Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Memphis, TN

Population: 630,027 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

B
65/100

Good fiscal health — above-average across most metrics

Total Spending
$13.9B
Per Capita
$22,111
Total Revenue
$21.5B
Total Debt
$191.2M

Spending Breakdown

Other
40.0%$5.6B
Housing & Community Development
21.2%$3.0B
Utilities
11.7%$1.6B
Hospitals
7.6%$1.1B
Parks & Recreation
6.3%$880.3M
Interest on Debt
5.2%$729.9M
Public Welfare
2.8%$396.7M
Fire Protection
2.1%$295.3M
Health
1.8%$246.3M
Highways & Roads
1.3%$174.6M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Property Tax
0.0%$6.4M
Sales Tax
1.5%$312.4M
Income Tax
3.6%$767.3M
Intergovernmental
100.0%$21.5B
Charges & Fees
6.1%$1.3B
Other
11.7%$2.5B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$469/person
Highways & Roads$277/person
Parks & Recreation$1,397/person
Health$391/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)52/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)79/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$191.2M
Long-Term Debt$358.8M
Debt Per Capita$303
Cash & Securities$18.2M

Compare Cities

See how Memphis stacks up against another city.

vs Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TNvs Knoxville, TNvs Chattanooga, TN
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Tennessee

Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN

Pop. 684K

D
Total Spending
$33.5B
Per Capita
$48,948

Knoxville, TN

Pop. 192K

C
Total Spending
$3.4B
Per Capita
$17,926

Chattanooga, TN

Pop. 181K

B
Total Spending
$4.4B
Per Capita
$24,150

Clarksville, TN

Pop. 168K

A
Total Spending
$1.4B
Per Capita
$8,523

Compare Memphis With

Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN

Spending: $48,948/person · Grade: D

Knoxville, TN

Spending: $17,926/person · Grade: C

Chattanooga, TN

Spending: $24,150/person · Grade: B

Clarksville, TN

Spending: $8,523/person · Grade: A

Frequently Asked Questions

Memphis, TN spends $22,111 per resident, based on total expenditures of $13.9B for a population of 630,027. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of B (65/100).

Memphis, TN has total expenditures of $13.9B and total revenue of $21.5B. The city carries $191.2M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Memphis, TN employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Memphis, TN has a Fiscal Health Score of B (65/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

Last updated: