Graceland and Beale Street bring tourists into the city and are part of the city’s culture. But just stroll around town, and you’ll be enthralled by the energetic nightlife, street air, and delicious BBQ scents wafting on the breeze.

As you settle into your home, hit up these bucket-list attractions to learn why these places are central to Memphis’ soul.

Graceland: No trip to Memphis is complete without a visit to the home of Elvis Presley. This iconic attraction is the US’s second most visited private residence after the White House! As a local, you’ve got to see the King at least once.

Beale Street: The National Historic Landmark Street runs through the heart of Memphis and has been the destination for music, food, and entertainment for locals and tourists since the early 1900s.

National Civil Rights Museum: Located at the former Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, this museum takes visitors on a journey through the civil rights movement in America.

Memphis Zoo: The Memphis Zoo is one of the top family-friendly attractions. Visit the more than 3,500 animals from around the world living here.

Shelby Farms: This massive park is 4,500 acres packed with urban trails, hiking, sports fields, and preserved spaces.

The BBQ & Soul Food

Y’all better loosen those belts because the food in Memphis will leave you bursting at the seams! World-famous Memphis BBQ makes the soul food city an ultimate destination for meat lovers. There’s no shortage of finger-licking goodness, from the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest to the countless restaurants serving the best in classic soul food town. We’re talking Cajun-style from down south, catfish, fried chicken, and fried green tomatoes.

Which one is the best? We’ll let you decide, but some popular joints are Corky’s Ribs and BBQ, Central BBQ, and the Bar-B-Q Shop.

And top of that, Memphis throws down some crazy delicious food festivals, and not just the World Barbeque Cooking Championships. We’re talking about Rajun Cajun Crawfish, the Overton Square Crawfish Festival, Memphis Chicken and Beer Festival, and Memphis Brewfest. If beer is more your style, Cooper-Young Beerfest and Memphis Beerfest will have you sipping on samples from dozens of local brews. So come hungry and leave happy at these epic food festivals!

The Crime Rate

Look, no bones about it: Memphis has a dangerous reputation. According to the FBI’s crime statistics, the city has been named the most dangerous in the United States. That’s the top spot for both the violent and property crime rates, beating out all those other cities. With 237 homicides reported in 2019, that number skyrocketed to 327 in 2020 – an increase of 38 percent. The city is being challenged by drug trafficking and gang activity.

But the crime problems aren’t prevalent across the city, and many areas and suburbs have much lower or reasonable crime rates in line with national averages. It’s all about where you are in Memphis.

Moving to Memphis

So whether you’ve landed an exciting new job opportunity or just find living in a culturally rich city appealing, let Memphis’ music, restaurants, and low cost of living win you over. This Mississippi River town will keep you busy exploring its storied history or indulging in its world-famous music attractions. Want to learn more about living in Memphis? Let a local real estate agent be your guide to the best places around town.