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Retirement Living In Memphis - Tennessee


Jump to: Area, Characteristics, Cost, Amenities, Climate, Demographics, Housing, Assistance

Area Description

Memphis is located on the southwest corner of Tennessee within Shelby County, the core county of the Memphis metropolitan statistical area. The Memphis MSA also includes Crittenden County in Arkansas; Benton, DeSoto, Marshall, Tate and Tunica counties in Mississippi; plus Fayette and Tipton counties in Tennessee.

The city is along the Mississippi and Wolf rivers and is on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff. Memphis, Tennessee, is 330.3 square miles with a lattitude of 35.149534N and a longitude of -90.04898W.

Memphis is a very special place, with a character, a texture, and a feel that doesn’t exist in the same way in any other city.

It has a legendary character that is undoubtedly the reason that “Memphis” is mentioned in more song lyrics than any other place on earth. Location has plenty to do with it. Memphis’ powerful spot on the Mississippi River in the extreme southwest corner of Tennessee and its role as the biggest city in the Mid-South have historically made the city a magnet for attracting people from all over the Delta, Mississippi, Arkansas, West Tennessee, northern Alabama, and Missouri.

This influx of people blended with the locals, creating an interesting and distinct confluence of cultures. This cultural convergence is inextricably woven into the fabric of Memphis’ history and is absolutely part of Memphis’ vibe today.

All of this gives Memphis a special, unforgettable yet hard-to-describe feeling. In the song “Walking in Memphis,” Marc Cohn wonders, “But do I really feel the way I feel.” We know Memphis is like that; it sneaks up on you, touches your soul, and makes you go, “What was that?” It’s a city with heart and soul. It’s manifested in the people, in the places, in the food, in the culture, and in the history.

Explore the Community section of the Greater Memphis Chamber website to find out more about what makes Memphis an excellent place to live, work, and play.

Includes Cities/Towns: Arlington, Collierville, Cordova, Germantown, Memphis, Millington.

Region Characteristics





Area Amenities

Things to Do, Recreation & Fitness
   Did you know Memphis is home to the 2nd-largest county park? Shelby Farms is 4500 acres, complete with a newly renovated lake, dog park, miles of bike and running trails, a disc golf course, and even a herd of buffalo! It’s also home to The Kitchen, a farm to table restaurant that opened in 2016.

Memphis also boasts the longest public pedestrian bridge that crosses the Mississippi. Walkers, joggers, and bikers can enjoy the scenic view of the river as they traverse the Big River Crossing Bridge to West Memphis, AR and back.

Each year, dozens of festivals are hosted in Memphis. From the famous month long Memphis in May festival, to the Memphis International Beer Festival, to 4 different Crawfish festivals plus cultural festivals like Italian Fest, Greek Fest and Africa In April. There’s always something to do in the Bluff City.

Not to mention the 100+ golf courses, hunting, hiking, running, biking, boating, fishing, sight-seeing, national golf, tennis, football, basketball and baseball championships, Memphis has something for everyone. Visit www.memphischamber.com for more information.

Cultural Activities
Catch a musical at the Orpheum, see the Memphis Symphony at the Cannon Center, or watch a play at one of our many local theaters. Home to several professional music, dance and theatre groups, Memphians enjoy world class entertainment year round.

Exploring Memphis’ museums always turns up a surprise. From mummys and the Lorraine Motel to Post-Impressionist paintings and a half-mile scale model of the Mississippi River, Memphis has a multitude of museums celebrating the historic, the cosmopolitan, and the mind-blowing.

Innovation is welcomed in Memphis and in the last few years alone, several historic buildings have been redeveloped and re-purposed. The Tennessee Brewery is now home to apartments and commercial space; the Chisca hotel now houses the new Lyfe Kitchen headquarters and restaurant. The Crosstown Concourse, once home to the Sears, Roebuck & Co distribution center and retail store, will open in Spring 2017 as a vertical urban village including restaurants, apartments, a new high school, community organizations and retail tenants, representing an $115 million investment.

Public transportation
Home is never far away when you live in Memphis. Whether you’re simply commuting or traveling to that place you call “home” — be it Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, or Boston — it will be a short trip home from Memphis.

Memphis is centrally located — both in terms of physical location and proximity to U.S. population. That means a relatively short trip by land or air to most major U.S. cities.

Driving
Home is never far away when you live in Memphis. Whether you’re simply commuting or traveling to that place you call “home” — be it Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, or Boston — it will be a short trip home from Memphis.

Memphis is centrally located — both in terms of physical location and proximity to U.S. population. That means a relatively short trip by land or air to most major U.S. cities.

Flying
Memphis International Airport offers direct flights to 40 cities in North America (from New York to Cancun). Because of Memphis’ central location, chances are that home is no more than a couple of hours away by air. In fact, the average flight time from Memphis to its 40 direct-flight U.S. cities is 2 hours and 7 minutes.

Bus and Train
Amtrak’s “City of New Orleans” passenger service from Chicago to New Orleans stops at historic Central Station in Memphis. Amtrak also provides service to New York, Seattle, Denver, and Los Angeles via Union Station in Chicago. The “City of New Orleans” includes amenities such as a dining car, a theater car, and a sightseeing lounge.
Memphis has express bus service to thirteen cities provided by Megabus and Greyhound. Megabus offers daily, direct service to seven cities, departing from downtown Memphis. Greyhound offers standard routes throughout the U.S. and express routes to eleven cities, departing from the new bus terminal near the Memphis International Airport.

Local Transportation via the Memphis Area Transit is available 7 days a week throughout Shelby County, while taxis are also available for transportation across the region.

Medical Facilities


Memphis’ healthcare industry can diagnose and treat it. Memphis is the Mid-South’s major medical center with 139 healthcare facilities - including hospitals, surgery centers, specialty clinics, and nursing homes - and more than 4,000 physicians. Indeed, the healthcare industry is a critical part of the Memphis metro economy, employing over 37,000 or one of every 15 area jobs. A list is available here: http://www.memphischamber.com/Community/Live/Healthcare.


What Will The Climate And Weather Be Like If I Retire In Memphis, Tennessee?

By general consensus, May and October are the city’s most beautiful months in terms of both weather and natural scenery. The climate year-round, however, is comfortable. It’s best characterized by mild temperatures and blue-sky days. Keeping the lawn green isn’t much trouble either since Memphis’ 54 inches of annual rainfall is well-distributed among the twelve months and there is little if any snow with which to contend. Truly, Memphis is one of those fall-spring places where summer is warm, winter is short and only rarely bitter, and where fall, spring and 65°F seems to last forever. Be prepared to grill outdoors year-round in Memphis.

Monthly Temperature Ranges

 Month  Low  Avg  High
 Jan  30 F°  40 F°  49 F°
 Feb  34 F°  44 F°  54 F°
 Mar  42 F°  52 F°  63 F°
 Apr  51 F°  62 F°  72 F°
 May  60 F°  71 F°  81 F°
 Jun  68 F°  78 F°  88 F°
 Jul  72 F°  82 F°  91 F°
 Aug  71 F°  81 F°  91 F°
 Sep  63 F°  74 F°  84 F°
 Oct  51 F°  63 F°  74 F°
 Nov  42 F°  52 F°  63 F°
 Dec  33 F°  42 F°  51 F°

Monthly Average # of Hot and Cold Days

 Month  Days Greater Than 90 F°  Days Less Than 32 F°  Days Less Than 0 F°
 Jan  0  18  0
 Feb  0  13  0
 Mar  0  5  0
 Apr  0  1  0
 May  2  0  0
 Jun  12  0  0
 Jul  19  0  0
 Aug  18  0  0
 Sep  6  0  0
 Oct  0  0  0
 Nov  0  5  0
 Dec  0  15  0

Rain & Humidity

 Month  Rainfall  Rainy Days  Humidity
 Jan  4 "  10  32 %
 Feb  5 "  9  35 %
 Mar  5 "  11  41 %
 Apr  6 "  10  49 %
 May  6 "  10  59 %
 Jun  4 "  9  66 %
 Jul  4 "  9  71 %
 Aug  3 "  7  69 %
 Sep  3 "  7  62 %
 Oct  4 "  8  51 %
 Nov  5 "  10  43 %
 Dec  6 "  10  35 %

Snow

 Month  Snowfall  Snow On Ground Days  Snowy Days
 Jan  1 "  1  1
 Feb  1 "  1  1
 Mar  0 "  0  0
 Apr  0 "  0  0
 May  0 "  0  0
 Jun  0 "  0  0
 Jul  0 "  0  0
 Aug  0 "  0  0
 Sep  0 "  0  0
 Oct  0 "  0  0
 Nov  0 "  0  0
 Dec  0 "  0  0


Natural Disaster Areas

Cost of Living for Memphis, TN

Memphis, Tennessee cost of living for Housing, Healthcare, Transportation, Taxes, Utilities, etc.:

 Cost of Living

Demographics

Race

Religion

Political Party

Age

Senior Housing Options





 Variety can be found not only in the landscaping, history, and music of the city but also in the character of each neighborhood: Each has its own personality that distinguishes it from all the others. Housing options range from single family to multi-story downtown apartments. With more than 350,000 households and some of the cheapest real estate in the country, you can't go wrong in Memphis.

Senior Assistance in Memphis, TN

Memphis, Tennessee offers the following assistance for seniors:
In addition to private home health, transportation and wellness services, the Memphis and Shelby County Aging Commission offers seniors, regardless of their financial status, the following services:

Single Point of Entry (SPOE) for all publicly-funded in-home services offered by the Aging Commission. These services include home-delivered meals, home-maker assistance, personal care assistance and special services for caregivers.

State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers information and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries. Whether you need help picking a Medicare Part D program, figuring out if there is financial assistance available to help you pay for your medicine or information about supplemental insurance plans to work with your Medicare benefits, the SHIP program is the place for you to call.


Access to CHOICES: TennCare’s program for long-term care services. Long-term care includes help doing everyday activities that you may not be able to do as you grow older or if you have a physical disability. These are activities like bathing, dressing and preparing meals. Long-term care can be provided in a nursing home. Long-term care can also be provided at home, in the community, or in residential places like Assisted Care Living Facilities. Services to help a person stay at home or in the community are called Home and Community-Based Services.

Administration of TN's Public Guardianship Program that provides conservatorship services to persons 60 years of age and older, who are unable to manage their own affairs, and who have no family member, friend, bank or corporation willing and able to act on their behalf.

Access to neighborhood based Senior centers that offer free programming, assistance, government liaisons, outreach, transportation and group activities.

Contact Information: wwww.agingcommission.org or 901-222-4111.

What Job or Volunteer Opportunities Does Memphis Offer For Retirees?

There are hundreds of volunteer opportunities in the Memphis area. Many organizations partner with VolunteerMemphis and local community centers to fill these positions. Job hunters also have access to open positions via the local workforce investment network and other online job listings such as indeed.com or aarp.com.

Churches such as Hope Presbyterian, New Direction Christian Church, Bellevue Baptist and others are always in need of volunteers. Interested parties can contact these or their neighborhood congregations directly.

The Aging Commission's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) program is also in need of volunteers. For more information call 901-222-4111.

Additional Information

Visitor Information

Relocation Information


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