If you want a community that has something for everyone, bring your business—and your employees—to Memphis. When it comes to where to live, work and play, Greater Memphis offers unparalleled options ranging from a vibrant downtown with river views to quaint tree-lined suburbs to rural communities with lots of wide open spaces.
10.6%
below the national average for cost of living
6th
shortest Metro commute time in the U.S.
9
months of patio weather
One of the most attractive features of life in Memphis is a remarkably low cost of living. Memphis has all of the amenities of a large city with a cost of living more than 20% below the national average. Plus, Tennessee is one of the lowest-taxed states per capita in the nation.
Memphis is a healthcare city, with a history that dates back to 1911 when the University of Tennessee medical college was founded here. Now the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is the epicenter for medical education across the state, offering degrees in medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, graduate health sciences, and health professions.
Memphis is also the home of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Families at St. Jude never receive a bill for treatment, housing, or food, because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. It will cost $1 billion to operate St. Jude this year, and more than 75% of those funds must be raised from donations.
Our doctors and healthcare facilities are consistently ranked highly nationwide by ratings agencies and press outlets. The healthcare industry in Memphis has boomed in the last decade, even through the recession.
The Memphis metro area has 18 public school districts, over 100 private schools, and more than 250,000 students. Memphis area schools annually attract national recognition and honors for the innovative programs and academic excellence provided to students of all ages. With so many choices, parents in Memphis have the opportunity to choose what will truly be best for their child.
Shelby County’s Unified School District encompasses the Memphis city limits. It is the largest school district in the State of Tennessee and 22nd largest in the United States, with more than 200 schools within the district.
With brief, mild winters and an average annual temperature of 62°F, patio weather lasts nearly nine months of the year. We experience every season. Warm summers and winters with little snow make the city comfortable year-round, with mild temperatures and blue skies. Annual rainfall averages around 53.7”, which is well-distributed throughout the year.
Culture and creativity collide here in Memphis, with music, art and food scenes around nearly every corner. From live events and festivals, world-class museums and attractions and a vibrant nightlife, Memphis is a city that always offers something to do.
A passionate, active town, Memphis affords its residents with sports and plenty of outdoor activities. We have a slew of collegiate and professional sports team, just as many—if not more—sports talk radio shows than cities twice our size. Plus, we’re one of the largest urban areas in the U.S. with just as many outdoor activities available as more rural locations.
Through state legislation and dedicated local efforts, Pre-K options in Memphis have seen increased success every year. Effective in the 2016-17 school year, the Tennessee Pre-K Quality Act makes Pre-K accessible to all four-year-olds in the state with an emphasis on at-risk students and high priority communities. It also makes programs more rigorous and better prepares students to enter elementary school. As Memphians continue to gain access to high-quality early childhood education for all children, our chances of success through college and the workforce increase.
Shelby County’s Unified School District encompasses the Memphis city limits. It is the largest school district in the State of Tennessee and 22nd largest in the United States, with more than 200 schools within the district. Shelby County Schools (SCS) offers a wide variety of curricula that includes music, arts, foreign language, university dual-enrollment programs, skills training and advanced placement courses for college credit.
Arlington Community Schools
2 Elementary Schools | 1 Middle School | 1 High School
5,015 Students | 30 miles from Downtown Memphis
Bartlett City Schools
6 Elementary Schools | 3 Middle Schools | Ninth Grade Academy | 1 High School
8,636 Students | 13 miles from Downtown Memphis
Collierville Schools
5 Elementary Schools | 2 Middle Schools | 1 High School
8,113 Students | 30 miles from Downtown Memphis
Germantown Municipal School District
3 Elementary Schools | 1 Middle School | 1 High School
5,791 Students | 21 miles from Downtown Memphis
Lakeland School System
1 Elementary School | 1 Middle School (Opening Fall 2017)
889 Students | 23 miles from Downtown Memphis
Students living in Lakeland are also zoned to Arlington Community Schools.
Millington Municipal Schools
2 Elementary Schools | 1 Middle School | 1 High School
2,687 Students | 16 miles from Downtown Memphis
Shelby County Schools’ optional program gives parents choices in selecting a public education that can best fit their children’s talents and abilities. Elementary programs enrich, supplement, and broaden the standard school curriculum. Middle school and high school level programs are designed to prepare students for college and careers. Optional schools are tuition-free and accessible to residents from all parts of the county. There are also many career center for excellence options in the region, similar to those seen in other counties and states.
There are two types of schools in the county’s optional program. Most programs exist as a school-within-a-school for all grade levels, which means that the optional program is offered in addition to traditional classes or programs. However, 14 schools exist exclusively as optional schools – all students who attend these schools participate in the optional program. Call the Division of Optional Schools and Advanced Academics at 901-416-5830 for more information on the program.
Charter schools are independent public schools of choice. They control their own budget, curriculum, and staffing. Memphis’ charter schools maximize students’ potential by focusing on specific areas of academic interests and employing creative learning techniques. Charter programs prepare children for college by learning how to function productively in a global and technologically advanced society.
For more information about Memphis charter schools, click here to learn from Chamber member Tennessee Charter School Center.
The Achievement School District (ASD) is a statewide program aimed at catapulting the least-performing schools in Tennessee to the top 25% in the state over a five year period. The ASD is an independent school district that works hand-in-hand with Shelby County Schools and local charter schools to manage existing schools. Currently, ASD manages 23 schools in the Memphis area.
Memphis has more than 55 private and parochial schools with a combined enrollment of nearly 11,000 students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Covering pre-school through high school education, they offer a range of programs for all kinds of learning styles. Memphis private schools are known for their high academic standards.
Private schools who are Chamber members
The Memphis Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) represents more than 35 private schools in the area, providing a forum for the study and discussion of matters pertaining to the administration and functioning of independent schools and an exchange for ideas of common concern. For more information about MAIS and its member schools, click here.
The Tennessee Home School Law (Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-6-3050) gives parents the option to educate their children at home using three methods: independent, church-related or accredited online programs. Programs must be accredited and approved by the local school district. Accrediting, testing and other information is available from the Tennessee Department of Education.
Memphis has all the resources of a big city and is centrally located to the rest of the U.S.
VIEW REGIONAL MAPof the U.S. population lives within a day’s drive, making Memphis accessible to millions of people.
VIEW REGIONAL MAPof the U.S. population lives within a two day’s drive. That’s almost 250 million people.
VIEW REGIONAL MAP
Nashville, TN
3 hrs
New Orleans, LA
6 hrs
Atlanta, GA
6 hrs
Washington, DC
13 hrs
Memphis, TN
Chicago, IL
8 hrs
Orlando, FL
12 hrs
Get an in-depth look at all the things that make Memphis great.
