Neighborhood
South Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee US
South Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee has an investment profile defined by a 14.4% gross yield, prices about 60% below the city median and 77% below the state median, and a 31.9% decline over the past year. It also shows walkability of 60, education in the 5th percentile, and a Red Flag score of 56, so the yield is the clearest strength while the steep annual price decline and low school-score percentile are the main numerical risks.
AI Summary•Updated May 2026
Area
13.19 mi²
ZIP Code
38106
County
Shelby County
State
Tennessee
Redfin — median sale & volumeZillow ZORI — asking rentFEMA National Risk Index v1.20OpenStreetMap — POIFBI UCR — state crimeEPA — radon zonesWashU ACAG — satellite PM2.5EPA FRS / BTS — hazard screeningUS Census ACS / TIGER 2024
Verified Price · Median Sale
$77,477
YoY-31.9%
Gross Rental Yield
14.3%
Listed rent · ZORI annualized
Red Flag Index
Moderate
56 / 100
Walkability Score
60
OpenStreetMap POI density · national percentile
Education Score
5 / 100
Pre-pandemic SEDA (2018/19) · district proxy
AI Score
54
DistrictScore attractiveness · national model
South Memphis Property Prices & Rental Yield
Verified Redfin sale data and Zillow ZORI asking rent for South Memphis, Memphis.
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Sign in to view — freeMarket Economics Snapshot
May 2026| Metric | Value | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $77,477 | -31.9% |
| Price / Sq Ft (Verified) | $50/sqft | +7.6% |
| Asking Rent (Median) | $926/mo | -0.3% |
| Gross Rental Yield | 14.3% | — |
| Liquidity Score | 15 / 100 | Low |
| Homes Sold (Period) | 22 | -43.6% |
Is South Memphis Safe? Natural-Hazard Risk
FEMA National Risk Index composite across eight hazards, plus inherited Tennessee crime context.
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Sign in to view — free What Stands Out AI Insight
Above-average gross rental yield at 14.3%
Earthquake risk is Very High (100/100)
Heat risk is Very High (100/100)
Insights are generated from South Memphis's live DistrictScore metrics.
South Memphis Environment & Safety
Satellite PM2.5 air-quality history, FBI UCR crime trend (Tennessee-level, the finest official aggregation), EPA radon potential and point-source hazard screening.
Air Quality — PM2.5
2015–20246.0 µg/m³ Meets EPA, above WHO guideline-0.9% since 2015
EPA 9WHO 5
20152024
Annual mean fine-particle (PM2.5) concentration at the South Memphis centroid, satellite-derived (ACAG). References: WHO guideline 5 µg/m³ · EPA annual standard 9 µg/m³. Latest year ranks worse than 50% of U.S. neighborhoods.
Tennessee Crime Trend
FBI UCR20132024
All crimes / 1k
Violent / 1k
| Year | Crimes / 1k | Violent / 1k | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 26.2 | 5.9 | -11.8% |
| 2023 | 30.1 | 6.4 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 29.7 | 6.4 | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 29.3 | 6.7 | -6.4% |
| 2020 | 31.7 | 6.7 | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 32.6 | 6.0 | — |
Reported at the state level — the finest official US crime aggregation; South Memphis inherits the Tennessee figures.
Radon Potential
EPAZone 3
Zone 3 — Lowest potential · South Memphis
EPA radon zones estimate indoor radon potential county-wide (Zone 1 highest, Zone 3 lowest). Testing is recommended in all zones.
Environmental Hazards
EPA / BTSSuperfund (NPL)0.0 kmVery High
Industrial odor14 nearbyVery High
Point-source screening near South Memphis: EPA Superfund National Priorities List & Facility Registry (2026), BTS aviation noise (2020, 24-hour average level). Superfund shows distance to the nearest listed site; odor shows detected sources within the screening radius. Only detected sources are listed; the bar shows severity vs. all U.S. neighborhoods.
Walkability & Amenities in South Memphis
Amenity density and pedestrian access from OpenStreetMap points of interest.
Walkability & Amenities
OpenStreetMap POI60
Somewhat Walkable
Walkability Score
0
Grocery
1
Dining
37
Schools
1
Universities
0
Hospitals
0
Pharmacies
14
Parks
0
Rail Transit
0
Coworking
POI counts are amenities within South Memphis's boundary plus a 400 m walk buffer. Rail transit excludes bus stops.
South Memphis vs Memphis vs Tennessee
How South Memphis benchmarks against its city and state medians.
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Sign in to view — freeBuying Property in the US as a Foreigner
Federal & Tennessee tax facts for non-resident buyers, plus the latest local market news.
Buying as a Foreigner
US Tax & OwnershipApplies to everyone7
Capital Gains (Federal)
Long-term capital gains taxed federally at 0/15/20%, plus a 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax on higher incomes (2026).
Property Tax
Property tax: ~0.46% average effective rate (statewide average; set and collected locally).
State Income Tax
No state income tax — rental income is not taxed at the state level.
State Capital Gains
No state capital gains tax.
Transfer Tax
Real estate transfer tax: 0.37%.
Assessment Cap
No Proposition 13-style assessment cap; property is reassessed at market value.
Mansion Tax / Rent Control
No statewide mansion tax or statewide rent control.
US citizens & tax residents6
Primary-Home Exclusion
Selling your main home: exclude up to $250k of gain (single) / $500k (married) if you owned and lived there 2 of the last 5 years.
1031 Like-Kind Exchange
A 1031 like-kind exchange defers capital gains tax on investment property; 45 days to identify, 180 to close. Real estate only.
Depreciation Recapture
Residential rentals depreciate over 27.5 years; on sale, recaptured depreciation is taxed up to 25% (Section 1250).
Mortgage Interest Deduction
Mortgage interest is deductible on up to $750k of home debt. The SALT cap rose to $40,000 for 2025-2029 (reverts to $10k in 2030).
Opportunity Zones
Opportunity Zones are now permanent (2025): reinvested capital gains get deferral plus a basis step-up, and are tax-free after 10 years.
Rental Income (Resident)
Rental income is reported on Schedule E; passive-loss rules (Section 469) limit deducting rental losses against other income.
Foreign buyers (non-residents)5
FIRPTA (Foreign Sellers)
FIRPTA: the buyer withholds 15% of the gross sale price when a nonresident sells US property. It is an advance deposit, not the final tax.
Non-Resident Capital Gains
Nonresident sellers pay US capital gains tax (generally 15-20%) on the net gain via Form 1040-NR; FIRPTA withholding is credited.
Non-Resident Rental Tax
Nonresident rental income is taxed at 30% of gross by default, or on net income at graduated rates via a Section 871(d) election (W-8ECI).
Estate Tax (Non-Resident)
Nonresidents get only a $60,000 US estate-tax exemption (vs $13.99M for residents); US property above it is taxed up to 40%. Treaties may help.
ITIN Requirement
Nonresidents without an SSN need an ITIN (Form W-7) to file US tax returns, claim FIRPTA refunds, and report rental income.
Talk to a US real-estate tax advisor
FIRPTA, ITIN & Tennessee property-tax guidance for foreign buyers
South Memphis Real Estate FAQ
South Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee has a high-yield but higher-risk profile. Gross yield is 14.4%, prices are about 60% below the city median and 77% below the state median, and values declined 31.9% over the past year. The Red Flag score is 56, with walkability of 60.
Neighborhoods near South Memphis
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