ZIP 38115 vs ZIP 38119

This side-by-side compares ZIP 38115 (Memphis, TN) and ZIP 38119 (Memphis, TN) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 38115 has a population of 39,129 at 1,761 people per square mile, while ZIP 38119 has 22,330 at 976 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 38115 reports a median household income of $45,636 against $89,289 in ZIP 38119, with per-capita income of $25,274 vs $53,019. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 16.5% in 38115 and 51.5% in 38119. Poverty rate reads 18.8% vs 8.3%, and unemployment 8.4% vs 5.5% — 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 $145,400 in 38115 versus $296,700 in 38119, with median rent of $1,185 and $1,401 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 23.4% vs 60.1%. 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.