Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Memphis’ best subject grade is an A+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for incomes. Memphis’ average trip to work is 14 minutes, where Texas’ towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. On cost of living, just 23 of Texas’ 998 towns do better. Residents are less healthy than 85% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On history, just 62 of Texas’ 1,000 towns do better. Memphis has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Memphis beats most towns.
Hall County Courthouse2,290 counted in 2010 and 2,048 in 2020; an estimated 1,969 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Memphis is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1910.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Memphis, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Memphis.
At $491 a month, Memphis’ median rent is below both Texas’ towns ($1,208 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Typical home values rose 7.2% in the year to September 2026.
| Memphis | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $491 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 69% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by Memphis ISD. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 139 | C+ |
| Memphis H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 117 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
44% of adults have high blood pressure in Memphis. Memphis beats the Texas average on 3 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 40% of adults have obesity in Memphis.
| Memphis | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 35% | 35% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Memphis | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.9% | 17% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.1% | 74.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.8% | 12.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
About one in 4 of Memphis’s working residents works in town. 17% of Memphis residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Memphis fell to 375 in 2023, 196 fewer than in 2013.
| Memphis | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Memphis has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. The July high in Memphis is 96°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Memphis's reported crime rate is well below Texas's. Memphis’ property crime rate is 1.5 per 1,000 residents. 4 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Memphis | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.5 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Memphis since 2016.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Memphis; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Memphis residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
8 notable people were born in Memphis.
City in Texas, United States
Memphis is a city in and the county seat of Hall County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, Memphis had a population of 2,048.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
8 notable people were born here, including Jack English Hightower and Larry Combest.