Demographics
In 2000, Memphis was the 18th largest city in the United States and it currently is the largest city in Tennessee. As the numbers show below, the city of Memphis has had a fluctuating population over the past twenty-five years.
Memphis’ Population over the Years
1980: 646,356
1990: 610,337
2000: 650,100
2004: 627,802 (2004 American Community Survey)
Nearly two-thirds of Memphis’ population is black or African American, as is shown in the table below. The majority of the black or African American minority group live in the city, whereas most of the whites in the Memphis area live in the surrounding areas.
|
2000 Memphis Population |
||
|
White |
223,728 |
34.40% |
|
Black or African American |
399,208 |
61.40% |
|
American Indian or Alaska Native |
1,217 |
0.20% |
|
Asian |
9,482 |
1.50% |
|
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander |
239 |
0.00% |
|
Other |
9,438 |
1.50% |
|
Total Population |
643,312 |
99.00% |
Even though the percentage of black or
African Americans living in
Memphis is over sixty, their per capita income is the lowest of the
four main racial and ethnic groups.
|
Per Capita Income by Race and Ethnicity (in 1999 dollars) |
||||
|
Total Population |
White |
Black or African American |
Asian |
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) |
|
$17,838 |
$27,533 |
$12,599 |
$18,712 |
$13,022 |
|
Education Levels of
Population 25 Years and Older |
|||||
|
|
Total Population |
White |
Black or African American |
Asian |
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) |
|
High School Graduate or Higher |
304,512 |
140,953 |
153,160 |
4,740 |
4,515 |
|
Bachelor’s Degree or Higher |
83,219 |
53,861 |
24,824 |
3,093 |
1,233 |
|
Poverty Statistics by Race and Ethnicity (2000) |
|||||
|
|
Total Population |
White |
Black or African American |
Asian |
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) |
|
Families Below the Poverty Level |
27,562 |
3,022 |
23,569 |
279 |
634 |
|
Individuals Below the Poverty Level |
130,009 |
19,367 |
104,789 |
1,660 |
4,164 |
American Fact Finder
http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en
U.S. Census Bureau
http://www.census.gov/
Memphis: Population Profile
http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-South/Memphis-Population-Profile.html
Picture: Faces
http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/05
/16_sommerm_globalmap/images/montage_large.jpg
Picture: Memphis with Pyramid
http://www.soulofamerica.com/images/photostn/memphis/
MudIslTram_wPyramid.jpg
Last update on
April 22, 2006
Created for Dr. Freitag's
Pols 350 Group and Minority Politics at the
University Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
This page was created by Laura Pierce, Kelly Quattrin, Beth Robbins, and Colleen Russell.