Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Chattanooga's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
How far does your salary go in Chattanooga?
Your $100,000 in Chattanooga has the same purchasing power as $116,036 in the average US city. You'd need $16,036 less here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Chattanooga's cost index of 86, sorted by closest match.
Wondering whether you should move to Chattanooga? It depends on what you're optimizing for, but the city has real arguments in its favor: your dollar carries more weight here and tennessee doesn't tax your paycheck, plus 1 more things worth knowing. The data behind each is below.
Chattanooga sits at 86 on the composite cost-of-living index — about 14% under the national average. Not the cheapest place in the country, but enough of a discount to notice on rent and groceries every month. Median rent in town runs about $1,066/mo against a typical household income of $57,703, which is the kind of ratio that leaves room to save.
Living in Chattanooga means no state income tax on your salary — Tennessee is one of nine states that simply doesn't have one. On a $100k income that's typically thousands of dollars a year that stay in your account instead of going to a state revenue department.
The average one-way commute in Chattanooga is about 19 minutes — short by US standards (the national average is closer to 27). Over a year of working days, that's hundreds of hours that don't get spent in traffic, which is the kind of thing you notice in the weekend rather than the weekday.
Reasons are pulled from Chattanooga's actual data — Census ACS, BLS, BEA, NOAA, EPA AQS, FBI, and Walk Score. We don't list positives that aren't supported by the numbers, which is why different cities show different sections.
Now and then. Chattanooga's winters are cool rather than truly cold — about 35°F on average — so most of the precipitation falls as rain. A snowy morning happens a few times a season; sustained accumulation is rare.
Mild on the cold side. Chattanooga's winter average of about 35°F is the kind of weather where you want a jacket but the heating bill is manageable. Snow is rare, frost is occasional, and the lawn never really browns out.
Genuinely hot. Summer in Chattanooga averages about 91°F, and peak afternoons run well over a hundred. Outdoor plans move to mornings and evenings; AC is the most-used appliance in the house.
Chattanooga falls in roughly USDA Zone 9. The zone classification is based on average annual minimum temperatures, so it's the right lookup for whether perennials and trees will overwinter here. Note that this is approximate from our winter-temperature data — check the USDA map for the exact zone before betting an expensive plant on it.
Chattanooga is at about 682 feet (208 m) above sea level. High enough to be solidly above any coastal concern, low enough that altitude isn't a factor.
The citywide numbers are concerning — about 6,270 per 100,000 residents, well above the US average of around 3,500. As with all crime stats, the city aggregate hides huge variation between neighborhoods, but the overall picture is worse than most US cities.
No — your dollar actually goes further here. Chattanooga's composite cost-of-living index is 86, roughly 14% under the US average. Housing is usually the biggest driver of the discount.
Somewhat. Chattanooga earns a Walk Score of 54/100 — many daily errands are doable on foot, especially in the denser neighborhoods, but a car still helps for longer trips. Transit Score is 29 out of 100.
Roughly $60,326 a year would match the lifestyle of someone earning $70,000 in an average US city. That's a starting point, not a target — negotiate higher when you can. Median rent in Chattanooga runs about $1,066/mo — keeping housing under 30% of gross income points to a similar floor on what you'd want to earn.