Quality of life in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee, is among the top cities with a free business environment. According to our city rankings, this is a good place to live with high ratings in housing, healthcare and leisure & culture.
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Life quality score
City ranking
Housing
7
113/265Details
| Large apartment | $1200.00 |
|---|---|
| Medium apartment | $990.00 |
| Rent index [score] | 0.71 |
| Small apartment | $800.00 |
Cost of Living
6
124/248Details
| 5km taxi ride | $7.20 |
|---|---|
| A Cappuccino | $5.00 |
| A beer | $1.60 |
| A kilogram of Apples | $3.40 |
| Bread | $0.77 |
| Inflation [score] | 0.58 |
| Lunch | $15.00 |
| Monthly fitness club membership | $35.00 |
| Monthly public transport | $46.00 |
| Movie ticket | $10.00 |
| Price of a meal at a restaurant | $69.58 |
Startups
4
118/264Details
| Average monthly increase in number of startups | 3 |
|---|---|
| Average monthly increase in number of startups [score] | 0.32 |
| Coworking spaces [score] | 0.45 |
| Coworking spaces on WorkFrom.co | 8 |
| Meetups [score] | 0.15 |
| Meetups groups | 20 |
| Meetups members | 7588 |
| Number of investors | 14 |
| Number of startup events in the last 12 months | 446 |
| Number of upcoming meetup events | 12 |
| Startup climate scene [score] | 0.42 |
| Startup events | 154 |
| Startup events [score] | 0.74 |
| Startups [score] | 0.56 |
| Total number of startups | 131 |
Venture Capital
N/A
Details
| Funding accelerator names | Seed Hatchery, ZeroTo510, Upstart Memphis |
|---|---|
| Number of funding accelerators | 4 |
Travel Connectivity
2
205/266Details
| Airport hub | 32 |
|---|---|
| Airport hub [score] | 0.21 |
| Intercity train connectivity [score] | 0.12 |
Commute
2
245/255Details
| Human city page | http://cities.human.co/details/United_States/Memphis |
|---|---|
| Traffic handling [score] | 0.77 |
Business Freedom
9
69/264Details
| Business freedom | 84.70 |
|---|---|
| Business freedom [score] | 0.86 |
| Freedom from corruption | 74.00 |
| Freedom from corruption [score] | 0.79 |
| Lack of labor restrictions | 91.40 |
| Lack of labor restrictions [score] | 1.00 |
| Time to open a business | 5.60 |
| Time to open a business [score] | 0.95 |
Safety
3
258/266Details
| Crime rate [score] | 0.10 |
|---|---|
| Gun-related deaths per 100,000 residents per year | 16 |
| Guns per 100 residents | 96 |
| Lack of gun related deaths [score] | 0.57 |
| Lack of guns [score] | 0.47 |
| Lack of guns and gun-related deaths [score] | 0.52 |
Healthcare
8
169/265Details
| Healthcare expenditure [score] | 0.99 |
|---|---|
| Healthcare quality [score] | 0.51 |
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.28 |
| Life expectancy [score] | 0.76 |
Education
4
165/240Details
| Country mean scores in PISA math test | 478.04 |
|---|---|
| Country mean scores in PISA reading test | 497.58 |
| Country mean scores in PISA science test | 497.41 |
| PISA math ranking (high school) | 30 |
| PISA ranking | 24 |
| PISA ranking (high school) [score] | 0.72 |
| PISA reading (high school) | 16 |
| PISA science (high school) | 19 |
| Percent of happy students | 0.77 |
| Percent of low performers in PISA math test | 0.26 |
| Percent of low performers in PISA reading test | 0.17 |
| Percent of low performers in PISA science test | 0.18 |
| Percent of top performers in PISA math test | 0.09 |
| Percent of top performers in PISA reading test | 0.08 |
| Percent of top performers in PISA science test | 0.07 |
Environmental Quality
