Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0How is Memphis run?
Memphis’ city government spent $1.4 billion on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,217 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.6 billion) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Memphis is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Memphis
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: memphistn.gov ↗
Memphis’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on memphistn.gov ↗.
About $2,217 per resident a year, or $6.07 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No comparison or trend for Memphis yet
The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and Memphis’ 2022 figures are a Census estimate (it reported 48% of its 2022 dollars). It reported 2024 only (2022 and 2023 are estimates), so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.
How Town Hall compares budgets →full-time in March 2025, up from 9,588 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $1,845 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.09% of the home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Memphis’ rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Memphis’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Memphis →
One full-time city employee for every 62 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (621,056).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Shelby County School District
Memphis’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,576 per pupil, $7,925 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Tennessee districts overall: 40% local, 44% state, 16% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Memphis’ votes are counted by county
Tennessee reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Memphis alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Shelby County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat61.8%201,759 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican36.4%118,917 votesOthers: 1.8% (5,821 votes).
Most votes in Shelby County: Kamala D Harris
Tennessee: Trump 64.2%, Harris 34.5%
100% of Memphis lies in Shelby County. Every 2024 race in Shelby County is on the county’s page.
Shelby County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Memphis sends 10 representatives to the Tennessee House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorPaul Youngas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Tennessee HouseMemphis is split between 11 districts
- 3Tennessee SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Tennessee
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Memphis compares with the towns next door
Memphis’ 2022 figures are a Census estimate, so it isn’t placed among them. Neighbors that reported 2022 spent $2,207 to $3,441 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Lakeland | $2,207 runs schools | $3,880 |
| Bartlett | $2,728 runs schools | $2,803 |
| Germantown | $3,441 runs schools | $4,786 |
| Memphis | estimate | $1,845 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Memphis’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Memphis’ government
How much does Memphis spend per resident?
About $2,217 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau.
What is the property tax rate in Memphis?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,845 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.09% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see memphistn.gov.
Who is the mayor of Memphis?
Paul Young, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on memphistn.gov.
How did Memphis vote in 2024?
Tennessee counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Memphis alone. Shelby County, where 100% of Memphis lies, voted Harris 61.8%, Trump 36.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Memphis?
10,033 full-time and 1,275 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $69.8M (about $837.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Memphis in the state legislature?
Memphis is split among 11 State House districts and 5 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Tennessee Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Memphis’ government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →