Chattanooga, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Chattanooga, TN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
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C
Income Below average
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Chattanooga | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 187,055 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1246.4 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.69% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.4 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 79,294 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Chattanooga grew by 7.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 187,055 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Chattanooga is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.7% of residents. That is 1.1 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 42,414 22.7% +1.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 42,415 22.7% +1.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 33,739 18.0% -2.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 32,003 17.1% -0.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Tennessee, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.8% of the people living in Chattanooga and men 48.2%.
- Women 51.8% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 48.2% Tennessee 49.1%
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Economy
Chattanooga has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Chattanooga | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,773 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.88% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Chattanooga is about 6% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Chattanooga | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $319,605 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,256 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 52.6% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Chattanooga is about 21.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,256 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Chattanooga spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 147 hours, about 6.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Chattanooga | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.6 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.2 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 147 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,546 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.5% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 15,554 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,827 | 1,225 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Chattanooga is 18 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Tennessee.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Chattanooga has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Chattanooga | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.3% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.29 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Health
Chattanooga has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Chattanooga | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.7 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.5% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.9% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
Chattanooga, TN Compared With Nearby Cities
How Chattanooga, TN compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga, TN | 187,055 | $65,773 #1/2 | $319,605 #1/2 | 17.6 min #1/2 |
| East Ridge, TN | 21,177 | $62,733 | $272,305 | 20.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Chattanooga, Tennessee.
What is the population of Chattanooga, Tennessee?
About 187,055 people live in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 79,294 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 37.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Chattanooga, Tennessee mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Chattanooga, Tennessee has 1,246 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 14 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Chattanooga, Tennessee an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.9 times the median household income ($319,605 against $65,773), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,256 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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