Shelby County, TN

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Population

935,764

0.128% decline

Median Age

36


Median Household Income

$47,500

4.32% decline

Poverty Rate

20.8%


Number of Employees

430,511

0.68% decline

Median Property Value

$157,700

6.12% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2018, Shelby County, TN had a population of 936k people with a median age of 36 and a median household income of $47,500. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Shelby County, TN declined from 936,961 to 935,764, a -0.128% decrease and its median household income declined from $49,647 to $47,500, a -4.32% decrease.

The population of Shelby County, TN is 53.6% Black or African American Alone, 35.4% White Alone, and 6.54% Hispanic or Latino. N/A% of the people in Shelby County, TN speak a non-English language, and 95.6% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Shelby County, TN are University of Memphis (4,597 degrees awarded in 2017), Southwest Tennessee Community College (1,328 degrees), and The University of Tennessee-Health Science Center (939 degrees).

The median property value in Shelby County, TN is $157,700, and the homeownership rate is 55%. Most people in Shelby County, TN commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 22.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Shelby County, TN is 2 cars per household.

About the photo: skyline

Photo by Nicolas Henderson

United StatesTennesseeMemphis, TN-MS-AR

Economy

The economy of Shelby County, TN employs 431k people. The largest industries in Shelby County, TN are Health Care & Social Assistance (60,345 people), Transportation & Warehousing (58,810 people), and Retail Trade (45,389 people), and the highest paying industries are Management of Companies & Enterprises ($75,190), Finance & Insurance ($52,041), and Public Administration ($49,705).

Median household income in Shelby County, TN is $47,500. Males in Shelby County, TN have an average income that is 1.37 times higher than the average income of females, which is $44,237. The income inequality in Shelby County, TN (measured using the Gini index) is 0.464, which is lower than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$47,500

2018 value

± $2,160

-4.32%

1 Year Growth

± 6.01%

Households in Shelby County, TN have a median annual income of $47,500, which is less than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $49,647 in 2017, which represents a -4.32% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in Shelby County, TN compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Tennessee.

$60,607

Average Male Salary

± $1,379

$44,237

Average Female Salary

± $1,006

In 2018, full-time male employees in Tennessee made 1.37 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Tennessee by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Tennessee.

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. Asian

    $56,380 ± $6,815

  2. White

    $49,129 ± $940

  3. Two or More Races

    $42,683 ± $7,409

In 2018 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Tennessee workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.15 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Tennessee by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Shelby County, TN is from Tennessee.

0.464

2018 Wage GINI

0.466

2017 Wage GINI

In 2018, the income inequality in Tennessee was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.388% decline from 2017 to 2018, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even.

The 2018 the GINI for Tennessee was lower than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Tennessee in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Tennessee across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Census Tract 213.53

  2. Census Tract 213.11

  3. Census Tract 215.40

In 2017, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Shelby County, TN was Census Tract 213.53 with a value of $165,679, followed by Census Tract 213.11 and Census Tract 215.40, with respective values of $143,309 and $137,768.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Shelby County, TN colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

20.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Shelby County, TN (192k out of 920k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 13.1%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males < 5 and then Males 6 - 11.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. Black

    138,577 ± 2,904

  2. White

    37,041 ± 1,456

  3. Hispanic

    20,207 ± 960

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Shelby County, TN is Black, followed by White and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

431k

2018 Value

± 12,491

-0.68%

1 Year decline

± 4.09%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Shelby County, TN declined at a rate of -0.68%, from 433k employees to 431k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Shelby County, TN, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (52,158 people), Management Occupations (39,950 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (39,101 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Shelby County, TN.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Shelby County, TN, by number of employees, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (52,158 people), Management Occupations (39,950 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (39,101 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other counties, Shelby County, TN has an unusually high number of residents working as Material Moving Occupations (2.42 times higher than expected), Fire Fighting & Prevention, & Other Protective Service Workers Including Supervisors (1.92 times), and Law Enforcement Workers Including Supervisors (1.48 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Shelby County, TN, by median earnings, are Computer & Mathematical Occupations ($71,520), Life, Physical, & Social Science Occupations ($69,818), and Management Occupations ($68,634).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

