ZIP 38134 vs ZIP 38120

This side-by-side compares ZIP 38134 (Memphis, TN) and ZIP 38120 (Memphis, TN) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 38134 has a population of 41,948 at 871 people per square mile, while ZIP 38120 has 14,237 at 570 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 38134 reports a median household income of $60,622 against $123,538 in ZIP 38120, with per-capita income of $28,888 vs $108,686. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 20.4% in 38134 and 70.4% in 38120. Poverty rate reads 11.1% vs 7.9%, and unemployment 4.8% vs 2.1% — 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 $207,000 in 38134 versus $460,700 in 38120, with median rent of $1,198 and $1,705 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 47.4% vs 71.5%. 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.