City of Memphis, 2022. Click any card to jump straight to that data.
Memphis is a great city with a rich history, inspiring people, and undeniable grit. It also has poverty and crime rates well above the state average. This tool shows you the scope, location, and trend of the issues that keep poverty concentrated here, so you can see where help would matter most.
Concentrated poverty is a tough cycle to break, but it can be done. The solution starts with understanding the scope of the issue, and that's exactly what this tool does.
Jump to 5 major factors affecting poverty →Hover any ⓘ for a definition, an explanation, or the data source.
Use the toggles above a chart to change what is being measured.
Click Explore on any factor for trends, a ZIP-code map, and a breakdown by race.
Poverty gauges an individual's economic well-being and can be a glimpse into who's thriving and who's not. Switch the toggles to compare youth poverty and poverty by race across peer cities.
Almost a third of Memphis youth live in poverty, nearly double the rate at the state level. In Memphis and its peer cities, Black and Latino residents are far more likely to live in poverty than white residents.
A rate on its own is hard to read. Nashville and St. Louis are similar in size and region, and the state figures show what a wider average looks like. Together they show whether Memphis is ahead, behind, or moving in a different direction.
Nearly 1 in 3 Memphis kids grow up in poverty, almost double the state rate.
No single fix ends poverty, but these five factors play a major role. Each one can be measured, mapped, and acted on. Pick one to explore.
Every card below compares Memphis with its peer cities. Click Explore on a card to open the full view: a year-over-year trend, a ZIP-code map of the most affected areas, and a breakdown by race. You can move between factors without coming back here.
Poverty is a multifaceted issue with causes ranging from the individual to the institutional level. Because of poverty's complicated nature, no one thing will eliminate poverty in Memphis. It takes partnerships across private and public sectors from multiple different industries to successfully reduce poverty. These five factors are the ones that, if addressed, would really move the needle on reducing poverty in Memphis.
The first step to addressing these issues is understanding their scope and severity. Throughout the site, you will notice similar, nearby cities have been included for comparison. Memphis especially struggles when compared to peer cities in the areas of employment and education.
These data points don't define Memphis. Great organizations are already doing the work, and here is where to donate, volunteer, or learn more.
Advance Memphis has great workforce development programs and empowers adults to break cycles of unemployment and establish economic stability.
HopeWorks provides people who have been involved with the justice system with career development, counseling, and education to help them get back on their feet.
Seeding Success is a cradle-to-career partnership that looks to provide Memphis youth with the opportunities they need to be successful, streamlining the integration of systems like housing, transportation, health, and education.
Communities in Schools Memphis deploys integrated student support and provides college and career readiness programs to Memphis youth.
Memphis Area Legal Services has an eviction settlement program that provides funds and volunteer attorneys to negotiate rent arrangement settlements and prevent evictions.
Church Health is committed to providing high-quality care for under- and uninsured Memphians.
Christ Community Health Services seeks to meet the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of the uninsured and homeless people in Memphis.
Is there a factor you want to see data on, or a nonprofit you think should be included on this site? I would love to hear from you! You can reach me at leo@animadata.studio.