Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis iscity locatedShelby County, Tennesseewhichiscounty seat. As of2000 census,city hadtotal population650,100 withincity limits making itlargest city instateTennessee, United States. Itlocated on Lower Chickasaw Bluff aboveMississippi River, atmouth ofWolf River. Interstate highways I40I55 (alongrail lines) crossMississippi at Memphis intostateArkansas.

Memphis iscentermanufacturetextiles, heating equipment, pianos,automobiletruck parts. It isheadquartersFederal Express shipping.

Memphis was settled byChickasaw tribe. The Spanish explorer, Hernando de Soto,believedhave visitedarea. The French built Fort Prudhomme invicinity. The city was founded1819.

The cityhome toUniversityMemphis (formerly known as Memphis State University),UniversityTennessee Medical Units, Rhodes College, Christian Brothers University, Le Moyne-Owen College,Memphis AcademyArts,Southern CollegeOptometry.

Memphisalso homeseveral sports teams, includingMemphis Redbirds,minor league baseball team inSt. Louis Cardinals system. Other teams includeMemphis Grizzlies National Basketball Association team andflourishing rugby team,Memphis Blues. The NFL's Tennessee Oilers, now known asTennessee Titans, playedMemphis1997.

Graceland,homeElvis Presley,located incity,ismajor tourist spot. Beale Street islegendary street inhistoryblues music. The National Civil Rights Museuminformer Lorraine Motel, whereReverend Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated.

The Memphis International Airportcurrently amongbusiest inworldtermscargo tonnage.

Geography

Memphislocated at 35°7'3" North, 89°58'16" West (35.117365, -89.971068)¹.

According toUnited States Census Bureau,city hastotal area763.4 km² (294.8 mi²). 723.4 km² (279.3 mi²)itland40.0 km² (15.4 mi²)itwater. The total area5.24% water.

Demographics

As ofcensus2000, there650,100 people, 250,721 households,158,455 families residing incity. The population density898.6/km² (2,327.4/mi²). There271,552 housing units at an average density375.4/km² (972.2/mi²). The racial makeup ofcity34.41% White, 61.41% African American, 0.19% Native American, 1.46% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.45% from other races,1.04% from two or more races. 2.97% ofpopulationHispanic or Latinoany race.

There250,721 households outwhich 31.3% have children underage18 livingthem, 34.1%married couples living together, 23.8% havefemale householderno husband present,36.8%non-families. 30.5%all householdsmade upindividuals8.9% have someone living alone who65 yearsage or older. The average household size2.52 andaverage family size3.18.

Incitypopulationspread out27.9% underage18, 10.8% from 1824, 30.7% from 2544, 19.7% from 4564,10.9% who65 yearsage or older. The median age32 years. For every 100 females there89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18over, there84.9 males.

The median income forhousehold incity$32,285, andmedian income forfamily$37,767. Males havemedian income$31,236 versus $25,183females. The per capita income forcity$17,838. 20.6% ofpopulation17.2%familiesbelowpoverty line. Out oftotal people livingpoverty, 30.1%underage1815.4%65 or older.