More historic than 11% of U.S. towns · #325 of 638 in Florida. What drives it
Most of Memphis was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1987. Below: maps from 1944 on and the census since 1960.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Memphis is more historic than 11% of U.S. towns, #325 of 638 in Florida. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Memphis’ overall grade.
Few Florida towns list much on the Register (a typical Florida town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Memphis’ 0.0 sits below most of its state (33% of Florida towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±2.0 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Memphis’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The community can trace its roots back to the 1880s, when it was planned as an 80-acre subdivision, adjacent to the city of Palmetto. Tennessee-born Robert Willis (1855-1933) originally owned the land, but eventually it was sold to I.E. Barwick (1854-1924) who subdivided it. The community's traditional borders roughly lie on the west side of 16th Avenue East and just on the west side of U.S. 41, and between 17th and 25th Streets East. An 1897 Manatee County directory mentions a handful of establishments, from a clothing store to a crate mill and a bakery then under construction.
Memphis is more historic than 11% of U.S. towns, #325 of 638 in Florida. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Memphis?
1% of Memphis’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.0 points), against a typical 0.6% for a Florida town; the median home was built in 1987.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
