Buying in Eads, TN: Shelby or Fayette County?

Eads is one of those places where the mailing address tells you less than you might expect. It is an unincorporated community east of Memphis, north of Collierville, with no town hall and no city limits of its own. The 38028 zip code reaches across the Shelby County line into Fayette County, taking in parts of Fisherville and Hickory Withe along the way. So two homes that both say "Eads, TN" can fall under different county governments, different school districts, and different rules. If you are looking at land or a home here, sorting out which side of the line a property sits on is a good first step.

A Little Background on Eads

The community traces back to 1888, when the Tennessee Midland Railroad laid tracks through a village then known as Sewardville. It was later named for James Buchanan Eads, the engineer known for his work on the Mississippi River. Seward Road still carries the earlier name.

Eads never incorporated. In the 1990s, after a long court challenge, Memphis annexed portions of the area, and much of the rest was designated as Memphis reserve territory. More recently, on January 1, 2020, a section south of U.S. 64 near Grays Creek was de-annexed from Memphis. That history matters today because it left a patchwork: most of Eads is unincorporated Shelby County, some is Fayette County, and services such as sewer do not follow a single neat map.

Which County Is the Property In?

Start with the parcel itself rather than the listing headline. The county assessor's record will show whether the property is in Shelby County or Fayette County and whether it lies inside any city boundary. From there, several things follow.

• Property taxes. A home in unincorporated Shelby County is taxed by the county and does not carry a separate municipal tax bill the way a home inside Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland, or Arlington does. Fayette County sets its own rate. Rates and assessments change, so ask for the current tax bill on the specific parcel.
• Public schools. On the Shelby County side, unincorporated areas fall under the county school system, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, rather than one of the municipal districts. On the Fayette County side, the address falls under Fayette County's public schools. Each district can confirm the schools assigned to a specific address.
• Emergency services. Fire and ambulance response comes through the county rather than a city department. It is reasonable to ask which station serves the address, and your insurance agent may ask the same question.
• Permits and zoning. Building permits, driveway permits, and land-use rules come from whichever county the parcel is in.

Water, Sewer and Lot Size Rules

Much of Eads is on private septic, and some properties rely on a well. Others have public water but no public sewer. The 2020 de-annexation is one reason to verify sewer status parcel by parcel rather than assuming a neighbor's setup matches.

These details also affect how land can be divided. As one local guide to buying acreage in Eads explains, Shelby County generally requires at least two acres for a lot without public sewer, and at least four acres when a lot needs both a private septic system and a well. If you are buying a larger tract with thoughts of splitting it later, those minimums, along with road frontage and soil suitability for septic, are worth confirming with the county before you make plans.

Internet service is another item to check by address. Coverage is uneven across Eads: some roads have fiber, while others depend on fixed wireless or satellite.

Roads, Commute and Location

Eads is rural in feel but well connected. U.S. 64 runs east and west through the community toward Bartlett and Memphis in one direction and Oakland and Somerville in the other. Interstate 269, the Winfield Dunn Parkway, crosses the area and links north toward Arlington and I-40 and south toward Collierville and on into Mississippi. State Route 205, known locally as Collierville-Arlington Road and Airline Road, is the main north and south two-lane.

One local brokerage estimates drive times of about 15 minutes to Collierville's Town Square, about 20 to Germantown, and about 35 to Downtown Memphis. Your own numbers will depend on which side of Eads you are on and the time of day, so drive it at the hours you would actually travel. If you are adding a driveway to raw land, know that the county reviews driveway permits for sight distance, drainage, and culvert sizing.

What Homes and Land Typically Look Like

Lots of one to five acres are common in Eads, and tracts of ten acres or more are not unusual. Many of the established homes were built from the late 1990s through the mid-2010s, often in the range of 2,500 to 4,000 square feet, alongside older farmhouses and newer custom builds. Some properties are in subdivisions with covenants and associations, and many are not, which can mean more freedom for a barn, a shop, or animals, and also fewer rules governing what a neighbor may do.

For a rough sense of price, one local brokerage reported average home values in 38028 at around $604,000 as of May 2026. That is a broad average across very different properties, from a house on an acre to an equestrian tract, so it is only a starting point.

A short checklist before you write an offer:

• Confirm the county and any city boundary from the assessor's parcel record.
• Ask for the most recent tax bill.
• Verify water source and whether the home is on sewer or septic, and request septic records and an inspection.
• Review any recorded covenants, easements, and the survey.
• Check internet options at the exact address.
• Confirm school assignments with the district.

Eads rewards a little homework, and none of it is complicated once you know what to ask. If you would like help looking up a specific parcel or thinking through a piece of land, feel free to reach out. I am glad to help whenever the timing is right for you.

Kelly Day, SRES, SRS, AHWD, PSA, RENE
Multi Million Dollar Club
Broker Lic # 365811
simpliHOM
901-289-9227
855-856-9466
[email protected]
https://memphishouselistings.com