How many people live in Shelby County, TN?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 910,500 people living in Shelby County, TN. That makes Shelby County the most populous county in Tennessee. It is home to 12.4% of people living in the state.
911K
population of Shelby County, TN (2024)
12.4%
County share of the Tennessee population (2024)
About 910,500 people lived in Shelby County, TN in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Shelby County, TN’s age demographics?
About 143,200 Shelby County, TN residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 15.7% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 17.7% of Tennessee’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 230,000 Shelby County residents, or 25.3% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 22% of Tennessee’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Shelby County, TN's population is aged under 18 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Shelby County, TN’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic Black or African American residents make up 53% of the Shelby County, TN population, higher than the national share of 12.6%.
In contrast, Shelby County’s non-Hispanic white population accounts for 32.5%, below the 57.5% nationwide, and the Hispanic population makes up 9.5% of the county, compared with 20% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Shelby County, TN has a higher share of a non-Hispanic Black or African American population than Tennessee as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Shelby County, TN is Memphis with about 610,900 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Shelby County, TN ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Memphis | 610,919 |
| 2. | Bartlett | 56,708 |
| 3. | Collierville | 51,951 |
| 4. | Germantown | 40,128 |
| 5. | Arlington | 15,550 |
| 6. | Lakeland | 14,416 |
| 7. | Millington | 11,486 |
| 8. | Balance of Shelby County | 109,372 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
