Memphis, TN-MS-AR Metro Area
The Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area is made up of 9 counties in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas; the largest are Shelby County, DeSoto County, and Tipton County. About 1,341,412 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 0.3% fewer than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 1,341,412 0.3% fewer than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 9: 3 central, 6 outlying
- Land area
- 4,972 sq mi (12,879 km²)
- Time zone
- Central TimeUTC-06:00 in January; UTC-05:00 in July
- States
- Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas
- Combined statistical area
- Memphis-Clarksdale-Forrest City, TN-MS-AR
- CBSA code
- 32820
Counties in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby CountyTennessee | Central | 910,226 | 67.9% |
| DeSoto CountyMississippi | Central | 197,918 | 14.8% |
| Tipton CountyTennessee | Outlying | 62,287 | 4.6% |
| Crittenden CountyArkansas | Central | 46,210 | 3.4% |
| Fayette CountyTennessee | Outlying | 45,071 | 3.4% |
| Marshall CountyMississippi | Outlying | 34,654 | 2.6% |
| Tate CountyMississippi | Outlying | 28,725 | 2.1% |
| Tunica CountyMississippi | Outlying | 8,819 | 0.7% |
| Benton CountyMississippi | Outlying | 7,502 | 0.6% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying county is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central counties, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Memphis618,980 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Memphis-Clarksdale-Forrest City, TN-MS-AR combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other 2 areas in this one, largest first:
- Forrest City, AR Micro Area21,800 people
- Clarksdale, MS Micro Area19,849 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Forrest City, AR Micro Area47 mi west
- Blytheville, AR Micro Area57 mi north
- Oxford, MS Micro Area58 mi southeast
- Jonesboro, AR Metro Area63 mi northwest
- Clarksdale, MS Micro Area72 mi southwest
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.