38109 ZIP Code — Memphis, TN

Shelby County, Tennessee

ZIP code 38109 is located in Memphis, Tennessee, within Shelby County. It covers approximately 59.71 square miles and serves a population of 45,204 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 901.

About ZIP code 38109

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1950s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $72,200. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 55%.

Median household income is $35,018. Poverty affects 31% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 31% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 42% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 24 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 13% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (47%), diabetes (22%), smoking (24%) compared to national benchmarks. 18% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 38109 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

45,204

population

59.71

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

38109 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 38109

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 38109. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Memphis	Acceptable
Memphis	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

72301 West Memphis (4.3 mi) 38106 Memphis (5.6 mi) 38686 Walls (6.8 mi) 38680 Walls (7.1 mi) 72376 Proctor (7.6 mi) 38126 Memphis (8.8 mi) 38137 Memphis (9 mi) 38116 Memphis (9.2 mi) 38103 Memphis (9.2 mi) 37544 Memphis (9.6 mi) 37501 Memphis (9.6 mi) 38197 Memphis (9.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	45,204
Population density	757 / sq mi
State FIPS	47
County FIPS	157

Geography
Land area	59.71 sq mi
Water area	2.08 sq mi
Latitude	35.0538
Longitude	-90.1728
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	901

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	69.3%	48.0%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	22.5%	27.7%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	7.0%	17.7%	18.3%
Over $200k	1.2%	6.5%	5.1%

Demographics & statistics

45,204

Population

757

People per sq mi

39.5

Median age

$35,018

Median household income

$20,547

Per capita income

$72,200

Median home value

$959

Median monthly rent

55.2%

Home ownership

30.7%

Poverty rate

17.5%

Unemployment

11,516

Housing units

13.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,430

Under 5

1,726

1,175

5–9

1,418

1,486

10–14

1,793

1,330

15–19

1,605

1,093

20–24

1,319

2,501

25–34

3,017

2,587

35–44

3,121

2,334

45–54

2,815

1,185

55–59

1,429

1,325

60–64

1,599

2,235

65–74

2,697

1,304

75–84

1,574

501

85+

605

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	10,937	24.2%
18 and over	34,267	75.8%
65 and over	8,916	19.7%
Median age	39.5 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 94.7%

White 2.7%

Two or more races 1.7%

Hispanic or Latino 0.4%

Other race 0.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	43,019	94.7%
White	1,209	2.7%
Two or more races	763	1.7%
Hispanic or Latino	199	0.4%
Other race	189	0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	24	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	69.3%	48.0%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	22.5%	27.7%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	7.0%	17.7%	18.3%
Over $200k	1.2%	6.5%	5.1%

Under $10k 9.6%

$10k–$15k 7.5%

$15k–$25k 16.3%

$25k–$35k 16.6%

$35k–$50k 15.4%

$50k–$75k 14.6%

$75k–$100k 8.6%

$100k–$150k 7.2%

$150k–$200k 1.9%

$200k+ 2.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	9.6%
$10k–$15k	7.5%
$15k–$25k	16.3%
$25k–$35k	16.6%
$35k–$50k	15.4%
$50k–$75k	14.6%
$75k–$100k	8.6%
$100k–$150k	7.2%
$150k–$200k	1.9%
$200k+	2.2%
Median income	$35,018

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 16.6%

$50k–$100k 60.2%

$100k–$150k 9.8%

$150k–$200k 4.5%

$200k–$300k 6.0%

$300k–$500k 1.5%

$500k–$1M 0.7%

$1M+ 0.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$72,200
Median rent / month	$959
Owner occupied	55.2%
Renter occupied	44.8%
Vacant	12.0%
Single-family detached	86.8%
Large apartment buildings	3.1%
Mobile homes	1.1%
Median rooms	5.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.61

