ZIP 38106 vs ZIP 38126

This side-by-side compares ZIP 38106 (Memphis, TN) and ZIP 38126 (Memphis, TN) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 38106 has a population of 27,222 at 405 people per square mile, while ZIP 38126 has 7,334 at 1,559 per square mile. That difference in population size and density alone reshapes how every other metric should be interpreted — a higher-income ZIP with 1,200 residents behaves very differently from one with 45,000.

On income and education, ZIP 38106 reports a median household income of $30,232 against $30,071 in ZIP 38126, with per-capita income of $19,130 vs $17,321. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 10.3% in 38106 and 14.8% in 38126. Poverty rate reads 43.0% vs 45.2%, and unemployment 19.7% vs 9.3% — these four fields alone drive most of the difference in the scorecard grades you will see for each ZIP.

Housing separates these two ZIPs further: median home value sits at $71,800 in 38106 versus $59,300 in 38126, with median rent of $952 and $787 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 38.6% vs 12.4%. When reading the comparison table below, focus on paired metrics rather than single winners — a ZIP with lower home values and lower income is not strictly "worse" if rent-to-income ratios and commute times land in the same zone. Every value is pulled from the exact same ACS table so the two columns are genuinely comparable.