Chattanooga TN
Tennessee · Pop. 185,783
Chattanooga, TN: median household income of $64,523, median rent of $1,256/mo, 5.5% unemployment. Our verdict: It Depends.
Score Breakdown
Key Metrics
Median Income
$64,523
per year
Median Rent
$1,256
per month
Median Home
$283k
home value
Unemployment
5.5%
of labor force
Poverty Rate
19.2%
below poverty line
Avg. Commute
18 min
one way
City Reality Check balanced
"Chattanooga, TN Reality Check"
In Chattanooga, the rent-to-income burden runs around 23% — refreshingly manageable by national standards. Median income sits at $64,523 and median rent is $1,256/month. 44% of renters spend 30%+ of income on housing — above the national average. Median home value: $283,200 — that's 4.4× the median income. Employment picture: 5.45% unemployment — a average employment landscape. Poverty rate: 19.2% — well above the national average. The headline economic numbers hide a bifurcated city. Average commute: 18 minutes — mercifully short. Chattanooga was founded in 1839 — that's 187 years of history baked into the streets. The city covers 144.6 sq miles at 1,285 people/sq mile — sprawling. Elevation: 676 ft — modest elevation. Chattanooga has 7 sister cities — cosmopolitan on paper, at least. RoastMyCity overall score: 66/100 — It Depends.