38126 ZIP Code — Memphis, TN

Shelby County, Tennessee

ZIP code 38126 is located in Memphis, Tennessee, within Shelby County. It covers approximately 1.86 square miles and serves a population of 6,034 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 901.

About ZIP code 38126

The housing stock consists of a significant share of large multi-unit buildings. Much of the housing stock is relatively new, reflecting recent development activity. Median home value is $63,500. Renters make up the majority at 88%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $19,844. Poverty affects 52% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 48% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 31% 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 18 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 9% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (52%), diabetes (24%), smoking (35%), poor mental health (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 38126 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.

6,034

population

1.86

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

38126 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 38126

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 38126. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Memphis	Acceptable
Memphis	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

38137 Memphis (0.8 mi) 37501 Memphis (1.6 mi) 38148 Memphis (1.6 mi) 38163 Memphis (1.6 mi) 38151 Memphis (1.6 mi) 38161 Memphis (1.6 mi) 38197 Memphis (1.6 mi) 38166 Memphis (1.6 mi) 38188 Memphis (1.6 mi) 38150 Memphis (1.6 mi) 38159 Memphis (1.6 mi) 38145 Memphis (1.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	6,034
Population density	3,244 / sq mi
State FIPS	47
County FIPS	157

Geography
Land area	1.86 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	35.1274
Longitude	-90.0447
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	88.2%	48.0%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	8.7%	27.7%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	2.3%	17.7%	18.3%
Over $200k	0.7%	6.5%	5.1%

Demographics & statistics

6,034

Population

3,244

People per sq mi

27.4

Median age

$19,844

Median household income

$14,515

Per capita income

$63,500

Median home value

$754

Median monthly rent

12.1%

Home ownership

52.4%

Poverty rate

10.9%

Unemployment

823

Housing units

8.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

163

Under 5

282

191

5–9

330

223

10–14

384

183

15–19

315

271

20–24

468

290

25–34

501

276

35–44

476

170

45–54

293

55–59

118

126

60–64

216

148

65–74

254

75–84

147

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,812	30.0%
18 and over	4,222	70.0%
65 and over	689	11.4%
Median age	27.4 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 90.4%

White 6.9%

Two or more races 2.1%

Hispanic or Latino 0.4%

Asian 0.2%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	5,477	90.4%
White	416	6.9%
Two or more races	128	2.1%
Hispanic or Latino	27	0.4%
Asian	13	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	88.2%	48.0%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	8.7%	27.7%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	2.3%	17.7%	18.3%
Over $200k	0.7%	6.5%	5.1%

Under $10k 19.2%

$10k–$15k 23.2%

$15k–$25k 12.7%

$25k–$35k 9.8%

$35k–$50k 10.7%

$50k–$75k 17.5%

$75k–$100k 4.4%

$100k–$150k 1.6%

$150k–$200k 1.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	19.2%
$10k–$15k	23.2%
$15k–$25k	12.7%
$25k–$35k	9.8%
$35k–$50k	10.7%
$50k–$75k	17.5%
$75k–$100k	4.4%
$100k–$150k	1.6%
$150k–$200k	1.0%
Median income	$19,844

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 35.7%

$50k–$100k 34.1%

$100k–$150k 15.4%

$150k–$200k 9.3%

$300k–$500k 1.9%

$500k–$1M 3.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$63,500
Median rent / month	$754
Owner occupied	12.1%
Renter occupied	87.9%
Vacant	16.6%
Single-family detached	35.3%
Large apartment buildings	20.5%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	4.8
Avg household size (owned)	3.04

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	25.9%
2000–2009	14.7%
1990–1999	5.7%
1980–1989	3.1%
1970–1979	4.6%
1960–1969	4.6%
1950–1959	23.1%
1940–1949	13.4%
1939 or earlier	5.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.9%
1 bedroom	28.1%
2 bedrooms	38.5%
3 bedrooms	22.6%
4 bedrooms	8.3%
5+ bedrooms	1.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	36.5%
1 vehicle	51.1%
2 vehicles	10.8%
3 or more	1.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	26.5%
Electricity	71.1%
Propane / LP gas	1.9%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	170	6.6%
Cohabiting couple	37	1.4%
Male householder, no spouse	570	22.2%
Female householder, no spouse	1,793	69.8%
Households with children under 18	896	34.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	628	24.4%
Average household size	2.21

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	63.7%	69.3%
Married	13.7%	5.5%
Separated	1.6%	4.1%
Widowed	3.6%	7.8%
Divorced	17.4%	13.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.1%

Some HS, no diploma 15.5%

HS graduate 45.3%

Some college, no degree 24.7%

Associate's degree 1.8%

Bachelor's degree 8.4%

Graduate / professional 0.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	80.5%
Bachelor's or higher	8.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	77	4.1%
Kindergarten	138	7.3%
Elementary school	955	50.8%
High school	348	18.5%
College / grad school	361	19.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.0%

Retail trade 18.7%

Transportation & utilities 17.5%

Professional & management 11.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.7%

Manufacturing 7.1%

Other services 4.9%

Finance & real estate 4.0%

Public administration 2.8%

Construction 2.1%

Wholesale trade 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	14.0%
Service	27.2%
Sales & office	23.8%
Natural resources & construction	5.3%
Production & transportation	29.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	89.8%
Government	9.4%
Self-employed	0.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	78.0%
Carpool	9.0%
Public transit	3.3%
Walk	6.2%
Work from home	2.7%
Other means	0.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	18.1

Poverty

All people 52.4%

Under 18 years 72.1%

18 and over 43.4%

Married-couple families 28.2%

Female-led households 51.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	30.9%
Retirement income	7.6%
Supplemental Security	19.3%
Cash public assistance	2.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	47.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	52.2%
High blood pressure	52.8%
High cholesterol	31.9%
Diabetes	24.0%
Heart disease	8.9%
Stroke	7.8%
Asthma	15.7%
Arthritis	32.7%
Kidney disease	5.5%
Pulmonary disease	13.6%
Cancer	4.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	34.6%
Binge drinking	9.5%
No physical activity	44.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	45.7%
Depression	25.1%
Fair or poor health	38.8%
Poor mental health	22.6%
Poor physical health	20.4%
No health insurance	30.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	82.3%
Visited dentist	32.5%
Cholesterol screening	86.8%
Teeth loss	45.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	139	3.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.8%
Under 18	4.1%
18–64 years	19.8%
65 and over	52.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	44.4%
Public insurance	58.6%
No insurance	11.8%
Uninsured under 19	7.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	5,589	92.6%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	5,972	99.0%
Born in same state	5,929	98.3%
Born in different state	4,618	76.5%
Foreign born	43	0.7%
Naturalized citizen	62	1.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	53	0.9%
Arab	36	0.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	8	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.6%
Internet access	72.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 38126

What city is ZIP code 38126 in?

ZIP code 38126 is primarily assigned to Memphis, Tennessee.

What county is ZIP code 38126 in?

ZIP code 38126 falls within Shelby County, Tennessee.

Is ZIP code 38126 mostly rentals?

88% of occupied units in ZIP code 38126 are renter-occupied.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 38126?

52% of residents in ZIP code 38126 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 38126?

9% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 38126?

Health data for ZIP code 38126 shows elevated rates of obesity (52%) and diabetes (24%) and smoking (35%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 38126 in?

ZIP code 38126 observes the CST timezone.