431k

2018 Value

± 12,491

-0.68%

1 Year decline

± 4.09%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Shelby County, TN declined at a rate of -0.68%, from 433k employees to 431k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Shelby County, TN, are Health Care & Social Assistance (60,345 people), Transportation & Warehousing (58,810 people), and Retail Trade (45,389 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Shelby County, TN, though some of these residents may live in Shelby County, TN and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Most Common

The most common industries in Shelby County, TN, by number of employees, are Health Care & Social Assistance (60,345 people), Transportation & Warehousing (58,810 people), and Retail Trade (45,389 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other counties, Shelby County, TN has an unusually high number of Transportation & Warehousing (2.86 times higher than expected), Administrative & Support & Waste Management Services (1.47 times), and Management of Companies & Enterprises (1.24 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Shelby County, TN, by median earnings, are Management of Companies & Enterprises ($75,190), Finance & Insurance ($52,041), and Public Administration ($49,705).

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Tennessee to other states, or from other states to Tennessee.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Pharmaceuticals

    $38.9B

  2. Motorized vehicles

    $35.5B

  3. Mixed freight

    $29.6B

In 2015, the top outbound Tennessee product (by dollars) was Pharmaceuticals with $38.9B, followed by Motorized vehicles ($35.5B) and Mixed freight ($29.6B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Tennessee products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Tennessee state.

$366B

2020 Value

$525B

Projected 2045 Value

43.2% growth

In 2020, total outbound Tennessee trade was $366B. This is expected to increase 43.2% to $525B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Tennessee trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Tennessee to other states, or from other states to Tennessee.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. Kentucky

    $31.6B

  2. Texas

    $18.7B

  3. Georgia

    $18.1B

In 2015, the top outbound Tennessee domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Kentucky with $31.6B, followed by Texas with $18.7B and Georgia and $18.1B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Tennessee shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Health

89.6% of the population of Shelby County, TN has health coverage, with 46.6% on employee plans, 21.4% on Medicaid, 9.54% on Medicare, 10.4% on non-group plans, and 1.65% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the county of Shelby County, TN was $7,372 in 2014. This is a 3.74% increase from the previous year ($7,106).

Primary care physicians in Shelby County, TN see 1209 patients per year on average, which represents a 2.11% decrease from the previous year (1235 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1412 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 780 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Dyer County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (17.5%). Additionally, Hardeman County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (39.7%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,209 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in Shelby County, TN see an average of 1,209 patients per year. This represents a 2.11% decrease from the previous year (1,235 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Shelby County, TN in comparison to neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Tennessee.

$7,372

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$4,680

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$5,677

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$10,371

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in Tennessee (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 3.74%, from $7,106 to $7,372.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

10.4%

Uninsured

46.6%

Employer Coverage

21.4%

Medicaid

9.54%

Medicare

10.4%

Non-Group

1.65%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Shelby County, TN declined by 2.2% from 10.6% to 10.4%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Shelby County, TN changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Dyer County

    17.5% prevalence

  2. Cocke County

    17% prevalence

  3. Fayette County

    16.8% prevalence

Dyer County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in Tennessee, at 17.5%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in Tennessee by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

Shelby County, TN is home to a population of 936k people, from which 95.6% are citizens. As of 2017, 6.35% of Shelby County, TN residents were born outside of the country (59.5k people).

The ethnic composition of the population of Shelby County, TN is composed of 502k Black or African American Alone residents (53.6%), 332k White Alone residents (35.4%), 61.2k Hispanic or Latino residents (6.54%), 24.9k Asian Alone residents (2.66%), 13.2k Two or More Races residents (1.41%), 1.81k Some Other Race Alone residents (0.194%), 1.15k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.123%), and 74 Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.00791%).

Age

Age by Nativity

35

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.3

40

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 1.4

In 2018, the median age of all people in Shelby County, TN was 36. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 35, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 40. But people in Shelby County, TN are getting getting older. In 2017, the average age of all Shelby County, TN residents was 35.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

6.35%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

59.5k people

6.21%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

58k people

As of 2017, 6.35% of Shelby County, TN residents (59.5k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Shelby County, TN was 6.21%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Shelby County, TN compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Tennessee.

Most Common Origin

  1. Mexico

    84,132 ± 7,077 people

  2. India

    18,226 ± 3,310 people

  3. Honduras

    14,274 ± 2,930 people

In 2018, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Tennessee was Mexico, the natal country of 84,132 Tennessee residents, followed by India with 18,226 and Honduras with 14,274.

