Possible relocation to Millington, TN (Memphis, Bartlett: extended stay, sales, apartment complexes)

[usmcmotort]

Hello everyone.

I maybe relocating to Naval Support Activity Mid south in Millington working with the Corps of Engineers.

I am Married, we're a young couple 25y/o and have a 2 year old daughter. I love the suburbs of Memphis, mainly because the housing market is cheap and the houses look great in the 150K-250K range. However, I keep getting alot of negative feedback about Memphis, mainly about their crime rate; ranked #2 I believe by Forbes and I was told, "have you ever seen the first 48 hours?"

I do have some questions if everyone could kindly pitch in.

How are the suburbs of Memphis, are they safe, are the people friendly, can I get things accomplished in the suburbs without having to go to Memphis (shopping, grocery shopping, eating out, watching a movie, etc). I seem to like the Bartlett area but that's because of the housing, any other areas of recommendation?

My wife and I do plan on having another child while down there, how are the hospitals, are they up to date and state of the art? Do they have good pediatricians?

How is the diversity in the suburbs? I'm Filipino and where we are currently at (virginia beach, va) there are many Filipinos. How is the Asian population here and what is there role in Memphis (or suburbs) ie, are they business owners (restaurants, nail shops) or are they doctors/engineers?

My wife is a stay at home mom and she likes to go out during the day. Is it safe for her to go out wondering on her own in a new area? Will the mall be a safe haven or are the malls a cestpool of thugs? ( we have one here in norfolk that are full of thugs and we never go too).

How is the economy? I read that the Naval support center is the biggest business in Memphis. Does anyone see the local economy getting better or worst?

How are the property taxes in the Suburbs?

As many of you can notice most of my questions are directed towards the suburbs. I love my family and I'd hate to put them in danger if we go to Memphis. But honestly, what are the bad areas of Memphis to avoid and is all the crime hype?

Does anyone know anything about the Naval Support center, their website was down and I couldnt get anything.

I thank you all in advance for your input.

[Bowyer]

I'll try to answer a few questions for you.

I live in Lakeland and it is very safe. There are lots of subdivisions and I feel 100% safe all the time, day or night. We have great neighbors and lots of kids running around. I don't know about Bartlett, but I'm pretty sure you will get good feedback. You can definitely get what you need (the basics at least) in the suburbs w/o having to go to Memphis.

As far as diversity, Memphis and surrounding areas are pretty much black and white, but there are of course other races as well. Not too sure if there is much of a Fillipino population. Lots of people of all ethnic backgrounds own businesses here.

Not too sure on the mall question, however the Wolfchase mall is the largest one near Bartlett and I feel safe there, but I only go to shop, and that is infrequent.

Here is a link to the property taxes. Keep in mind, you pay Shelby County tax (if you live in Shelby County) in addition to the city tax, depending on what city you live in. Lakeland has no city tax, but Bartlett, Germantown, Collierville, Memphis, etc all have a city tax. Ironically, Memphis city taxes are higher than any of the other municipalities---why, I don't know. Here is a tax calculator that will help you determine the cost of property taxes. Welcome to the Shelby County Assessor of Property: Accept

Good luck!

The hospitals here are great, Memphis is known for the medial community. I've had four kids at Baptist East and it is a high-quality, modern facility. It is great and I recommend it.

[JoeCartpath]

The suburbs are great...and Bartlett is one of the best, especially in that price range. I lived there for years (just 1.5 miles north of Wolfchase Galleria) and it was great being within 2 miles of just about any kind of store or restaurant you could think of. I imagine lots of people working at the base also live in Atoka or Munford in Tipton County. Property and property taxes are a little cheaper there, but it's somewhat rural once you get outside the subdivision developments. I'd rather pay a little more and live in Bartlett.

Healthcare is one place Memphis shines....the facilities here are world class.

You'll find diversity in the suburbs, but I can't help you with the particulars of the Filipino/Asian population. They just blend in with everyone else. There numbers are substantial, but they are still a minority. Don't worry....you'll have no problems at all with acceptance.

Your wife will be perfectly safe to go out by herself as long as she doesn't venture into the high crime urban areas (which are easy to avoid). In Bartlett, Cordova, Germantown, East Memphis, etc., she'll be just fine. Just use a little common sense like we all should. My wife shops all the time by herself and never feels unsafe...she just doesn't venture into any questionable areas.

The economy is tough here, just like it is everywhere. The local economy doesn't tend to have the big peaks and valleys that some places have. We don't ride as high in the good times, but we don't have the crashes you see in other parts of the country either. It'll improve when the nation's economy improves. Naval Support may be the biggest employer in Millington, but I doubt it's the largest in the Memphis area. Outside of city and county employees, FedEx is probably the biggest - but there are a number of other large ones (Baptist Hospital, Methodist Hospital, AutoZone, etc.).

