Located just east of metropolitan Memphis, nestled in the Heart of Tennessee's Delta, historic Collierville TN offers a unique blend of modern technology interspersed with vintage memories and sentimental tradition. With a population of 48,655 people and seven constituent neighborhoods, Collierville is the 13th largest community in Tennessee. The city has a lot to recommend it to those in search of a home, including the demographics, cultural opportunities, and quality of life.
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Collierville is a decidedly white-collar town, with fully 88.14% of the workforce employed in white-collar jobs, well above the national average. The top categories of Collierville occupations include managers (18.7%), educators and health care workers (17%), and professionals (10%). The city has one of the highest levels of education in the nation. Fully 95% of residents ae high school graduates, 77% have associate or bachelors degrees, and 17% have graduate degrees.
Homes in Collierville are predominantly ranch or traditional split level, and tend to be larger than the norm, with 86% having three or more bedrooms. With a median value of $278,400, affordability can be an issue for some young families even though the median family income is high for the area at $101,000. The inventory of homes for sale is relatively stable at approximately 300, given the normal seasonal fluctuation, so the search for that “perfect” home should be success.
Collierville is home to many families with young children, averaging just over three persons per household, compared to the Tennessee average of 2.5. More than one-third of all residents are children under 18 years of age. Married couples comprise the largest group of citizens, with 64.7% of all adults married, and another 7% divorced. Only one-fourth (24.5%) have never been married. The female population comprises 52.3%, closely mirroring that of the Memphis metro area (52.7%). One of the more diverse cities in the area, Collierville is also home to White (75.2%), African-American (12.1%), Asian (6.6%), and Hispanic (2.3%) residents. This is very different from Memphis metro, where 27.3% are White and 62.8% African-American, with Asian and Hispanic remaining about the same as in Collierville.
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The non-profit Collierville Education Foundation was formed in June 1996. The foundation grew out of the town's determination to become a Three-Star Community, a state program designed to honor cities that meet certain criteria. The Collierville Education Foundation supports Collierville schools in a manner that has permitted them to excel.
Collierville High School is part of a highly successful, motivational initiative called The Academic Excellence Program, which recognizes students who have maintained either all A's or A's and B's the previous year or over consecutive years. Program emphasis has led to 97% of the school's seniors going on to attend 4-year colleges, junior colleges, or technical schools.
The city fosters a culture of tradition and academic excellence. It is no accident that half the residents were born in the state, and another fourth in the south. Collierville’s reputation continues to draw new families and, unlike most small towns, it retains most of its own best and brightest.
The proximity to a large city expands the cultural opportunities available to Collierville residents. The short drive into Memphis' enables exposure and enjoyment of the arts, concerts, museums, and other amenities of modern life, and fully rounds out the education for young and old alike.
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Collierville was designed as a Main Street community in 1991. As a part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Main Street Collierville is a non-profit, tax exempt 501 (c) (3) organization whose vision is "to improve the quality of life by strengthening the historic district as the center of the community.” The organization sponsors a year-round calendar of events and historic happenings, meant to bridge the link between past and present small town charm and the sophistication of urban growth.
The Collierville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department operates and maintains the Collierville Greenbelt System, which is comprised of over 60 miles of trails and sidewalks connecting parks, schools, neighborhoods, and commercial districts. Just over 14.5 miles of trails are completely within the corporate limits. Designed to enhance the natural beauty of the town, the trails parallel the Wolf River and Nonconnah Creek. A part of the management initiative is preservation of natural vegetation and protection of wildlife habitats. Bikers, walkers, joggers, or visitors out for a stroll all have easy access to the pleasures of the Greenbelt.
In addition to maintaining the Greenbelt System, the Collierville Park System manages 20 regional, community and neighborhood parks with acres of open areas, 25 athletic fields, and more miles of trails. The Cox Community Center and the Herald Theatre also fall within the Parks Department’s Special Events and Tourism department, which hosts more than 100,000 participants in its programs each year.
Collierville government and residents take extreme pride in their city, as evidenced by the community organizations. The Collierville Education Foundation, mentioned earlier, awards grants to those teachers who utilize imaginative teaching techniques and for those programs that directly benefit students. To date, the foundation has provided grants totaling $286,959.00 since 1997. The foundation has enabled hiring of the best qualified teachers in the region and has expanded the curriculum at each of the 12 schools in the district.
Main Street Collierville, also mentioned, is an entirely citizen-run organization whose only goal is to promote quality of life in the city. Residents are proud of their town, and pitch in to make it even better reflect their preferred lifestyle.
Finally, the Greenbelt System goes far beyond the parks and recreation activities of other cities, regardless of size or location, in providing residents and visitors outdoor vistas, fitness venues, and family-oriented activities.
Collierville is a rare, if not unique small city dedicated to a way of life and with a sense of history, pride and community seldom found.
