Cost of Living in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Chattanooga, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 194,144
- Median household income
- $66,060
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 91.5
- Unemployment rate
- 6.1%
Is Chattanooga a good place to live?
Chattanooga sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 88 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job.
A typical worker in Chattanooga keeps $7,144 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living9% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,336 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- TaxesNo state income tax on wages
Cost of living in Chattanooga
Prices in the Chattanooga, TN-GA area run 9% below the US average. Utilities is the biggest difference, at 26% below the US average.
- Housing23% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities26% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)5% below the US average
- All items9% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,336 | $16,032 |
| Food | $474 | $5,688 |
| Transportation | $375 | $4,500 |
| Healthcare | $336 | $4,032 |
| Utilities | $193 | $2,316 |
| Total before taxes | $2,714 | $32,568 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Chattanooga | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,279 | $1,181 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,336 | $1,231 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,452 | $1,340 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,796 | $1,657 |
| 4 bedrooms | $1,908 | $1,761 |
Living in Chattanooga
How Chattanooga compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Chattanooga | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,060 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $323,700 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,396 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 50.9% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 23% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 33.7% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 36.6 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 19 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 13.2% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 0.5% | 3.7% |
Home internet
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Chattanooga, led by Epb, Xfinity, T-Mobile, Verizon. Fiber reaches 100% of homes and 100% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Chattanooga
Pros
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 19 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- No state income tax. Tennessee doesn't tax wages, so more of each paycheck stays with you.
- Lower cost of living. Prices are 9% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Fast home internet. 100% of homes can get gigabit speeds (FCC).
Cons
- Higher poverty rate. 23% of residents live below the poverty line, against 12.2% nationally.
- Higher unemployment. Unemployment is 6.1%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
- Lower incomes. Median household income is $66,060, against $81,604 nationally.
What your job keeps in Chattanooga
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $46,700
- Federal income tax
- −$3,424
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,573
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$16,032
- Everyday costs
- −$16,527
a year, or $595 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Chattanooga, TN-GA. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Chattanooga, TN-GA area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Project manager | $87,240 | $37,644 |
| Registered nurse | $79,770 | $32,390 |
| Accountant | $76,680 | $30,215 |
| Electrician | $72,330 | $27,155 |
| Teacher | $62,464 | $19,811 |
| Licensed practical nurse | $58,580 | $16,690 |
| Truck driver | $57,440 | $15,774 |
| Welder | $49,220 | $9,170 |
| Medical assistant | $40,160 | $1,890 |
| Nursing assistant | $38,790 | $789 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Chattanooga on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $10,616
- Carpenter $10,407
- Civil engineer $43,546
- Data scientist $40,528
- Dental assistant $6,871
- Dental hygienist $34,985
- Dentist $88,491
- Diesel mechanic $15,782
- Financial analyst $39,812
- Firefighter $6,630
- HVAC technician $10,559
- Lawyer $79,619
- Lineman $31,313
- Mechanical engineer $51,307
- Nurse practitioner $58,214
- Occupational therapist $43,779
- Paralegal $17,260
- Paramedic $12,384
- Pharmacist $69,093
- Pharmacy technician $2,340
- Physical therapist $46,002
- Physician assistant $61,817
- Plumber $16,803
- Police officer $10,864
- Radiologic technologist $19,510
- Respiratory therapist $28,576
- Social worker $13,797
- Software engineer $51,370
- Speech-language pathologist $42,217
- Veterinarian $64,684
Compare Chattanooga with other cities
Compare Chattanooga with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Chattanooga
18 licensed interstate movers are based in Chattanooga, and 8 more elsewhere in the Chattanooga, TN-GA area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Chattanooga, TN a good place to live?
Chattanooga sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 88 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job. The typical worker here earns $46,700 and keeps $7,144 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Chattanooga?
Prices in the Chattanooga, TN-GA area are 9% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,336 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,377 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Chattanooga?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $37,900 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Chattanooga, TN-GA area earns $46,700.
What is the average rent in Chattanooga?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,279 for a studio, $1,336 for a 1-bedroom and $1,452 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Chattanooga at $1,396 a month (2024).
Does Chattanooga have a state or city income tax?
Tennessee has no state income tax on wages. Chattanooga has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Chattanooga?
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Chattanooga, led by Epb, Xfinity, T-Mobile, Verizon. 100% of homes can get fiber and 100% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate