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Skyline of Memphis, TNPhoto: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
The Memphis handbook

Living in Memphis, TN: what to set up and who to call

Memphis runs its own electric utility, City of Memphis; its homes paid 13.2¢ per kWh in 2025. Memphis runs its own drop-off at 304 Collins Street; OpenStreetMap lists it open Fri–Sun 9 am–3 pm.

Trash & dumpWho supplies the water?Which school will my kid attend?How do I register to vote?ZIP codes

I’m new in town

What to set up in Memphis, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.

PowerCity of Memphismunicipal utility · 13.2¢/kWhMore →WaterMemphis Light, Gas, & Water0 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAMore →Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsMore →Trash & dumpSolid Waste Convenience CentersTown pickupMore →SchoolShelby County School DistrictWhich school depends on grade and addressMore →Register to voteOnlineRules from vote.govMore →ZIP codes38109, 38111, 38115 +20Where people live, not P.O. boxesMore →
Home services

Power, water and internet

Who to call to start service at a new address in Memphis.

Electricity

Power comes from City of Memphis

City of Memphis (City of Memphis - (TN)), a municipal utility, serves all of Memphis. Its homes paid an average of 13.2¢ per kWh in 2025, about $151 a month (its average across Tennessee).

Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.

Drinking water · reported to EPA

Water comes from Memphis Light, Gas, & Water

Memphis Light, Gas, & Water supplies almost all of Memphis. It draws ground water and serves 659,500 people in all.

No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 93% of the 42 systems serving 500,001–1,000,000 people.

Lead, 90th percentile4.7 ppb
015 ppb action level20

The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 4.7 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 5.7 ppb. That’s higher than 77% of similar systems’ latest results.

The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report

EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. TN0000450.

Internet

5 home internet providers serve Memphis

100% of 207,759 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 51% can get fiber.

ProviderTechnologyAddressesFastest (Mbps)
XfinityCable, Fiber100%2,000/250
AT&TDSL, Fiber, Fixed wireless90%5,000/5,000
TingFiber16%2,000/2,000
VerizonFixed wireless75%300/20
T-MobileFixed wireless47%100/20

FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.

Trash & recycling

Trash and recycling in Memphis

Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Memphis, from the town’s own site.

How trash works hereTown pickupTown crews pick up at the curbmemphistn.gov
Drop-off centerSolid Waste Convenience CentersHours ↓
Drop-off center

Solid Waste Convenience Centers

MTWTFSS
8a
10a
12p
2p
4p
  • Fri9 am–3 pm
  • Sat9 am–3 pm
  • Sun9 am–3 pm
What goes in the recycling bin

Single-stream recycling

All your recyclables go in one bin, no sorting.

The town’s guidesDOWNLOAD GUIDE (PDF) →ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS GUIDE (PDF) →
recycle.memphistn.gov
Furniture, appliances and bulky itemsOutside the Cart bulk collection twice per month on the regular collection day for items such as tree limbs and furniture; call 311 to request junk pick-up
What can be recycledThe town’s recycling pagememphistn.gov →

From memphistn.gov, recycle.memphistn.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026; pages dated 2025-06-18, 2025-08-07, 2026-03-16. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .

Schools

Where your child goes to school

Public school districts and the school path by grade.

Memphis kids go to
PK–582 elementary schoolsDepends on your address
6–833 middle schoolsDepends on your address
9–1230 high schoolsDepends on your address

Memphis is in Shelby County School District.

DSchool gradeSee Schools →

U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.

Government & voting

Town hall and registering to vote

Who to call, and how to register.

Official sitememphistn.govMemphis’ own websiteWikidataTown HallBudget, officials, electionsMemphis’ government in one page
Who runs elections hereShelby County Election CommissionElections here are run by Shelby County (county election office). PO Box 342798, Bartlett, TN 38184-2798 · (901) 222-6800FVAP, Sep 2025
Register to voteOnlineIn Tennessee you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govCheck your registration and polling placetnmap.tn.govThe state’s voter lookup

Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

ZIP codes & area codes

Memphis spans 23 ZIP codes

ZIP codes where Memphis residents live, with the share of the town in each.

ZIPPost office nameShare of MemphisZIP’s residents in Memphis
38109Memphis, TN7%100%
38111Memphis, TN6%100%
38115Memphis, TN6%100%
38118Memphis, TN6%100%
38116Memphis, TN6%100%
38128Memphis, TN6%89%
38127Memphis, TN6%90%
38016Cordova, TN5%71%
38134Memphis, TN4%68%
38117Memphis, TN4%100%
38122Memphis, TN4%100%
38119Memphis, TN4%100%
38114Memphis, TN4%100%
38104Memphis, TN4%100%
38106Memphis, TN4%100%
38018Cordova, TN3%59%
38108Memphis, TN3%100%
38112Memphis, TN3%100%
38141Memphis, TN3%71%
38107Memphis, TN2%100%
38103Memphis, TN2%100%
38120Memphis, TN2%100%
38133Memphis, TN2%48%

A few homes fall in 38105, 38126, 38125, 38135, 38002, 38138, 38152, 38132, 38131, 38113, 38028. 37501, 37544, 38101, 38124, 38130, 38136, 38137, 38145, 38148, 38150, 38151, 38157, 38159, 38161, 38163, 38166, 38167, 38168, 38173, 38174, 38175, 38177, 38181, 38182, 38184, 38186, 38187, 38188, 38190, 38193, 38194, 38197 are P.O. box or single-organization ZIPs with no homes.

Area code901Wikidata

Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.

Everyday places

Getting around, the ER and the library

One line each; the subject pages have the rest.

TrainFarm Train StationTrain station in townNearest emergency roomDelta Specialty Hospital3.5 miles awayGet a library cardMemphis Public Library and Information Center3030 Poplar Avenue · (901) 415-2700

Train: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.

Questions about living in Memphis

When is the Collins Yard Convenience Center open?

Fri–Sun 9 am–3 pm, according to OpenStreetMap (as of Oct 9, 2026). Check memphistn.gov before you go: the town sets the hours and who may use it.

Who supplies Memphis’ drinking water, and has it had violations?

Memphis Light, Gas, & Water (EPA ID TN0000450). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 93% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 4.7 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.

Who provides electricity in Memphis?

City of Memphis (City of Memphis - (TN)), a municipal utility. Its homes paid about 13.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).

What internet providers serve Memphis?

Xfinity, AT&T, Ting, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).

What ZIP codes are in Memphis?

38109 (7%), 38111 (6%), 38115 (6%), 38118 (6%), 38116 (6%), 38128 (6%), 38127 (6%), 38016 (5%), 38134 (4%), 38117 (4%), 38122 (4%), 38119 (4%), 38114 (4%), 38104 (4%), 38106 (4%), 38018 (3%), 38108 (3%), 38112 (3%), 38141 (3%), 38107 (2%), 38103 (2%), 38120 (2%), 38133 (2%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Memphis in?

Shelby County School District.

How do I register to vote in Memphis?

In Tennessee you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before). Elections here are run by the Shelby County Election Commission. Check your registration at tnmap.tn.gov.

Sources & dates

Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.

  • Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
  • Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
  • Trash: Memphis’ own website (memphistn.gov, recycle.memphistn.gov), read Oct 21, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
  • ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
  • Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
  • Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
  • Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
  • Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.