Living in Chattanooga, TN
Small city in Tennessee
Chattanooga is a small city in Tennessee, home to about 183,000 people, with 474,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.
In short: Mountains and a river on the doorstep, a walkable downtown and fast city-run fibre internet. Good for outdoorsy remote workers.
Is Chattanooga a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 3 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $324k and rents for $1,730 a month
- Dog-friendly: 19 dog parks within 9 mi
- Low taxes: no state income tax, 0.85% property tax
👎 Cons
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Smaller job market: about 474,000 people live within 31 mi
- Higher crime: violent crime is 2.8× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Fewer outdoor escapes: few parks and no water close by
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Chattanooga ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Chattanooga: common questions
What is the cost of living in Chattanooga?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $324k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,730 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 91, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Chattanooga?
Tennessee has no state income tax, and homeowners here pay about 0.85% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Chattanooga safe?
Violent crime is well above the national rate (2.8× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Chattanooga?
Chattanooga has cool winters: winter days average around 53°F and summer days around 89°F, with roughly 4″ of snow a year.
Does Chattanooga get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding, tornadoes and earthquakes: 10 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.88 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Chattanooga?
The nearest major airport is TYS, about 88 mi away.
How Chattanooga scores
Each bar compares Chattanooga with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Is Chattanooga right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.