2008 · 174 Mollie Dr · Wikimedia Commons
Selmer’s story
125 years in pictures
4 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.
- 1901Selmer is settled
- 2008174 Mollie Dr
- 2013McNairy Courthouse
- 2014McNairy County Courthouse
SelmerTN
A town of 4,488, settled in 1901. A typical home worth about $164K.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Skye Marthaler · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
4,488
+1.1% since 2010
Typical home
$164K
+2.8% in a year
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
39.6
years
Jobs based here
3,260
A job hub
What makes Selmer stand out
The 3 things Selmer does most differently from other towns.
A job hub
Every workday, about 2,787 people come to Selmer for work
Where Selmer’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
3,260jobs based in Selmer
27%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Selmer’s report card
Housing$164K51% below the TN typical homeSchoolsC+Beats 38% of TN districtsHealthD−Healthier than 4% of U.S. townsCommute22 miHalf of commuters travel lessSafetyDLess crime than 10% of U.S. townsHazards69/100High risk of storm & flood damageClimate90°/30°Summer high · winter low · 1″ snowOutdoors2 miof trails · 1.2% conserved
Now in Selmer
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Selmer is #1 of 177 in TN for “Least snow”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Selmer’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →70°
Sunny
H 81° · L 54°
Local news
All →- Storm and tornado damage across the Mid-SouthFOX13 Memphis · Aug 22
- Game Teaser: Varsity Football West Carroll High School vs. McNairy Central High School HighlightsNFHS Network · Jul 31
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Selmer. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Selmer home is worth about $164K
The typical Selmer home is worth about $164,000, up 2.8% in a year, 51% below the Tennessee typical home.
$164KZillow home value
Typical home value
Selmer$164K
Tennessee$334K
+2.8%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Schools
Selmer’s public schools outperform 38% of Tennessee districts
The public schools Selmer’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 62% of Tennessee’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
C+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selmer Elementary | PK–5 | 548 | B− |
| Selmer Middle School | 6–8 | 197 | B− |
| McNairy County Virtual School K-12 | K–12 | 33 | B |
| McNairy County Adult Learning Center | PK–12 | — | Not graded |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduationAll 4 schools →
Health
Healthier than 4% of U.S. towns
Selmer beats the Tennessee average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 13.
D−Health Grade
26 measures vs. Tennessee
1 better12 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Selmer | TN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.5% | 76.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25.1% | 14.6% |
Magnolia Regional Health Center
17.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
11th
percentile among TN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Work & commute
About one in four working residents works right in Selmer
About one in 4 of Selmer’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Jackson (12%), Memphis (5%) and Henderson (3%). Half commute less than 22 miles.
27%work in town
Where working residents work
In Selmer27%
Jackson12%
Memphis5%
Henderson3%
Savannah2%
22 mi
median commute distance
3,260
jobs based in Selmer
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 10% of U.S. towns
Selmer reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 90% report less.
DSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Selmer6.1
Tennessee5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Selmer20.3
Tennessee16.6
U.S.15.5
10th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
13th
percentile among TN towns
28
violent crimes reported in 2025
94
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Natural hazards
High risk, with earthquakes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 69% of U.S. communities.
69risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingCold waves
7
paid flood claims since 1983
10
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Mild winters, hot summers
Selmer has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
1″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter32–52°
Spring48–72°
Summer67–89°
Fall49–73°
Oct 30
typical first frost
Apr 6
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Outdoors
1.2% of Selmer is conserved land
2.0 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves.
1.2%conserved
1.2%
conserved · 72 of 6,099 acres
2.0 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
About Selmer
City in Tennessee, United States
Selmer is a city in and the county seat of McNairy County, Tennessee, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,446.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1901
- Population
- 4,446
- Area
- 9.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 449 ft
- ZIP code
- 38375
- Area code
- 731
Selmer’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Selmer.
EastviewBethel SpringsSelmer
More about Selmer
Still missing for Selmer:upcoming events