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Place dossier plate
SheetTN-CHATTANOOGA-TN · Chattanooga, TN 182,832 pop · income 37th pct · 87 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Chattanooga
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Chattanooga on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Shreveport · lowest
48,465
Shreveport · lowest
48,465 median HH income
42.1% of the leader · rank #1
Meridian · near
61,023
Meridian · near
61,023 median HH income
53.1% of the leader · rank #2
Sheridan · near
61,025
Sheridan · near
61,025 median HH income
53.1% of the leader · rank #3
Chattanooga · this city
61,028
Chattanooga · this city
61,028 median HH income
53.1% of the leader · rank #4
Enterprise · near
61,029
Enterprise · near
61,029 median HH income
53.1% of the leader · rank #5
Osceola · near
61,029
Osceola · near
61,029 median HH income
53.1% of the leader · rank #6
Franklin · highest
115,000
Franklin · highest
115,000 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Chattanooga on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 182,832.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Chattanooga - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Chattanooga lands in the 37th percentile for household income and the 4th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
37th
percentile, household income
58th
percentile, home value
34th
percentile, median rent
4th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Chattanooga, TN
Tennessee's Chattanooga is a mid-sized U.S. city, with 182,832 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $61,028 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 12.4%. Chattanooga's housing stock carries a median value of $259,200, and the median resident age is 36.6 years. 35.5% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 61.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 1,037 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Slowing), down 8% from five years earlier. Chattanooga's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 4766.2 crimes per 100,000 residents, above the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Tennessee run below the national norm: the state registers 91.9 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,118 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Tennessee's average monthly utility costs around $218 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 52.5 out of 100 (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Chattanooga's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to within-city variation to work and mobility to comparison shortlist to population change to housing and income to reported crime; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Chattanooga, city-specific coverage includes within-city Census tract profiles, annual population history, commute-mode shares, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
What does the education layer cover for Chattanooga?
The NCES join finds 48 public schools within the city match. 35.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
What can 87 Census tracts reveal inside Chattanooga?
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
PlainCities matches 87 Census tracts to this city.
What does the journey to work look like in Chattanooga?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 74.5%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Which cities make useful reference points for Chattanooga?
Within Tennessee, the closest population matches are Knoxville (193,721 residents, $50,994 income); Clarksville (171,897 residents, $66,786 income); Murfreesboro (157,547 residents, $76,241 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Fort Lauderdale, FL (183,032 residents); Shreveport, LA (183,483 residents); Newport News, VA (184,774 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Chattanooga growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +11,889 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +6.5% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 1,037 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+6.5%
2025 estimate
194,144
2020 estimate
182,255
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
How far does income reach against housing in Chattanooga?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 12.4%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
Household income
$61,028
Home value
$259,200
Value / income
4.2×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Chattanooga?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 4766.2 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 109% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
3942.4
Violent rate
823.7
Total reported rate
4766.2
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Below median income · poverty 12.4% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
91.9 (US=100)
Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Tennessee average
D
City profile score · Chattanooga, TN
41/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living B+
91.9 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bachelor's+ share B-
35.5%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$61,028
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
12.4%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
824 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Chattanooga profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 78/100 (B+) · 91.9 index
Bachelor's+ share: 67/100 (B-) · 35.5%
Household income: 36/100 (F) · $61,028
Poverty rate: 30/100 (F) · 12.4%
Violent crime: 0/100 (F) · 824 /100k
Where Chattanooga sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Chattanooga's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Chattanooga highlighted among 11 peers.Read the chart values
Chattanooga, TN (this city): home $259,200, crime 4,766/100k
Shreveport, LA : home $178,100, crime 5,219/100k
Newport News, VA : home $243,300, crime 3,152/100k
Mobile, AL : home $170,300, crime 2,427/100k
Aurora, IL : home $260,400, crime 1,518/100k
Knoxville, TN : home $214,000, crime 3,462/100k
Clarksville, TN : home $236,100, crime 2,042/100k
Murfreesboro, TN : home $365,100, crime 2,442/100k
Franklin, TN : home $646,300, crime 1,075/100k
Johnson City, TN : home $238,000, crime 2,705/100k
Jackson, TN : home $195,000, crime 4,111/100k
How does Chattanooga compare to other US cities?
Here's how Chattanooga stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income37% higher than other cities
Home value58% pricier than other cities
Median rent34% pricier than other cities
Safety4% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Tennessee and the picture shifts: Chattanooga ranks #168 of 174 Tennessee cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Chattanooga against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Tennessee only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Tennessee-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Chattanooga near the bottom of Tennessee's cities
Among the 482 Tennessee cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Chattanooga ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Chattanooga only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#190 of 458
59th percentile in Tennessee
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 482
0th percentile in Tennessee
Median Home Value
#109 of 455
76th percentile in Tennessee
Poverty Rate
#194 of 482
60th percentile in Tennessee
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#66 of 482
86th percentile in Tennessee
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Tennessee only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
37th percentile nationally for median household income · 4th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Chattanooga's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Chattanooga's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Chattanooga's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$259,20042nd percentilemore affordable than 42% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Chattanooga's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.2×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#11,376 of 15,516
More affordable than 27% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#350 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 4.2×, Chattanooga sits in the moderate band:
national rank #11,376 of 15,516 and #350 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$61,028Chattanooga, TN median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Chattanooga, TN median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Chattanooga, TN.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)35.5%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)12.4%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)61.1%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
182,832
Median Income
$61,028
Median Home Value
$259,200
Median Age
36.6
Poverty Rate
12.4%
Labor force participation
61.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
35.5%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
4766.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
823.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3942.4
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
48
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Chattanooga's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
182,255 residents
2021
181,896 residents
2022
184,962 residents
2023
187,976 residents
2024
192,010 residents
2025
194,144 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
1,037
housing units authorized
Single-Family
493
detached homes
Multifamily
544
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
5.7
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
1,130
434
696
$161.8M
2020
1,038
507
531
$164.1M
2021
1,232
575
657
$190.7M
2022
1,271
498
773
$185.0M
2023
1,121
471
650
$166.2M
2024
1,037
493
544
$160.3M
Permit volume decreased 8% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
74.5%
Carpool
9.0%
Public Transit
1.1%
Walk
2.0%
Work from Home
11.9%
Other
1.5%
Based on 88,820 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Tennessee statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $218
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Tennessee at $218 (electricity about $120 , water and sewer about $40 ).
These are Tennessee statewide averages, not a meter reading for Chattanooga. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Tennessee's BEA cost-of-living index is 91.9 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Chattanooga is $1,118/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Tennessee statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 52.5 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Tennessee statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Chattanooga sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Chattanooga compares to similar-size Tennessee cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.