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Chattanooga, TN

Chattanooga, TN

Chattanooga, Tennessee's downtown viewed from the side of a mountain · Photo: WeaponizingArchitecture, CC BY-SA 4.0

Harrison is part of the Chattanooga area. This page covers the whole metro.

Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

Around Chattanooga

Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel
Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel · Photo: WeaponizingArchitecture, CC BY-SA 4.0
Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga
Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga · Photo: WeaponizingArchitecture, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Hunter Museum in Chattanooga
The Hunter Museum in Chattanooga · Photo: Ɱ, CC BY-SA 4.0
Chattanooga, looking South towards Lookout Mountain 2014
Chattanooga, looking South towards Lookout Mountain 2014 · Photo: James Pressley, CC BY-SA 4.0
Market Street Bridge crossing the Tennessee River
Market Street Bridge crossing the Tennessee River · Photo: James9777, CC BY-SA 3.0
Coolidge Park, Chattanooga, Tennessee, with the Walnut Street Bridge in the background
Coolidge Park, Chattanooga, Tennessee, with the Walnut Street Bridge in the background · Photo: Thomsonmg2000, CC0
Downtown Chattanooga, viewed from Lookout Mountain
Downtown Chattanooga, viewed from Lookout Mountain · Photo: Thomsonmg2000, CC0
Overlooking the stands and finish area at the 2008 Head of the Hooch in Chattanooga ,...
Overlooking the stands and finish area at the 2008 Head of the Hooch in Chattanooga ,... · Photo: ~Lemcke ( talk ), CC-BY-SA-3.0
The headquarters of the Chattanooga Times Free Press newspaper in Chattanooga, Tennessee
The headquarters of the Chattanooga Times Free Press newspaper in Chattanooga, Tennessee · Photo: Harrison Keely, Public domain
TVA offices in Chattanooga, Tennessee
TVA offices in Chattanooga, Tennessee · Photo: TVA Web Team, CC BY 2.0
Chickamauga Lock and Dam on the Tennessee River at Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
Chickamauga Lock and Dam on the Tennessee River at Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA · Photo: George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain
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Where it is
Chattanooga
Chattanooga in Tennessee
Tennessee in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of the center of the Chattanooga area.

24
grocery stores
200+
restaurants
31
coffee shops
98
parks
91
playgrounds
7
libraries
4
movie theaters
7
live theaters
11
museums
12
bookstores
1
comic shop
9
gyms
36
bars
11
pharmacies
9
hospitals

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of the Chattanooga area.

Bike lanes and bike paths
39 miles
more than most U.S. towns
Walking and hiking trails
91 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 67,752 rented homes in the Chattanooga area, 94% rent for under $2,000 a month and 99% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 43%
$1,000 to $1,499: 38%
$1,500 to $1,999: 13%
$2,000 to $2,499: 4%
$2,500 to $2,999: 1%
$3,000 or more: 1%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in the Chattanooga area rents for $1,000 to $1,499 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $2,000 to $2,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $3,000 to $4,497 where landlords also ask for last month.

Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $1,000 to $1,499, that's a yearly income of about $36,000 to $53,964.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Moving to Tennessee: before and after

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Tennessee DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: Tennessee voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

One public school district serves this county, with about 45,902 students. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

Hamilton County · Chattanooga
45,902 students · 15.1 students per teacher · 81 schools · grades Pre-K to 12

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

Tennessee keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
AgeDaycare centerHome daycare
Infant (under 2)$212/week
about $11,000 a year
$155/week
about $8,100 a year
Toddler (2)$146/week
about $7,600 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)$146/week
about $7,600 a year
$128/week
about $6,700 a year
School-age$76/week
about $4,000 a year

For an infant at a center: $212/week here, $189 across TN, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 12% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Search licensed childcare in Tennessee →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

4 colleges in the county around Chattanooga. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga · Chattanooga
Public, 4-year · 11,380 students · $10,144 in-state, $18,208 out-of-state
Chattanooga State Community College · Chattanooga
Public, 2-year (community college) · 6,601 students · $4,550 in-state, $17,750 out-of-state
Southern Adventist University · Collegedale
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 3,154 students · $25,590 a year
Richmont Graduate University · Chattanooga
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 351 students

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$322,958
What a typical home sells for across the Chattanooga area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026
Cost of living
About 9% below the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $91 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 91.5 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 1 hr 59 min at rush hour
To downtown Atlanta, GA, 119 miles. About 1 hr 53 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
24 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
None within 15 miles
No mapped data center buildings near the town center.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Homeowners insurance
About $2,958 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in TN. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively Moderate
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Relatively Moderate
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
9 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
27.2 per 100,000 people a year
105 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. TN average: 28.2 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 14.6 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 1,092 people without housing in the Chattanooga/Southeast Tennessee area (11 counties): 436 in shelters and 656 outside, up from 975 in 2024. TN: 12.2 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Unemployment
3.3%
The share of people looking for work who can't find it, averaged over the year. U.S.: about 4%.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025
Median household income
$72,568
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
0.67% of home value a year
About $670 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
No state income tax
TN's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

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