Chattanooga, TN
Census place 4714000 · pop 185,783
Immortalized by the song "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and an early adopter of citywide municipal gigabit internet.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.50 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
19.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
52.4% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
19.1% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
16.7% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
12.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
48 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$64,523 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
92/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
90.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
36.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
3 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$283,200 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
24.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+3.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
36.0% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.80% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,511/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.1% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
18 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
Not measured for Chattanooga: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Chattanooga, TN a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Chattanooga scores 47/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is commute time and its weakest is income inequality. Tennessee overall ranks #32 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Chattanooga, TN expensive to live in?
- Chattanooga has a median home value of $283,200 and typical rent around $1,511/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Chattanooga, TN?
- Its weakest measured area is income inequality (0.50) — 10/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Chattanooga, TN best at?
- Its strongest measured area is commute time (18 min) — 84/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Immortalized by the song "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and an early adopter of citywide municipal gigabit internet.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.