Property taxes, although the highest in TN, are still substantially lower than many parts of the country. On a $150K house, your total taxes (county + whatever suburban city you choose) wouldn't exceed $2500 annually - and could be as low as $2000. You'll also only pay about $100 or so per year for auto license for each car...and there is NO state or local income tax. Sales tax is 9.25%.

Stick to the suburbs mentioned above, and you'll be perfectly safe. Avoid Frayser, North Memphis, South Memphis, Whitehaven and Hickory Hill. Yes, crime is high - but most of the violent crime is in these areas...and most is not random crime. It's people killing people they know (probably largely either gang or drug related). The rare occasions where you hear of a murder in the safer suburbs it's almost always a domestic issue.

I don't know a lot about Naval Support. Millington Naval Air Station for many, many years was the largest inland naval base in the country. During a round of base closures several years ago it was downsized and now, I believe, just serves as a center for personnel functions. It should be a great place to work. I do know that the golf course there (Glen Eagle) is a great course and is always immaculate.

Don't worry so much about all the negative stuff you hear. If you check the forum on just about any large city you'll probably see the same kind of stuff. At the risk of sounding racist, just avoid the areas that are historically predominately black and you'll be just fine. Those are the areas where much of the poverty is concentrated....and that where you'll find the overwhelming majority of the crime.

[usmcmotort]

Wow, the positive response definitely makes me feel alot better about relocating to the Millington area.

I cant believe you guys pay two property taxes, I dont think we do that here in Virginia Beach and your sales tax is awefully high. But that's fine, doing some research online I saw that Millington is 28% cheaper than Va Beach so that's good news.

Well, I'm glad to know that the suburbs are safe and everyone answered my questions very well. However, how about the educational system? Are they any good (primarily elementary).

The people living in the suburbs in the 150K-250K price range what type of employment are they into typically, white or blue collar or are they mostly retired?

Again, the responses are great, thanks alot!

[JoeCartpath]

You'll pay two property taxes unless you either live in an unincorporated part of the county or in Lakeland. Lakeland has no property tax...and is a very good area. If you buy in an unincorporated area, you'll want to know which "reserve area" the property is in. That'll tell you if you might be annexed in the future into Memphis, Bartlett, Arlington, etc.

Arlington, by the way, is another great choice for you. It's a very quick and easy commute to Millington via Highway 385. My daughter-in-law lives in Arlington and works in Millington. I believe it's about a 15 minute commute with virtually no traffic. The only issue with Arlington is that it's not as near the shopping and restaurants as Bartlett. There just isn't that much commercial development out there...but it's still just 2 exits down I-40 to the Wolfchase area.

In that type neighborhood you'll probably find the same mix of people you'll find anywhere in the country in a middle class neighborhood.....blue collar, white collar, retired, young, old. Neighborhoods in the suburbs tend to be a very homogeneous mix.

[Smtchll]

I'm half Filipino and I grew up in Millington. Filipinos have always been a part of the community there. If you ask any random person in Millington about Filipinos, they could probably tell you a few things that you wouldn't expect they would know. There's a Filipino restaurant that has been there for a long time There's a Filipino-American association of Millington which hosts parties and picnics all the time. They are usually well-attended. There is also a Filipino-American association of Memphis. There aren't as many Filipinos in Millington as there used to be. Many military families are choosing to move to Bartlett instead of Millington because of the quality of the schools. There are probably more Filipinos in Bartlett than there are in Millington now.

[usmcmotort]

Originally Posted by Smtchll

I'm half Filipino and I grew up in Millington. Filipinos have always been a part of the community there. If you ask any random person in Millington about Filipinos, they could probably tell you a few things that you wouldn't expect they would know. There's a Filipino restaurant that has been there for a long time There's a Filipino-American association of Millington which hosts parties and picnics all the time. They are usually well-attended. There is also a Filipino-American association of Memphis. There aren't as many Filipinos in Millington as there used to be. Many military families are choosing to move to Bartlett instead of Millington because of the quality of the schools. There are probably more Filipinos in Bartlett than there are in Millington now.

Sent you a PM. That's definitely good news and surprising to hear.

[2016_jojo]

Hi,
I would like to revive this discussion. As I am going to relocate to Memphis also, next month for a job assignment. I would like to know if the places suggested here that are safe, are still safe as of late? I'm looking at Germantown and Lakewood as well for a place to stay. I'll be in Memphis for a short term only. My project will last for about 5 months. Thinking of looking for an extended stay hotel or just rent a studio apartment that will allow 5 months lease only (highly unlikely).

Any thoughts Memphis guys/gals?

Thank you in advance!

[JoeCartpath]

I think you'll find that the information in those posts from 2009 still holds true today.

[CristenS]

You might want to contact some Airbnb listings to see if anyone has an available place for 5 straight months. Preferably you could find a carriage house or a whole house/apartment to rent (ie, be alone and not have to share a kitchen, bath, etc with a stranger).


I would guess almost all Airbnb listings in Memphis are in good areas.


There are plenty of apartment complexes that do short term leases though, usually 3 months minimum.