“Bartlett or Cordova?” is one of the questions I hear most from buyers. The two communities sit side by side on the northeast side of Shelby County, share Interstate 40 and the Wolfchase retail corridor, and offer some of the most attainable brick homes in the Memphis area. Yet they’re governed differently, taxed differently and served by different school districts, and those differences shape what you pay every month and what you get for it.
This guide lays out the comparison the way I walk through it in the car: what homes cost in fall 2026, how the public schools are rated, what your tax bill looks like, how the commute works and which neighborhoods to tour. If you’re also weighing the suburbs farther east, keep my Germantown guide and Collierville guide open in another tab.
The Big Difference: An Independent City vs. a Memphis Community
Here’s the distinction that drives almost everything else in this guide. Bartlett is its own incorporated city. Founded as Union Depot in 1866, it covers about 32.6 square miles and counted 57,786 residents at the 2020 Census, making it the 14th most populous city in Tennessee. Bartlett has its own mayor, police and fire departments, a 55,000-square-foot Recreation Center, the Bartlett Performing Arts and Conference Center, and, since 2014, its own school district, Bartlett City Schools.
Cordova is not a city. It’s a community of about 68,800 residents (2020 Census) spread across ZIP codes 38016 and 38018, bounded roughly by Interstate 40 to the north and the Wolf River to the south. Most of Cordova was annexed into the City of Memphis in stages between the 1990s and 2012, and its public schools are part of Memphis-Shelby County Schools. A few pieces went the other way: South Cordova and the Rocky Point area were de-annexed effective January 1, 2021, and are now unincorporated Shelby County. That matters, because a Cordova address can mean a Memphis tax bill or a county-only tax bill depending on which side of the line it sits, so always ask which jurisdiction a specific home is in.
Home Prices in Bartlett vs. Cordova (Fall 2026)
Both communities are dominated by brick homes built between the 1970s and the mid-2000s, typically three or four bedrooms on quarter-acre to half-acre lots, which is why prices track each other closely. Here’s the latest public data.
Bartlett: Redfin reported a median sale price of about $335,000 for the three months ending August 2026, up 3.0 percent year over year, at about $157 per square foot. A median of 29 days on market (up 12 days from a year earlier), 209 homes sold (up 6.8 percent), a sale-to-list ratio of 98.2 percent and about 14 percent of homes selling above list price round out the picture, and Redfin’s Compete Score of 70 out of 100 rates the market “very competitive.” Zillow’s typical home value for Bartlett was about $324,000 as of July 31, 2026, down 0.9 percent year over year, with a median list price near $357,000 and homes going pending in about 20 days. Movoto showed a median list price of $330,000 at $154 per square foot in July 2026, with about 210 active listings.
Cordova: Redfin reported a median sale price of about $295,000 for the three months ending June 2026, down 1.0 percent year over year, at about $135 per square foot. The median time on market was 27 days, 272 homes sold (up 5.9 percent), the sale-to-list ratio was 98.8 percent, and about 24 percent of homes sold above list, with a Compete Score of 72. Movoto’s August 2026 figures show a median list price of $329,000 at $148 per square foot, about 298 active listings, and a median of 57 days on market, up from 41 a year earlier.
What the numbers mean: On a median basis, Bartlett runs roughly $40,000 higher than Cordova, and its price per square foot is about $10 to $20 higher. Cordova gives you more house for the money, while Bartlett’s premium reflects its city services and school district. Both markets still move in about four weeks for well-priced homes, but rising days-on-market figures in both places tell me buyers have more negotiating room this fall than in 2024 and 2025, and Cordova has roughly 40 percent more active listings to choose from.
Schools: Bartlett City Schools vs. Memphis-Shelby County Schools
This is the single biggest reason buyers choose one over the other, so I’ll stick to the published ratings and let you weigh them.
Bartlett is served by Bartlett City Schools, an independent municipal district formed in 2014 with 11 schools inside the city limits and about 9,000 students at a 17-to-1 student-teacher ratio. Niche gives the district an overall grade of A- for 2026 and ranks it #11 of 124 districts in Tennessee. Individual Niche grades include Bon Lin Elementary, Bartlett Elementary, Altruria Elementary and Ellendale Elementary at A, Oak Elementary at A-, Appling Middle and Bon Lin Middle at A, Elmore Park Middle at A-, and Bartlett High School at B+ (about 2,780 students). GreatSchools ratings shown on Redfin give Bon Lin and Oak elementaries an 8 out of 10 and Rivercrest, Bartlett and Ellendale elementaries a 7.
Cordova is served by Memphis-Shelby County Schools, the largest district in the state. Cordova’s public schools include Cordova Elementary, Middle and High; Chimneyrock, Dexter, Macon-Hall and Riverwood elementaries; and Dexter and Mount Pisgah middle schools. Niche’s 2026 grades include Riverwood Elementary at B-, Macon-Hall Elementary at C+ and Cordova High School at C+ (about 2,250 students, 19-to-1 ratio). GreatSchools ratings shown on Redfin give Chimneyrock Elementary a 7 out of 10 and Riverwood and Dexter elementaries a 5. Cordova also has a deep bench of private schools, including Briarcrest Christian, Evangelical Christian School, Harding Academy and St. Benedict at Auburndale, which is one reason many Cordova buyers tell me school ratings aren’t the deciding factor for them.
