Health Profile of Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
-
C
Chattanooga Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Chattanooga | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.7 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 12.3% | 10.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 19.5% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Chattanooga is 74.7 years, about 0.1 years shorter than the Tennessee average of 74.8 years. The uninsured rate is 12.3%, higher than the Tennessee average of 10.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 19.5% of residents, lower than the Tennessee average of 19.5%.
Population by Age
Older residents
62,744 residents in Chattanooga are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 3,598 1,091 men · 2,506 women
- 75–84 9,067 3,500 men · 5,567 women
- 65–74 16,883 7,594 men · 9,289 women
- 50–64 33,196 15,590 men · 17,606 women
Younger residents
38,093 residents in Chattanooga are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 10,849 5,634 boys · 5,215 girls
- 7–12 10,561 5,642 boys · 4,919 girls
- 3–7 9,137 4,836 boys · 4,301 girls
- 0–3 7,546 3,853 boys · 3,693 girls
About 13,059 residents in Chattanooga (7.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Chattanooga | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.2% | 13.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.0% | 7.0% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.0% | 8.1% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.2% | 37.9% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Chattanooga are about the same as in Tennessee.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Chattanooga | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 21.9% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.4% | 13.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 27.8% | 28.4% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Chattanooga are about the same as in Tennessee.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 323,237 cigarettes a day, 9.7 million a month, or 118.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.6 million minutes a day and 1.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Chattanooga is 74.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.09 lifetimes a day, or 33 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Chattanooga | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.37 | 6.39 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Chattanooga is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Chattanooga, TN Health Compared With Nearby Cities
How Chattanooga, TN compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga, TN | 187,055 | 74.7 yrs #2/2 | 12.3% #1/2 | 34.2% #2/2 |
| East Ridge, TN | 21,177 | 75.0 yrs | 13.6% | 30.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Chattanooga, Tennessee has an overall health index grade of C, making it somewhat better than Tennessee, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
What is the health grade for Chattanooga, Tennessee?
Chattanooga, Tennessee has a Map AI Health Index grade of C, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average.
What is the average lifespan in Chattanooga, Tennessee?
People in Chattanooga, Tennessee can expect to live 74.7 years on average, about the same as the Tennessee average of 74.8.
What percentage of Chattanooga, Tennessee residents are uninsured?
12.3% of residents in Chattanooga, Tennessee have no health insurance, about 1 in 8 people, 2.3 points above the Tennessee rate of 10.0%.
How common is obesity in Chattanooga, Tennessee?
34.2% of adults in Chattanooga, Tennessee are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.8 points below the Tennessee rate of 37.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Chattanooga, Tennessee go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 323,237 cigarettes a day, 9.7 million a month, or 118.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.6 million minutes a day and 1.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Chattanooga is 74.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.09 lifetimes a day, or 33 lifetimes a year.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →