City · Scotland County, Missouri

Memphis, Missouri

Memphis is a city in Scotland County, Missouri. It has 1,782 residents. Memphis, Missouri has a quality-of-life score of 60 out of 100 (high), ranking #6,211 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Missouri it ranks #101 of 375 cities and towns. It ranks best on primary care physicians (high), students per teacher (low) and social associations (high). It ranks worst on access to exercise opportunities (low), flu vaccinations (low) and public EV charging ports (low).

60High

Quality-of-life score: #6,211 of 15,651 cities and towns
Missouri: #101 of 375 in MO
Population: 1,782 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 1,143.6 /mi²
FIPS code: 2947270

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety64#5,565/15,637
Economy45#8,539/15,631
Housing95#685/14,977
Health41#9,266/15,609
Healthcare23#12,020/15,650
Environment71#4,420/15,453
Education73#4,265/15,649
Infrastructure32#10,584/15,650
Community68#4,982/15,651
Leisure & amenities44#8,761/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Memphis, Missouri ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Scotland County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Primary care physicians · high194 /100k
100/100Missouri 72 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteScotland County value
Students per teacher · low9.2×
99/100Missouri 12.7×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsScotland County value
Social associations · high21.4 /10k
99/100Missouri 11.5 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteScotland County value
Drug overdose deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Missouri 18.0 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataScotland County value
Rent as share of income · low18.6%
98/100Missouri 28.1%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Rent-burdened households · low27.6%
95/100Missouri 45.6%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070

Weaknesses

Access to exercise opportunities · low0.4%
0/100Missouri 76.6%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteScotland County value
Flu vaccinations · low25.0%
3/100Missouri 44.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteScotland County value
Public EV charging ports · low0.0 /10k
3/100Missouri 5.3 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyScotland County value
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.0 /10k
4/100Missouri 1.2 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsScotland County value
Mental health providers · low43 /100k
4/100Missouri 278 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteScotland County value
Average weekly wage · low$887
5/100Missouri $1,278United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsScotland County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedWorsening
0.6 /1k (2021) → 0.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
73.4% (2015-2019) → 88.5% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
41.8% (2015-2019) → 27.6% (2020-2024)
−14 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$37,909 (2015-2019) → $55,125 (2020-2024)
+45%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Rent as share of incomeImproving
26.4% (2015-2019) → 18.6% (2020-2024)
−7.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
1.8× (2015-2019) → 2.4× (2020-2024)
+36%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Memphis, Missouri improved on 2 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 10 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Broadband+15 points73.4% → 88.5%
Household income+45%$37,909 → $55,125

Declined1

Price / income+0.6×1.8× → 2.4×

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Memphis, Missouri between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	19.4 min2015-2019	16.0 min2020-2024	−3.4 min	Within the margin of error	82%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.7%2015-2019	20.3%2020-2024	+2.5 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Broadband subscriptions	73.4%2015-2019	88.5%2020-2024	+15 points	Improved	80%
Effective property tax rate	0.87%2015-2019	0.66%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	60%
High school diploma or higher	91.2%2015-2019	86.9%2020-2024	−4.3 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Home price to income ratio	1.8×2015-2019	2.4×2020-2024	+0.6×	Declined	40%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4072015-2019	0.4102020-2024	+0.003	Within the margin of error	48%
Median household income	$37,9092015-2019	$55,1252020-2024	+45%	Improved	80%
Poverty rate	11.9%2015-2019	12.2%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	40%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	26.4%2015-2019	18.6%2020-2024	−7.8 points	Within the margin of error	90%
Rent-burdened households	41.8%2015-2019	27.6%2020-2024	−14 points	Within the margin of error	88%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	12.1%2015-2019	18.5%2020-2024	+6.4 points	Within the margin of error	7%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Memphis, Missouri five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Memphis, Missouri in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Memphis, Missouri itself moved +5.3 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,782 residents (±206)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

627 households (±77)

Memphis, Missouri
Missouri share

Under $25k20%†125
$25k–50k24%†148
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

627 households (±77)

Memphis, Missouri
Missouri share

Own72%450
Rent28%†177

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

879 workers (±142)

Memphis, Missouri
Missouri share

Drive alone81%710
Carpool6.3%†55
Public transit0.0%0

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Scotland County, the county holding most of Memphis's residents.

Scotland County has 134 employer establishments, 286 for every 10,000 residents (1.15× the US rate of 248; 1.17× Missouri's), with 849 paid employees at an average annual pay of $42,874. The Census Bureau also counts 543 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 134; 543 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 286; US 248 · Missouri 244
Paid employees: 849
Average annual pay: $42,874; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Scotland County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Religious organizations	10	21.3	3.85×More than typical	22	$12,864	—
Construction of buildings	7	14.9	1.98×Too few to compare	20	$52,150	27
Automotive repair and maintenance	6	12.8	2.54×Too few to compare	13	$55,462	16
Specialty trade contractors	6	12.8	0.83×Too few to compare	5	$78,200	70
Restaurants and other eating places	5	10.7	0.58×Too few to compare	43	$11,372	5
Banks and credit unions	4	8.5	2.64×Too few to compare	25	$53,120	—
Fabricated metal product manufacturing	4	8.5	5.34×Too few to compare	14	$51,643	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	4	8.5	1.94×Too few to compare	11	$20,364	—
Truck transportation	4	8.5	1.69×Too few to compare	14	$81,071	48
Auto parts, accessories and tire stores	3	6.4	3.67×Too few to compare	16	$32,563	—
Building material and supplies dealers (hardware, home centers)	3	6.4	3.88×Too few to compare	19	$40,368	—
Commercial and industrial machinery repair	3	6.4	9.41×Too few to compare	10	$35,800	5

Rank places for an industry Open Scotland County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 4,686 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Memphis is mostly in Scotland County.

See federal money in Scotland County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Memphis, Missouri is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Sam GravesR-MO-6 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 7.0%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Scotland County45100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Scotland County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/2947270

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends