Which Tennessee counties does Memphis Senior Advisor cover?
We cover the three Tennessee counties of the Memphis metro: Shelby (Memphis and its suburbs), Fayette and Tipton, which share one Area Agency on Aging and Disability and one long-term care ombudsman district.
| County | Population | 65+ | 85+ | Median age | Licensed ACLFs | Nursing homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County | 910,226 | 151,180 | 14,390 | 36.9 | 31 | 25 |
| Fayette County | 45,071 | 11,446 | 973 | 48.5 | 2 | 2 |
| Tipton County | 62,287 | 11,253 | 885 | 39.9 | 2 | 2 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 county population estimates by age (July 1, 2025); Tennessee HFC, October 2026.
Why group these three counties together?
Because the agencies a family deals with are organized that way: the Aging Commission of the Mid-South and the MIFA ombudsman district both cover Shelby, Fayette and Tipton (plus Lauderdale), and all three counties follow Tennessee's licensing and TennCare rules.
DeSoto County, Mississippi, is part of the Memphis metro but follows Mississippi law, so we do not list its facilities; see what changes at the state line. Arkansas suburbs across the river are likewise outside Tennessee's system.
Which county has the oldest population?
Fayette County, by a wide margin: 25.4% of its residents were 65 or older in 2025 Census estimates, with a median age of 48.5, compared with 16.6% in Shelby County and 18.1% in Tipton County.
Yet Fayette has the fewest licensed beds and no hospital on the state's hospital report, so many Fayette families end up weighing care in Collierville, Somerville or Covington against staying home with help.
Where is most of the region's licensed senior care?
Overwhelmingly in Shelby County: Memphis and its suburbs hold most of the region's licensed ACLFs, nursing homes, home health agencies and hospices, while Fayette and Tipton counties each have a handful of licensed facilities.
Each county page lists every licensed facility and the straight-line distance from the county seat to the nearest hospitals and to downtown Memphis.
How fast is the older population growing in the three counties?
Census Bureau estimates put 173,879 residents aged 65 and older in Shelby, Fayette and Tipton counties on July 1, 2025, including 16,248 aged 85 and older, the group most likely to need help with daily activities.
Shelby County holds most of those older residents in absolute numbers, but Fayette County's share of residents 65 and older is far higher, and both Fayette and Tipton have fewer licensed beds per older resident than Shelby. That is why families in the outer counties so often compare local options with facilities in Collierville, Bartlett, Cordova or Millington.
At a glance
| Shared across all three counties | Different county to county | |
|---|---|---|
| Agencies | Aging Commission of the Mid-South, MIFA ombudsman, HFC | Hospital access |
| Rules | Tennessee licensing and TennCare rules | How many licensed facilities exist locally |
| Hotlines | APS 1-888-277-8366, HFC 1-877-287-0010 | Distance to Memphis |
| Costs | The same Tennessee CareScout medians | Actual local quotes |