5
188/266Details
| Air quality [score] | 0.67 |
|---|---|
| Cleanliness [score] | 0.29 |
| Drinking water quality [score] | 0.61 |
| Urban greenery [score] | 0.25 |
Economy
7
16/263Details
| Currency exchange rate per US dollar for urban area | 1.00 |
|---|---|
| Currency for urban area | USD |
| GDP growth rate | 0.02 |
| GDP growth rate [score] | 0.43 |
| GDP per capita | $54596.65 |
| GDP per capita [score] | 0.87 |
Taxation
5
118/266Details
| Effective company profit tax rate on payouts as dividends [score] | 0.54 |
|---|---|
| Income tax level [score] | 0.41 |
| Profit tax (% of profit) | 0.44 |
| Time overhead to file company taxes | 175 |
| VAT (Sales Tax) | 0.09 |
Internet Access
6
87/266Details
| Download speed (Mbps) | 65.24 |
|---|---|
| Internet access (download) [score] | 0.71 |
| Internet access (upload) [score] | 0.50 |
| Upload speed (Mbps) | 11.98 |
Leisure & Culture
7
79/264Details
| Art galleries | 91 |
|---|---|
| Art galleries [score] | 0.54 |
| Cinemas | 78 |
| Cinemas [score] | 0.54 |
| Comedy clubs | 37 |
| Comedy clubs [score] | 0.77 |
| Concert venues | 79 |
| Concerts [score] | 0.83 |
| Historical sites | 71 |
| Historical sites [score] | 0.70 |
| Museums | 61 |
| Museums [score] | 0.67 |
| Performing art venues | 128 |
| Performing arts [score] | 0.60 |
| Sport venues | 52 |
| Sports [score] | 0.68 |
| Zoos | 34 |
| Zoos [score] | 0.87 |
Tolerance
4
245/266Details
| LGBT Equality Index | 70.00 |
|---|---|
| LGBT Equality Index [score] | 0.71 |
| LGBT adoption rights | Ambiguous |
| LGBT age of consent | ✔ Equal |
| LGBT blood donation regulations | ✖ Banned (indefinite deferral) |
| LGBT conversion therapy regulations | Ambiguous |
| LGBT discrimination legality | ✖ No protections |
| LGBT employment discrimination legality | ✖ No protections |
| LGBT gender changing rights | ✔ Legal, but requires surgery |
| LGBT homosexuality rights | ✔ Legal |
| LGBT housing discrimination legality | ✖ No protections |
| LGBT marriage rights | ✔ Legal |
| Tolerance towards minorities [score] | 0.10 |
Outdoors
4
205/266Details
| Elevation (hills or mountains) [score] | 0.14 |
|---|---|
| Median peak in meters | 160.00 |
| Seaside waterbody | 1.00 |
| Urban area elevation (meters) | 82.00 |
| Water access [score] | 0.58 |
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Cost of living
Costs of living in Memphis are in the 124th place of all 248 Teleport cities. Sign up for free to get access to our cost of living index and use our international cost of living calculator to do cost comparison by city.
Housing costs (USD)
$800
Median rent for
apartments in city center
apartments in city center
Daily living costs (USD)
 Monthly fitness club membership | $35 |
|---|---|
 Movie ticket | $10 |
 Broadband internet connection | $50 |
 Monthly public transport | $46 |
 Lunch | $15 |
-31%
compared to
San Francisco
San Francisco
Job salary calculator
Software Engineer salaries in Memphis are high. For this job type, Memphis ranks 40th for salaries among 265 cities. Get access to our salary comparison calculator by signing up. Compare salaries city by city with our free salary wizard and convert your own salary to a local salary in Memphis.
Estimated annual salary (in USD)
$75,580
Median salary
Locals review Memphis
Do locals recommend living in Memphis?
What could Memphis do better?#improveMemphis
How could Memphis improve to make it a more liveable city? We will make sure that the local government will know about the suggestions that reach enough votes*.
