Chattanooga, TN Relocation Guide (2026)
Cost of living, housing, and income data for Chattanooga, sourced from the US Census Bureau.
Salary needed to live in Chattanooga →
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022). Last updated July 2026.
With a population near 181,288, Chattanooga, Tennessee sits below the multi-city income median: households earn a typical $57,703 per year (-20% vs. that benchmark).
Home values in Chattanooga run a median $230,500, below the benchmark across cities in our dataset (-29%). Renters see a median monthly cost of $1,066. Mortgage rates and property taxes are worth checking before you commit either way.
Chattanooga's home-price-to-income ratio of about 4.0× is fairly typical — housing costs track reasonably in line with local pay. Prices in the area have gained 1.76% year over year, a moderate pace that suggests a stable market around Chattanooga. FEMA classifies Chattanooga's hazard risk as Relatively Moderate, a comparatively low rating among the cities we track.
Personal Affordability Check
Renting at $1,066/mo in Chattanooga would take 22.2% of your income.
$377/mo under the 30% guideline.
Buying the median home ($230,500) would take 25.6% of your income toward principal & interest.
$116/mo under the 28% guideline.
Cost of housing in Chattanooga
Median home value is $230,500 and median gross rent is $1,066/month. For buyers, monthly costs depend heavily on current mortgage rates — worth checking before you commit.
FHFA's county-level home price index for Hamilton rose 1.76% over the past year (as of 2025).
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in the surrounding county is $1,390/month.
Climate & home insurance
FEMA rates Chattanooga's overall natural-hazard risk as Relatively Moderate. Risk level is a major driver of home insurance premiums.
Safety
Chattanooga reported a violent crime rate of 678.8 per 100,000 residents in 2025, per FBI data.
Moving to Chattanooga
Planning a move to Chattanooga? Compare licensed movers and get quotes based on your origin and move date.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Chattanooga, TN?
- In Chattanooga, the median home value is $230,500 and median rent is $1,066 per month, against a median household income of $57,703. These figures come from the US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022).
- How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chattanooga?
- Comfortably affording rent in Chattanooga — where the median runs $1,066/month — typically means earning about $42,640 a year, per the standard 30%-of-income benchmark. See the full salary breakdown (renting and buying) for Chattanooga.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Chattanooga?
- Renting in Chattanooga at the median $1,066/month calls for about $42,640 a year under the standard 30% guideline; buying the median home at $230,500 takes roughly $52,737 a year in principal and interest (20% down, 30-year fixed, current rates). Timeline and down payment usually decide which makes more sense.
- Is Chattanooga safe?
- In 2025, Chattanooga reported 678.8 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, according to FBI data.
See the full salary breakdown for Chattanooga →
Cities with a similar cost of living
Matched on median rent and household income within 15% of Chattanooga's.