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	1.7%
2000–2009	5.4%
1990–1999	4.9%
1980–1989	5.1%
1970–1979	17.0%
1960–1969	21.7%
1950–1959	30.3%
1940–1949	11.5%
1939 or earlier	2.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.0%
1 bedroom	2.6%
2 bedrooms	20.0%
3 bedrooms	61.6%
4 bedrooms	12.9%
5+ bedrooms	1.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	13.2%
1 vehicle	46.9%
2 vehicles	28.9%
3 or more	10.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	50.7%
Electricity	48.2%
Propane / LP gas	0.7%
Wood	0.1%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,763	22.5%
Cohabiting couple	764	4.6%
Male householder, no spouse	3,421	20.5%
Female householder, no spouse	8,770	52.5%
Households with children under 18	4,793	28.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	6,972	41.7%
Average household size	2.70

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	52.5%	47.5%
Married	27.3%	21.4%
Separated	5.8%	3.4%
Widowed	5.5%	15.9%
Divorced	8.9%	11.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.5%

Some HS, no diploma 9.6%

HS graduate 43.8%

Some college, no degree 24.3%

Associate's degree 4.6%

Bachelor's degree 8.2%

Graduate / professional 5.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.9%
Bachelor's or higher	13.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	442	4.7%
Kindergarten	681	7.3%
Elementary school	4,351	46.4%
High school	2,266	24.2%
College / grad school	1,635	17.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Transportation & utilities 20.5%

Education & healthcare 18.4%

Manufacturing 10.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.8%

Retail trade 8.7%

Professional & management 8.0%

Other services 6.5%

Public administration 5.5%

Construction 5.2%

Finance & real estate 4.0%

Wholesale trade 2.6%

Information 1.5%

Agriculture & mining 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	18.3%
Service	20.5%
Sales & office	24.3%
Natural resources & construction	9.2%
Production & transportation	27.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.1%
Government	15.3%
Self-employed	5.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	82.3%
Carpool	10.7%
Public transit	1.3%
Walk	0.9%
Work from home	3.2%
Other means	1.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.6

Poverty

All people 30.7%

Under 18 years 49.7%

18 and over 24.7%

Married-couple families 12.6%

Female-led households 33.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.0%
Retirement income	21.9%
Supplemental Security	11.7%
Cash public assistance	2.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	31.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	47.0%
High blood pressure	52.3%
High cholesterol	35.6%
Diabetes	22.1%
Heart disease	8.2%
Stroke	6.4%
Asthma	13.3%
Arthritis	32.8%
Kidney disease	4.7%
Pulmonary disease	10.0%
Cancer	5.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.4%
Binge drinking	9.8%
No physical activity	35.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	42.0%
Depression	21.2%
Fair or poor health	28.3%
Poor mental health	17.8%
Poor physical health	15.4%
No health insurance	23.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	83.6%
Visited dentist	47.0%
Cholesterol screening	91.8%
Teeth loss	28.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,808	5.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.5%
Under 18	5.1%
18–64 years	16.6%
65 and over	30.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	49.8%
Public insurance	51.0%
No insurance	18.4%
Uninsured under 19	11.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	42,048	93.0%
Spanish	155	0.4%
Other Indo-European	62	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	44	0.1%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	44,737	99.0%
Born in same state	44,729	98.9%
Born in different state	33,721	74.6%
Foreign born	8	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	467	1.0%
Not a US citizen	56	12.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,178	2.6%
French	342	0.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	125	0.3%
Dutch	25	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.0%
Internet access	78.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 38109

What city is ZIP code 38109 in?

ZIP code 38109 is primarily assigned to Memphis, Tennessee.

What county is ZIP code 38109 in?

ZIP code 38109 falls within Shelby County, Tennessee.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 38109?

31% of residents in ZIP code 38109 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 38109?

13% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 38109 have a large retiree population?

42% of households in ZIP code 38109 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 38109?

Health data for ZIP code 38109 shows elevated rates of obesity (47%) and diabetes (22%) and smoking (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 38109 in?

ZIP code 38109 observes the CST timezone.