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Citizenship

95.6%

2018 Citizenship

95.8%

2017 Citizenship

As of 2018, 95.6% of Shelby County, TN residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2017, the percentage of US citizens in Shelby County, TN was 95.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Shelby County, TN compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. Black or African American Alone

    502k ± 2.76k

  2. White Alone

    332k ± 1.32k

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    61.2k ± 5.94k

In 2018, there were 1.51 times more Black or African American Alone residents (502k people) in Shelby County, TN than any other race or ethnicity. There were 332k White Alone and 61.2k Hispanic or Latino residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in Shelby County, TN as a share of the total population.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    16,998 ± 1,771

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    9,415 ± 2,072

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    9,013 ± 1,713

Shelby County, TN has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.81 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2017, universities in Shelby County, TN awarded 11,813 degrees. The student population of Shelby County, TN is skewed towards women, with 19,008 male students and 30,021 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Shelby County, TN are White (5,419 and 47.3%), followed by Black or African American (4,816 and 42%), Hispanic or Latino (420 and 3.66%), and Asian (419 and 3.65%).

The largest universities in Shelby County, TN by number of degrees awarded are University of Memphis (4,597 and 38.9%), Southwest Tennessee Community College (1,328 and 11.2%), and The University of Tennessee-Health Science Center (939 and 7.95%).

The most popular majors in Shelby County, TN are Registered Nursing (751 and 6.36%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (717 and 6.07%), and General Business Administration & Management (640 and 5.42%).

The median tuition costs in Shelby County, TN are $17,978 for private four year colleges, and $8,321 and $23,691 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. Registered Nursing

    514 degrees awarded

  2. Other Multidisciplinary Studies

    338 degrees awarded

  3. General Business Administration & Management

    324 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Shelby County, TN was Registered Nursing with 514 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Shelby County, TN according to their major.

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. University of Memphis

    4,597 degrees awarded

  2. Southwest Tennessee Community College

    1,328 degrees awarded

  3. The University of Tennessee-Health Science Center

    939 degrees awarded

$8,321

Median In-State Public

$17,978

Median Private

In 2017, the Shelby County, TN institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Memphis with 4,597 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

4,489

Degrees Awarded to Men

7,324

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 4,489 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Shelby County, TN, which is 0.613 times less than the 7,324 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Shelby County, TN by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    5,419 degrees awarded

  2. Black or African American

    4,816 degrees awarded

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    420 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Shelby County, TN were to White students. These 5,419 degrees mean that there were 1.13 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 4,816 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Shelby County, TN was $157,700 in 2018, which is 0.687 times smaller than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $148,600 to $157,700, a 6.12% increase. The homeownership rate in Shelby County, TN is 55%, which is lower than the national average of 63.9%. People in Shelby County, TN have an average commute time of 22.3 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Shelby County, TN is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$157,700

2018 Median

± $4,499

$148,600

2017 Median

± $4,817

In 2018, the median property value in Shelby County, TN grew to to $157,700 from the previous year's value of $148,600.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Shelby County, TN compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Shelby County, TN the largest share of households have a property value in the $300k - $400k range.

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Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$47,500

Median Household Income

± $2,160

353k

Number of Households

± 10,529

In 2018, the median household income of the 353k households in Shelby County, TN declined from $47,500 from the previous year's value of $49,647.

The following chart displays the households in Shelby County, TN distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

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Property Taxes

$3k+

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Shelby County, TN distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Shelby County, TN the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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Rent vs Own

55%

2018 Homeownership

55.2%

2017 Homeownership

In 2018, 55% of the housing units in Shelby County, TN were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 55.2%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is lower than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Shelby County, TN compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Commute Time

22.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Shelby County, TN have a shorter commute time (22.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.7 minutes). Additionally, 0.862% of the workforce in Shelby County, TN have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Shelby County, TN compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    85%

  2. Carpooled

    9.48%

  3. Worked At Home

    2.47%

In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in Shelby County, TN was Drove Alone (85%), followed by those who Carpooled (9.48%) and those who Worked At Home (2.47%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Shelby County, TN distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Shelby County, TN have 2 cars, followed by 1 car.

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