Memphis kept its 70th-place ranking for parks among America’s 100 largest cities this year, according to new results from the Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore index.
The city got big points in the study for park size. The median size here is 10 acres, far outpacing the national median of 5.4 acres.
Park spending in Memphis has more than doubled over the last 10 years, according to the study. In 2015, Memphis spent just $57 per person on parks. That jumped to $163 last year and jumped again to $185 per person this year. Memphis park spending this year was above the national average of $133 spent per person.
Investing in parks is largely responsible for Memphis’ climb in the rankings, the Trust for Public Land said in a statement. In 2021, the city ranked 95 out of 100. However, Memphis still ranks low for access to parks and park amenities.
The top three cities in the ranking were:
• Washington, D.C.
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Cincinnati, Ohio
The bottom three cities in the ranking were:
• Durham, North Carolina
• Fresno, California
• Irving, Texas
Here are more facts about Memphis parks from the Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore report:
Parkland as a percentage of city area: 6.2 percent
Percent of residents within a 10 minute walk to a park: 45 percent
Percent of people of color within a 10 minute walk to a park: 45 percent
Percent of low-income households to a park: 49 percent
Difference in number of parks in people of color neighborhoods versus white neighborhoods: 7 percent less
Difference in number of parks in low-income neighborhoods versus high-income neighborhoods: 6 percent less
Basketball hoops per 10,000 residents: 2.6
Dog parks per 100,000 residents: 0.8
Playgrounds per 10,000 children: 7
Recreation and senior centers per 20,000 residents: 1.1
Restrooms per 10,000 residents: 0.9
Splashpads per 100,000 children: 6.2
Fields and diamonds per 100,000 residents: 1.6