7 census tracts · pop 14,167 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5.4/10
· range 5.1–5.4
South Memphis spans 7 census tracts of Memphis, TN and houses 14,167 people. That produces an Eviction Risk Score of 5.4/10, Moderate tier. Against a Memphis baseline of 33.2%, 56% of renters here cross the 30%-of-income line.
The severe-burden share is 36%. Those renters are past the 50% mark, and they miss rent for reasons that have nothing to do with willingness to pay. The poverty rate is 43%, which shows up in this model as reduced rent-recovery odds after a judgment. Set annual rent against average household income of $27,726 and the ratio lands at 38%, above the conventional 30% ceiling.
What pushes the score up most is economic stress at 8.8/10. Running cool is rent-regulation exposure, at 1.5/10. At $881 a month, rents sit 25% under what the rest of Memphis commands.
Well under the midpoint is supply constraint, at 1.5/10. Among the 26 mapped neighborhoods of Memphis, it ranks #1 by risk, the upper third. For a like-for-like read, Annesdale-Snowden and North Memphis score within a fraction of it.
Social vulnerability runs high at 8.5/10, concentrating the disaster- and displacement-exposure this model treats as a lagging risk input. Its 7 tracts score within 0.3 points of one another, so the area figure travels well to individual addresses.
64% of occupied units are renter-occupied.
The area figure travels well to individual addresses here, though the per-tract table below still carries the detail. The number is rebuilt whenever its ACS, court-record, or statutory inputs change.
Risk score
5.4
Moderate
7 tracts · population-weighted
South Memphis vs MemphisHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority98%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport47%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in South Memphis
Aggregated across 0 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Pandemic-era tracking (2020–2021)
2,975Total filings 2020-21
7.5Avg monthly observed
6.3Pre-pandemic baseline
1.10×Ratio to baseline
Pandemic filings ran near baseline. Tracked under Eviction Lab Eviction Tracking System (Memphis, TN).
Frequently asked
About South Memphis
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for South Memphis?
South Memphis scores 5.4/10 (Moderate tier) across 7 census tracts. The pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score blends state law, county filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income and poverty signals.
Q2
How does South Memphis compare to Memphis overall?
South Memphis scores 1.4 points higher than Memphis overall (4/10). Renters spend 56% of income on rent vs 33% citywide. Average rent: $881 vs $1,181.
Q3
What is the average rent in South Memphis?
Average gross rent in South Memphis eviction risk is $881/month (pop-weighted across 7 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 56% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of South Memphis residents are renters?
64% of South Memphis households are renter-occupied (vs 55% in Memphis). The neighborhood has 14,167 residents.
Q5
Is South Memphis a high social-vulnerability area?
South Memphis sits in the 84th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (highly vulnerable). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.
Q6
Which tracts in South Memphis have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in South Memphis is census tract 47157005600 (score 5.4/10). Across the 7 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 5.1 to 5.4, a spread of 0.3 points.
Q7
How safe is South Memphis for landlords?
South Memphis eviction risk carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5.4/10). Pop-weighted across 7 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Memphis as a whole (4/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of South Memphis?
South Memphis has 13,055 residents. Top groups: Black (non-Hispanic) (96.9%), White (non-Hispanic) (1.3%), Other / Multiracial (1.2%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