One development worth watching: in 2026 the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board approved the purchase of a 35.79-acre site on Herbert Road near North Germantown Parkway and Shelby Farms, at a cost of just over $3.5 million, as the location for a new Cordova-area high school, with a feasibility study to follow. No opening date has been announced.
Ratings are one data point among many. Visit the schools yourself, and confirm zoning for any specific address before you write an offer, because Bartlett and Cordova zones interlock along the Stage Road and Appling Road corridors.
Property Taxes: The Monthly Difference Most Buyers Miss
Tennessee assesses residential property at 25 percent of appraised value, and every Shelby County homeowner pays the county rate, which is $2.702382 per $100 of assessed value for 2026 according to the Shelby County Trustee. What changes is the city portion.
- Bartlett: The City of Bartlett’s rate is $1.66 per $100 for tax year 2025 (down from $1.73 in 2024), according to the city’s Tax Department. Part of that rate funds Bartlett City Schools.
- Cordova inside Memphis city limits: The City of Memphis rate is $2.58081 per $100 for 2026, per the Shelby County Trustee.
- Cordova in unincorporated Shelby County (South Cordova, Rocky Point): County rate only.
On a $325,000 home (assessed value $81,250), that works out to roughly $2,196 a year in county tax for everyone, plus about $1,349 in Bartlett city tax (about $3,545 combined) or about $2,097 in Memphis city tax for a Cordova address inside the city (about $4,293 combined). An unincorporated Cordova address would pay the county portion alone. Ownwell’s analysis of actual 2026 bills puts Bartlett’s median effective rate at 0.62 percent of home value on a median value of about $322,000, versus 0.59 percent citywide in Memphis. In practice, a Bartlett home and a Memphis-Cordova home at the same price will differ by about $60 a month in taxes, in Bartlett’s favor, which offsets part of Bartlett’s higher purchase price. Run your full monthly number, including insurance and any HOA, with my mortgage calculator, and confirm anything tax-related with a CPA, since rates and reappraisals change.
Commutes and Getting Around
Both communities are built around Interstate 40, and both sit within about 25 to 35 minutes of downtown Memphis in normal traffic.
Bartlett commuters typically use Sycamore View, Appling or Whitten roads to reach I-40, or Stage Road (U.S. 64/70) west toward Summer Avenue. Highway 385 (Paul Barret Parkway) on the north side of the city connects Bartlett to Millington and Naval Support Activity Mid-South in about 20 minutes and to Arlington and Lakeland in 10 to 15. The Bartlett Station district around the historic depot on Stage Road is the city’s walkable core.
Cordova commuters lean on Germantown Parkway (the spine of the community, with Wolfchase Galleria at its north end), Walnut Grove Road west toward East Memphis, and Macon Road and Houston Levee Road for the east-west grid. Shelby Farms Park, roughly 4,500 acres with the Shelby Farms Greenline running west toward Midtown, sits on Cordova’s southwestern edge, and the Wolf River Greenway continues to expand along the southern boundary.
Memphis International Airport and the FedEx World Hub are roughly 25 to 35 minutes from either community via I-40 and I-240. Drive times are estimates; test your own route at rush hour before you commit.
Neighborhoods to Tour in Bartlett
- Davies Plantation and Bartlett Ridge (north Bartlett, off Davies Plantation Road and Kirby-Whitten): 1990s and 2000s brick homes, many with 2,500-plus square feet, and the closest Bartlett neighborhoods to Highway 385.
- Bartlett Creek and Daybreak: Late-1990s to 2000s subdivisions with sidewalks and cul-de-sacs, popular with buyers moving up from a first home.
- Elmore Park and the Stage Road core: 1960s and 1970s ranches on larger lots near the Recreation Center, Bartlett Station and Bartlett High School, often the best value per square foot in the city.
Neighborhoods to Tour in Cordova
- Countrywood (annexed into Memphis in 2002): One of Cordova’s original master-planned communities, with 1970s and 1980s homes near Colonial Country Club. The Legacy at Countrywood, a mixed-use project with homes and 40,000 square feet of retail on Countrywood Parkway, received an increase to $47 million in funding from the Economic Development Growth Engine of Memphis and Shelby County in September 2026.
- Riverwood Farms and Walnut Grove Lake: South Cordova near the Wolf River, with 1990s and 2000s brick homes, neighborhood lakes and quick access to Walnut Grove Road.
- Berryhill and Chimneyrock: Central Cordova between Macon Road and Dexter Road, with mid-priced 1980s and 1990s homes.
- Cordova Club, Woodland Hills and Dexter Lake: Newer subdivisions north of Macon Road toward I-40, typically 1998 to 2010 construction.
