Special Report

This Is the County in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR Metro Area with the Most Deaths from COVID-19

Samuel Stebbins

Published: May 20, 2022 5:15 am

More than 1 million Americans have died from COVID-19 – more than the total number of Americans killed in World War I and World War II combined.

In the Memphis metropolitan area, which covers parts of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas, a total of 4,924 deaths have been attributed to the virus, equal to 366 fatalities for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, 303 deaths have been attributed to the virus per 100,000 people.

The higher than average per capita COVID-19 death rate across the metro area is being driven by one area in particular.

The broader Memphis metro area comprises nine counties or county equivalents — and of them, Benton County has had the most COVID-19 fatalities per capita. So far, the per capita coronavirus death rate in Benton County stands at 594 for every 100,000 people.

With the highest per capita death rate in the Memphis metro area, Benton County ranks among the top 10% of all U.S. counties or county equivalents by COVID-19 death rate per capita.

All COVID-19 data used in this story are current as of May 19, 2022.

These are all the counties in Mississippi where COVID-19 is slowing (and where it’s still getting worse).