City comparison
Chattanooga, TN is about 275 miles (425 km) from Memphis, TN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 325 miles, or about 5 h 30 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 Memphis, TN takes about 32 min, covering roughly 275 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.
Memphis has a population of 630,027, vs 181,288 in Chattanooga — about 3.5× larger by population. By land area, Memphis covers about 290 sq mi vs 140 sq mi for Chattanooga.
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 | Memphis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,066/mo | $1,050/mo | 1.5% higher in Chattanooga |
| Median home value | $230,500 | $139,600 | 65.1% higher in Chattanooga |
| Median household income | $57,703 | $48,090 | 20.0% higher in Chattanooga |
| Groceries index | 96.2 | 96.4 | ≈ equal (Memphis slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 76.1 | 76.0 | ≈ equal (Chattanooga slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 95.8 | 95.8 | ≈ equal (Memphis slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 95.3 | 95.3 | ≈ equal (Memphis 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 $101,450 in Memphis to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chattanooga, TN is about 1.4% cheaper overall than Memphis, TN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% higher in Memphis than in Chattanooga. If you earn $80,000 in Chattanooga, you'd need about $81,160 in Memphis to keep the same standard of living.