PlainZIP

Germantown, TN · standard

ZIP Code 38138

Shelby County, Tennessee - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

24,045
783/sq mi
$136,297
Median income
$430,200
Median home value
69.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Germantown pairs a top-decile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 6%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 18%
home value, US ZIPs
783
people per sq mi
80%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 38138 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 38138 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Germantown, Shelby County, Tennessee, with 24,045 residents across 30.7 square miles, a density of 783 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 38138 skews affluent, with a median household income of $136,297 (105% above the Tennessee average), while per-capita income is $70,818. Poverty here runs at 3.6%, with unemployment measured at 3.9%. The typical home here is valued at $430,200 (74% above the state average); renters pay a median of $1,726 monthly, and 79.8% of units are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 69.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.6, and the average commute is 21 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 38138, plus 6 more within Shelby County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 38138

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Germantown, TN

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 38138.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 38138, Germantown, TN · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

24,045

Population

30.7

Area (sq mi)

783

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 38138?

44.6

Median Age

47.3%

Male

52.7%

Female

6.7%

Foreign-Born

White 84.6%
African American 5.2%
Asian 5.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.4%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.3%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$136,297

Median Household Income

+105% vs state

$70,818

Per Capita Income

3.6%

Poverty Rate

3.9%

Unemployment Rate

20.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 38138 ranks nationally

Germantown, TN household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$136,297 Top 6% higher than 94% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). This entry sits in this band. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 78.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 69.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

10,660

Total Housing Units

10,211

Occupied Units

449

Vacant Units

2.44

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 79.8%
Renter 20.2%

$430,200

Median Home Value

+74% vs state

$1,726

Median Rent

1979

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+2.8%

YoY Change (2024)

213

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+113%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 38138 have increased 2.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +113% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +5.5% 157
2021 +10.1% 173
2022 +14.3% 198
2023 +4.6% 207
2024 +2.8% 213

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 1,017 business establishments in ZIP 38138, employing approximately 20,735 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,509,383,000.

1,017

Businesses

20,735

Employees

$1.5B

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 211 20.8%
Retail trade 148 14.6%
Finance and insurance 116 11.4%
Accommodation and food services 111 10.9%
Other services (except public administration) 93 9.1%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 87 8.6%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 61 6.0%
Real estate and rental and leasing 55 5.4%
Construction 37 3.6%
Wholesale trade 23 2.3%
Educational services 17 1.7%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 15 1.5%
Information 14 1.4%
Transportation and warehousing 11 1.1%
Management of companies and enterprises 9 0.9%
Manufacturing 6 0.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 38138 vs 38139 →

ZIP 38138 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 38138 ranks #6 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 38138 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 38138 ranks #2 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
38139 Germantown, TN 16,086 2.5 mi
38119 Memphis, TN 22,330 2.7 mi
38125 Memphis, TN 36,150 4.1 mi
38018 Cordova, TN 35,059 4.1 mi
38120 Memphis, TN 14,237 4.0 mi
38115 Memphis, TN 39,129 4.2 mi
38141 Memphis, TN 22,462 5.7 mi
38133 Memphis, TN 20,787 8.9 mi
38016 Cordova, TN 43,079 6.9 mi
38117 Memphis, TN 26,125 6.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Shelby County

38017 standard
Collierville, TN
Pop: 48,642
38109 standard
Memphis, TN
Pop: 46,594
38127 standard
Memphis, TN
Pop: 45,248
38128 standard
Memphis, TN
Pop: 44,863
38016 standard
Cordova, TN
Pop: 43,079
38134 standard
Memphis, TN
Pop: 41,948

Related Areas

Shelby County Germantown, TN Tennessee

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 38138 in? ▼
ZIP code 38138 (Germantown) is located in Shelby County, Tennessee. Shelby County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/shelby-tn.
What is the population of ZIP code 38138? ▼
ZIP code 38138 in Germantown, TN has a population of 24,045 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 38138? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 38138 is $136,297, which is 79% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 38138? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 38138 is $430,200, which is 55% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 38138? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 38138 is White at 84.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 38138? ▼
ZIP code 38138 has 1,017 business establishments employing approximately 20,735 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 38138? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 38138 are: Health care and social assistance (211), Retail trade (148), Finance and insurance (116). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 38138? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 38138 increased by 2.8% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 113%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 38138? ▼
In ZIP code 38138, 78.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 69.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 38138? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 38138 is 20.6 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 38138? ▼
In ZIP code 38138, approximately 79.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 20.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 38138? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 38138 is 3.6% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.