City comparison
Chattanooga, TN is about 100 miles (175 km) from Franklin, TN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Chattanooga, TN to Franklin, TN takes about 13 min, covering roughly 100 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Chattanooga has a population of 181,288, vs 83,630 in Franklin — about 2.2× larger by population. By land area, Chattanooga covers about 140 sq mi vs 45 sq mi for Franklin.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Chattanooga | Franklin | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,066/mo | $1,785/mo | 67.4% higher in Franklin |
| Median home value | $230,500 | $574,000 | 149.0% higher in Franklin |
| Median household income | $57,703 | $106,592 | 84.7% higher in Franklin |
| Groceries index | 96.2 | 96.5 | ≈ equal (Franklin slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 76.1 | 74.0 | 2.8% higher in Chattanooga |
| Transportation index | 95.8 | 95.6 | ≈ equal (Chattanooga slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 95.3 | 95.1 | ≈ equal (Chattanooga slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Chattanooga, you'd need $114,829 in Franklin to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chattanooga, TN is about 12.9% cheaper overall than Franklin, TN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 40% higher in Franklin than in Chattanooga. If you earn $80,000 in Chattanooga, you'd need about $91,864 in Franklin to keep the same standard of living.