*Suggestions will be delivered to: Mayor of Memphis - Jim Strickland
What makes Memphis a special place?#praiseMemphis
Is Memphis a great place to live? What makes it special for you? What makes it liveable? What should others know about? Why should they move here? Why do you love it?
Taxation
Personal taxation
Effective income tax rate
14%
For annual salary of $40000
20%
For annual salary of $80000
Value added tax (VAT)
9%
Standard tax rate. Different rates might apply for certain product categories.
Compared to other cities
102/266
Corporate taxation
Compared to other cities
113/263
Local Currency
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Safety
Overall crime rates
Assault
Very Low
21/51
Theft
Very Low
9/49
Robbery
Very Low
3/41
Crime rate development in the last 7 months
Change in the last 7 months
- Theft6000%
Gun crimes & Ownership
96.20
Guns per 100 people
15.86
Gun deaths per 100k people / year
North America
Europe
Asia
South America
Africa
Oceania
Overall crime rate city ranking
The overall crime rate puts Memphis in position 266 of 266 Teleport Cities in a ranking for the safest cities.
Education
Visa
For visits up to 90 days
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Explore the streets of Memphis
People in Memphis
Friends living in Memphis
Find on FacebookFind out which of your friends are living in Memphis. Nothing is better than knowing a local 😉
Teleport Users X Memphis
Teleport users who are Memphis
Work in:
22.22%
11.11%
11.11%
11.11%
11.11%
11.11%
22.22%
Come from:
LGBT rights in Memphis
Homosexuality
Legal
Changing gender
Legal
But Requires Surgery
Discrimination
No Protections
Marriage
Legal
Adoption
Ambiguous
Climate
Average number of clear days per year
118Climate type
Humid Subtropical
Average daily maximum temperature
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Impressions from Memphis
6:45 What to Do in Memphis, Tennessee | 36 Hours: Video Travel Tips | The New York Times
A video by The New York Times
Stories about Memphis
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On living in Memphis
Memphis is the largest city in the state of Tennessee. The state rests in the southeastern portion of the United States. Memphis, with a population totaling more than 670,000, is also the county seat for Shelby County. The city's claims to fame include Graceland, the mansion Elvis Presley lived in during his later years. Perhaps more importantly, Memphis is considered by many to be the home of blues music.
Although downtown Memphis has experienced quite a rebirth and renewal in the last few years, the center of the city is older; it is full of new development, teeming with change and coming into its own. In the past few years, the city has emerged to boast one of the largest downtown populations among US cities. Citizens once again have a vested interest in making downtown a safe, exciting place to visit and relax in after decades of abandonment.
A word of caution: Memphis is extremely hot in the summertime, and the humidity can make you feel even hotter! Those who have trouble tolerating high heat and humidity may wish to avoid visiting in July and August.
Read moreGood Country Index
Every city comes with a country. How is this one doing in terms of giving back to the global community? Our friends at The Good Country Index measure what each country on earth contributes to the common good of humanity, and what it takes away, relative to its size.
Overall ranking
23rd from a total of 163 countries
World Order
26thRefugees hosted
Refugees generated
Charity giving
Birth rate
UN Treaties signed
International Peace & Security
66thDues in arrears to UN peace keeping budgets
International violent conflict
Peacekeeping troops
Arms exports
Internet security (2014)
Planet & Climate
34thEcological footprint
Reforestation since 1992
Hazardous pesticides exports
CO2 emissions
Ozone
Prosperity & Equality
46thDevelopment assistance
FDI outflows
Fairtrade market size
UN volunteers abroad
Open trading
Culture
53rdFreedom of movement
Press freedom
Creative services exports
UNESCO dues in arrears as % of contribution
Creative goods exports
Science & Technology
20thNobel prizes
Patents
Journal exports
International publications
International Students
Health & Wellbeing
12thPharmaceutical exports
Voluntary excess donations to the WHO
Food aid
Humanitarian aid donations
International Health Regulations Compliance
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