City comparison
Chattanooga, TN is about 125 miles (175 km) from Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 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 Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN takes about 14 min, covering roughly 125 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.
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) has a population of 684,103, vs 181,288 in Chattanooga — about 3.8× larger by population. By land area, Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) covers about 475 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 | Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,066/mo | $1,392/mo | 30.6% higher in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) |
| Median home value | $230,500 | $351,400 | 52.5% higher in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) |
| Median household income | $57,703 | $71,328 | 23.6% higher in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) |
| Groceries index | 96.2 | 96.5 | ≈ equal (Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) 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 $113,460 in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chattanooga, TN is about 11.9% cheaper overall than Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 36% higher in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) than in Chattanooga. If you earn $80,000 in Chattanooga, you'd need about $90,768 in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) to keep the same standard of living.