- Rocky Point and South Cordova: The de-annexed, unincorporated pockets, worth a look if a county-only tax bill matters to you.
Bartlett vs. Cordova: How to Choose
- Choose Bartlett if you want an independent city with its own services and school district, a Niche A- rated district, a lower combined tax rate than Memphis, and you’re comfortable paying roughly $40,000 more at the median for it.
- Choose Cordova if you want the most square footage for your budget, more inventory to choose from, Shelby Farms and the Wolfchase retail corridor at your doorstep, and either a private-school plan or a specific public school zone you’ve already checked.
- Look at both if your budget is $275,000 to $375,000, because that band is where the two markets overlap most and where I most often show homes in both communities on the same afternoon.
First-time buyers should read my Memphis first-time home buyer guide, which covers THDA programs that work in both Bartlett and Cordova. If you’re comparing against the Mississippi side, start with my DeSoto County guide.
Ready to Look at Homes in Bartlett or Cordova?
I’m licensed in Tennessee and Mississippi, and I show homes on both sides of the Bartlett line every week. Browse current listings, estimate your payment with the mortgage calculator, or reach out and tell me which matters more to you, the school district or the square footage, and I’ll build a tour around it. Selling in Bartlett or Cordova? Start with a free home value estimate and I’ll follow up with MLS comps for your specific subdivision, because the public estimates often lump the two communities together.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bartlett vs. Cordova, TN
Is Bartlett or Cordova more expensive?
Bartlett. Redfin reported a median sale price of about $335,000 in Bartlett for the three months ending August 2026, versus about $295,000 in Cordova for the three months ending June 2026. Price per square foot was about $157 in Bartlett and $135 in Cordova over the same periods.
Is Cordova, TN part of Memphis?
Mostly, yes. Most of Cordova was annexed into the City of Memphis between the 1990s and 2012, so those addresses pay Memphis city taxes and are served by Memphis-Shelby County Schools. South Cordova and Rocky Point were de-annexed effective January 1, 2021, and are now unincorporated Shelby County. Bartlett, by contrast, is its own incorporated city.
How are Bartlett City Schools rated?
Niche gives Bartlett City Schools an overall grade of A- for 2026 and ranks the district #11 of 124 in Tennessee. Bartlett High School carries a Niche grade of B+, Appling Middle and Bon Lin Middle an A, and Bon Lin, Bartlett, Altruria and Ellendale elementaries an A. Confirm zoning for any specific address.
How are Cordova, TN schools rated?
Cordova’s public schools are part of Memphis-Shelby County Schools. Niche’s 2026 grades include Riverwood Elementary at B-, and Macon-Hall Elementary and Cordova High School at C+. GreatSchools ratings shown on Redfin give Chimneyrock Elementary a 7 out of 10. Cordova also has several private schools, including Briarcrest Christian, Evangelical Christian School, Harding Academy and St. Benedict at Auburndale. Confirm zoning for any specific address.
Are property taxes lower in Bartlett or Cordova?
Every Shelby County homeowner pays the 2026 county rate of $2.702382 per $100 of assessed value. Bartlett adds a city rate of $1.66 per $100 (tax year 2025), while a Cordova address inside Memphis city limits adds the Memphis rate of $2.58081 per $100 (2026). On a $325,000 home, that’s roughly $3,545 a year in Bartlett versus about $4,293 in Memphis-Cordova. Unincorporated Cordova addresses pay the county rate only.
How far are Bartlett and Cordova from downtown Memphis?
Both are roughly 25 to 35 minutes from downtown in normal traffic via Interstate 40, and about 25 to 35 minutes from Memphis International Airport via I-40 and I-240. Bartlett has direct access to Highway 385 toward Millington, while Cordova sits on Germantown Parkway and Walnut Grove Road with Shelby Farms Park on its southwestern edge.
Ashley Wisch is a REALTOR® with eXp Realty, LLC, licensed in Tennessee (#345883) and Mississippi, ranked in the top 1% of individual agents in the United States by transactions (RealTrends Verified 2026: #243 nationally and #3 in Tennessee), a member of RealTrends’ “The Thousand,” and the #1 eXp Realty agent in Tennessee and Mississippi for 2025, serving Greater Memphis and DeSoto County. Market figures are drawn from Redfin, Zillow and Movoto as of June through September 2026, school ratings from Niche and GreatSchools for 2026, population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau and Wikipedia, tax rates from the Shelby County Trustee, the City of Bartlett and Ownwell as of 2025–2026, and development news from the Daily Memphian and Local Memphis as of 2026; all change frequently, are provided for general information only, are not a guarantee of value or outcome, and should not be relied on as tax, legal, lending or investment advice. Consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation.
Ashley Wisch, REALTOR®
TN license #345883 · Licensed in Tennessee and Mississippi
eXp Realty, LLC · 888-519-5113 ext. 390
Brokered by eXp Realty, LLC, Nashville, TN
Equal Housing Opportunity
Featured photo: Cordova, TN by Barcode at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
