38120 ZIP Code — Memphis, TN

Shelby County, Tennessee

ZIP code 38120 is located in Memphis, Tennessee, within Shelby County. It covers approximately 9.62 square miles and serves a population of 13,554 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 901.

About ZIP code 38120

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 $424,800. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 74%.

The gap between median ($112,700) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 37% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 18 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 70% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 38120 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

13,554

population

9.62

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

38120 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 38120

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 38120. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Memphis	Acceptable
Memphis	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

38157 Memphis (2.9 mi) 38119 Memphis (3.2 mi) 38117 Memphis (3.7 mi) 38134 Memphis (3.8 mi) 38138 Germantown (4 mi) 38138 Germantown (4 mi) 38018 Cordova (4 mi) 38115 Memphis (4.6 mi) 38122 Memphis (4.9 mi) 38152 Memphis (5.4 mi) 38139 Germantown (5.5 mi) 38139 Germantown (5.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	13,554
Population density	1,409 / sq mi
State FIPS	47
County FIPS	157

Geography
Land area	9.62 sq mi
Water area	0.01 sq mi
Latitude	35.1244
Longitude	-89.8423
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	21.7%	48.0%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	24.2%	27.7%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	25.6%	17.7%	18.3%
Over $200k	28.5%	6.5%	5.1%

Demographics & statistics

13,554

Population

1,409

People per sq mi

46.7

Median age

$112,700

Median household income

$96,190

Per capita income

$424,800

Median home value

$1,475

Median monthly rent

74.2%

Home ownership

6.5%

Poverty rate

1.9%

Unemployment

5,178

Housing units

70.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

293

Under 5

310

360

5–9

381

323

10–14

342

323

15–19

342

308

20–24

327

723

25–34

767

863

35–44

915

611

45–54

648

373

55–59

396

758

60–64

803

989

65–74

1,049

397

75–84

421

258

85+

274

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,358	17.4%
18 and over	11,196	82.6%
65 and over	3,388	25.0%
Median age	46.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 81%

Black or African American 7.9%

Asian 5.2%

Two or more races 3.2%

Hispanic or Latino 1.9%

Other race 0.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	11,196	81%
Black or African American	1,094	7.9%
Asian	721	5.2%
Two or more races	439	3.2%
Hispanic or Latino	263	1.9%
Other race	72	0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	32	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	21.7%	48.0%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	24.2%	27.7%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	25.6%	17.7%	18.3%
Over $200k	28.5%	6.5%	5.1%

Under $10k 3.2%

$10k–$15k 0.8%

$15k–$25k 3.4%

$25k–$35k 4.3%

$35k–$50k 6.5%

$50k–$75k 14.0%

$75k–$100k 12.8%

$100k–$150k 15.6%

$150k–$200k 9.3%

$200k+ 30.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.2%
$10k–$15k	0.8%
$15k–$25k	3.4%
$25k–$35k	4.3%
$35k–$50k	6.5%
$50k–$75k	14.0%
$75k–$100k	12.8%
$100k–$150k	15.6%
$150k–$200k	9.3%
$200k+	30.2%
Median income	$112,700

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.2%

$50k–$100k 1.3%

$100k–$150k 2.8%

$150k–$200k 3.6%

$200k–$300k 19.2%

$300k–$500k 34.4%

$500k–$1M 19.2%

$1M+ 18.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$424,800
Median rent / month	$1,475
Owner occupied	74.2%
Renter occupied	25.8%
Vacant	8.2%
Single-family detached	76.4%
Large apartment buildings	8.8%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	7.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.32

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.0%
2010–2019	1.3%
2000–2009	11.7%
1990–1999	14.7%
1980–1989	14.2%
1970–1979	19.0%
1960–1969	12.4%
1950–1959	23.6%
1940–1949	0.9%
1939 or earlier	1.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.5%
1 bedroom	7.8%
2 bedrooms	11.0%
3 bedrooms	31.3%
4 bedrooms	29.7%
5+ bedrooms	15.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.4%
1 vehicle	29.1%
2 vehicles	46.5%
3 or more	22.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	57.3%
Electricity	42.4%
Propane / LP gas	0.1%
No fuel used	0.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,629	58.2%
Cohabiting couple	123	2.0%
Male householder, no spouse	981	15.7%
Female householder, no spouse	1,501	24.1%
Households with children under 18	1,386	22.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,358	37.8%
Average household size	2.17

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	22.5%	20.6%
Married	69.6%	59.0%
Separated	0.2%	1.1%
Widowed	1.0%	9.0%
Divorced	6.7%	10.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.8%

Some HS, no diploma 1.3%

HS graduate 9.5%

Some college, no degree 12.5%

Associate's degree 5.7%

Bachelor's degree 35.8%

Graduate / professional 34.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	97.9%
Bachelor's or higher	70.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	453	17.2%
Kindergarten	112	4.3%
Elementary school	1,024	38.9%
High school	541	20.6%
College / grad school	500	19.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 36.1%

Professional & management 14.9%

Finance & real estate 10.5%

Manufacturing 8.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.6%

Other services 5.4%

Retail trade 5.1%

Construction 4.1%

Transportation & utilities 3.8%

Public administration 2.4%

Information 2.1%

Wholesale trade 1.6%

Agriculture & mining 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	68.4%
Service	9.2%
Sales & office	14.3%
Natural resources & construction	3.4%
Production & transportation	4.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.9%
Government	11.2%
Self-employed	6.5%
Unpaid family workers	3.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.5%
Carpool	3.4%
Public transit	0.3%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	12.4%
Other means	0.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	18.4

Poverty

All people 6.5%

Under 18 years 14.1%

18 and over 4.9%

Married-couple families 2.5%

Female-led households 14.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.3%
Retirement income	27.0%
Supplemental Security	0.3%
Cash public assistance	0.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	2.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	27.3%
High blood pressure	34.4%
High cholesterol	36.9%
Diabetes	9.8%
Heart disease	6.3%
Stroke	2.7%
Asthma	8.8%
Arthritis	26.9%
Kidney disease	2.7%
Pulmonary disease	5.8%
Cancer	8.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	11.4%
Binge drinking	13.8%
No physical activity	16.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	26.3%
Depression	21.3%
Fair or poor health	10.6%
Poor mental health	12.5%
Poor physical health	8.2%
No health insurance	10.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.7%
Visited dentist	73.6%
Cholesterol screening	93.7%
Teeth loss	8.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	451	4.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.8%
Under 18	1.1%
18–64 years	5.0%
65 and over	31.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	87.2%
Public insurance	28.1%
No insurance	4.0%
Uninsured under 19	0.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	12,951	95.6%
Spanish	148	1.1%
Other Indo-European	15	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	113	0.9%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	12,696	93.7%
Born in same state	12,599	93.0%
Born in different state	7,648	56.4%
Foreign born	97	0.7%
Naturalized citizen	858	6.3%
Not a US citizen	598	69.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,885	13.9%
French	1,808	13.3%
Arab	1,696	12.5%
Polish	478	3.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	71	0.5%
Norwegian	60	0.4%
Dutch	29	0.2%
German	21	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	46.0%
Internet access	96.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 38120

What city is ZIP code 38120 in?

ZIP code 38120 is primarily assigned to Memphis, Tennessee.

What county is ZIP code 38120 in?

ZIP code 38120 falls within Shelby County, Tennessee.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 38120?

70% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Does ZIP code 38120 have a large retiree population?

37% of households in ZIP code 38120 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 38120?

The median home value in ZIP code 38120 is $424,800.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 38120?

The median household income in ZIP code 38120 is $112,700, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 38120 in?

ZIP code 38120 observes the CST timezone.