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Memphis, TN is a big Mississippi River city with deep music roots, anchored for students by the University of Memphis east of the center and Rhodes College in leafy Midtown. The U of M crowd clusters around the campus and the University District, while Rhodes sits across from Overton Park and the zoo in one of the city's most walkable historic areas. Students spread through Midtown's Cooper-Young and Evergreen districts, full of bungalows, murals, and an arts-forward vibe. Overton Park's old-growth forest and greensward, the riverfront parks, and a packed calendar of festivals keep the city's culture front and center. Between Beale Street's music heritage, the Grizzlies downtown, and the Memphis Zoo, you're never short on something to do.
The area around the University of Memphis is the obvious student base, walkable to class with houses and apartments built for the campus crowd.
The heart of student life near Rhodes, walkable and central with Overton Park right there.
The trendy, walkable pocket of bungalows, murals, and nightlife that draws upperclassmen and grad students.
Here's what you need to know about getting around Memphis.
MATA runs the city bus network and a trolley line downtown, useful for reaching the riverfront and Beale Street, though service is thinner than in transit-first cities. Routes connect the campus areas to downtown and the river for errands and nights out. Because the city is spread out, transit works best paired with other modes. Check schedules before relying on the bus for class.
Both campus areas are walkable in their cores: the University District around U of M and Rhodes' Midtown blocks let you walk or bike to class and to nearby restaurants. Biking is flat and doable, especially on the Shelby Farms Greenline trail. The Greenline gives cyclists a long, car-free route across town. If you live in Cooper-Young or Evergreen near Rhodes, you can handle daily errands on foot.
Memphis is a driving city, and most students keep a car for groceries, jobs, and getting across town. Plan on a car or rideshare for longer hops and late nights. A vehicle covers the distances that walking and transit can't. Keep parking in mind around both campuses if you bring one.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
Memphis runs friendlier than most college cities. Rooms in shared houses near the University of Memphis or in Midtown often land around $500 to $900 a month per person, with two-bedroom apartments commonly $900 to $1,400 total. Cooper-Young and downtown lofts sit at the higher end, while the University District tends to be the value pick.
Browse student housing near each Memphis-area university.