Original analysis, updated October 29, 2026
Memphis pest data
Memphis is wet, warm at night and short on hard freezes, which is a good climate for termites, roaches and mosquitoes. We pulled 30 years of daily weather from Memphis International Airport, Census housing data for 33 Shelby County ZIP codes, and the state's list of chartered pest control offices.
The Memphis pest year
How we built this- Avg. nights at 50°F or warmer, when most bugs stay active (NOAA, 1996 to 2025)
- Months with 10+ nights at 70°F or warmer
- Months averaging 5 inches of rain or more
- Months averaging 5+ freezing nights
Average rainfall by month at Memphis International Airport (inches)
Average nights per month that stay at 50°F or warmer, Memphis
Average nights per month that stay at 70°F or warmer, Memphis
Nights per year at 32°F or colder, Memphis International Airport
What we found
- Wet all year. Memphis International Airport averages 56 inches of rain a year over about 111 days with measurable rain, and about 18 days a year bring an inch or more (1996 to 2025). The wettest months are Mar, Apr, May; even the driest month averages more than three inches.
- Warm nights. About 92 nights a year stay at 70°F or warmer, and 221 stay at 50°F or warmer. July averages a high of 92°F and a low of 74°F.
- Short winters. About 44 nights a year reach 32°F or colder, but only 6 reach 20°F or colder. The median last spring freeze is March 13 and the median first fall freeze is November 16, about 248 days apart.
- 2026 has been dry. 33.1 inches through October 24, 2026, against an average of 44.5 by that date.
- Old housing is concentrated. 38106 South Memphis (77% built before 1960), 38114 Orange Mound and Castalia (73% built before 1960), 38122 Berclair (67% built before 1960), 38104 Midtown (65% built before 1960). The newest are 38002 Arlington and Lakeland (59% built 2000 or later), 38103 Downtown (48% built 2000 or later), 38017 Collierville (45% built 2000 or later).
- Chartered offices. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture's public list shows 159 current pest control charters with a Shelby County address as of October 29, 2026; 72 have a pest word in the name (pest, termite, bug), and the rest include lawn and tree care companies that apply pesticides. The most are based in 38133 Bartlett (east) (16), 38118 Oakhaven and Parkway Village (15), 38017 Collierville (14).
All 33 ZIP codes
| ZIP | Area | Homes | Median year built | Built before 1960 | Built before 1980 | Built 2000 or later | Owner occupied | Charters based here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38017 | Collierville | 21,486 | 1998 | 3% | 12% | 45% | 78% | 14 |
| 38016 | Cordova (north) | 20,153 | 1998 | 2% | 9% | 43% | 55% | 7 |
| 38111 | University District | 19,695 | 1956 | 63% | 82% | 9% | 44% | 4 |
| 38115 | Hickory Hill | 19,031 | 1981 | 5% | 48% | 8% | 23% | 4 |
| 38109 | Westwood and southwest Memphis | 18,865 | 1964 | 42% | 82% | 9% | 56% | 2 |
| 38116 | Whitehaven | 18,546 | 1966 | 30% | 84% | 5% | 43% | 5 |
| 38128 | Raleigh | 18,059 | 1975 | 15% | 63% | 8% | 42% | 4 |
| 38127 | Frayser | 17,662 | 1966 | 35% | 80% | 5% | 42% | 2 |
| 38125 | Southeast Memphis and Riverdale | 16,732 | 1996 | 3% | 14% | 37% | 54% | 3 |
| 38118 | Oakhaven and Parkway Village | 16,253 | 1973 | 16% | 76% | 7% | 40% | 15 |
| 38134 | Bartlett (south) | 15,781 | 1979 | 7% | 54% | 9% | 47% | 8 |
| 38002 | Arlington and Lakeland | 15,690 | 2002 | 5% | 15% | 59% | 84% | 10 |
| 38018 | Cordova (south) | 15,380 | 1997 | 1% | 8% | 41% | 62% | 7 |
| 38104 | Midtown | 14,392 | 1949 | 65% | 81% | 11% | 38% | 1 |
| 38117 | East Memphis (Poplar and Mendenhall) | 12,235 | 1958 | 60% | 84% | 10% | 76% | 5 |
| 38114 | Orange Mound and Castalia | 12,226 | 1955 | 73% | 92% | 3% | 46% | 3 |
| 38106 | South Memphis | 11,226 | 1954 | 77% | 94% | 2% | 39% | 0 |
| 38135 | Bartlett (north) | 11,068 | 1993 | 3% | 24% | 26% | 81% | 6 |
| 38053 | Millington | 10,900 | 1980 | 21% | 50% | 17% | 67% | 6 |
| 38119 | East Memphis (Ridgeway) | 10,747 | 1979 | 6% | 52% | 17% | 60% | 3 |
| 38138 | Germantown (west) | 10,660 | 1979 | 4% | 53% | 18% | 80% | 6 |
| 38122 | Berclair | 9,934 | 1956 | 67% | 90% | 4% | 53% | 4 |
| 38103 | Downtown | 9,303 | 1999 | 24% | 28% | 48% | 32% | 0 |
| 38141 | Hickory Hill (south) | 8,488 | 1985 | 3% | 28% | 5% | 56% | 2 |
| 38107 | North Memphis | 8,332 | 1954 | 58% | 78% | 14% | 38% | 2 |
| 38133 | Bartlett (east) | 8,311 | 1993 | 4% | 19% | 28% | 68% | 16 |
| 38108 | Nutbush and Jackson Avenue | 7,714 | 1956 | 64% | 90% | 5% | 46% | 3 |
| 38112 | Binghampton and Crosstown | 7,469 | 1950 | 63% | 85% | 7% | 52% | 2 |
| 38120 | River Oaks | 6,507 | 1976 | 24% | 57% | 12% | 72% | 1 |
| 38139 | Germantown (east) | 6,053 | 1989 | 1% | 24% | 24% | 97% | 4 |
| 38105 | Uptown and Medical District | 4,269 | 1970 | 37% | 61% | 24% | 14% | 1 |
| 38126 | South Downtown and Foote Homes | 3,381 | 1979 | 34% | 51% | 40% | 12% | 0 |
| 38028 | Eads | 2,893 | 1996 | 7% | 20% | 38% | 95% | 0 |
Area names are our shorthand for the main neighborhood or town in each ZIP. Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (tables B25034, B25024, B25035, B25003). Charters: current charters in the TDA public list with an address in that ZIP, October 29, 2026. Click a column to sort.
How we built this
Weather. NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network daily summaries for Memphis International Airport (station USW00013893), January 1996 to October 24, 2026. Yearly and monthly averages use the 30 complete years 1996 to 2025. A "warm night" is a daily low of 70°F or higher; a freeze is a low of 32°F or lower.
Homes. US Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates by ZIP Code Tabulation Area, via Census Reporter.
Charters. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture public charter search, searched for "Shelby" on October 29, 2026, keeping current charters whose listed county is Shelby. We publish counts only.
Limits. One airport station does not describe every neighborhood. Weather and housing age describe conditions; they don't tell you whether your house has a pest problem. A charter count says where offices are, not how good they are.
About this data
Where does this data come from?
NOAA NCEI daily weather summaries for Memphis International Airport, the US Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates by ZIP code, and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture's public list of pest control charters.
Why count charters by ZIP?
Tennessee requires a charter for each pest control office. The count shows where chartered offices are based, not which neighborhoods they serve; most companies cover the whole county.
Can I use these charts?
Yes. Reporters and realtors may cite or republish the charts and table with a link to this page (CC BY 4.0).