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CITY

Chattanooga

Tennessee · 194,144 residents (2025 est.) · 142.352 sq mi
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#135Largest by populationof 4,896194,144
The short version

Chattanooga has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $64,523. Population has grown 19% since 2000. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $283,200.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 36.3
US median: 38.9
Average education
36% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 87%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
185,783
+19%since 2000
from 155,554 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,305 / sq mi
+10%since 2009
from 1,189 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
36.3
−1%since 2000
from 36.8 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:194,144 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
149K159K169K179K189K1990201020202024Chattanooga
2024186K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.3%(11,793)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.7%(10,577)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.7%(10,573)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.4%(11,810)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.3%(13,502)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3416.5%(30,622)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.1%(24,368)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.4%(19,409)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.3%(20,939)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.4%(19,288)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.1%(9,418)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.9%(3,484)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$64,523
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $32,006 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$41,600
+111%since 2000
from $19,689 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
43.3%
+21.8 ptssince 2009
from 21.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
19.1%
+1.3 ptssince 2000
from 17.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.503
+3%since 2010
from 0.486 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade13%
US avg: 9.9%
Information10.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services8.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance7.3%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration6.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Wholesale trade6.5%
US avg: 6.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.9%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services1.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$283,200
+87%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $83,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,256
+39%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $495 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
52.4%
−2.5 ptssince 2000
from 54.9% in 2000
47.6% rent
Vacancy rate
10.1%
−2.7 ptssince 2009
from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
18.4%
−7.1 ptssince 2009
from 25.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
43.8%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 45.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.4
+29%since 2009
from 3.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
79
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Chattanooga on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic58.9%(91,582)
Black35.9%(55,874)
Hispanic / Latino2.1%(3,281)
Asian1.5%(2,384)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic55.5%(103,085)
Black27.6%(51,198)
Hispanic / Latino10%(18,563)
Asian2.3%(4,187)
Other4.7%(8,750)
Diversity Score
75
+13%since 2009
from 67 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Central American4.1%(7,651)
Guatemalan3.6%(6,753)
Mexican3.6%(6,705)
South American0.9%(1,649)
Puerto Rican0.5%(1,021)
Venezuelan0.4%(678)
Cuban0.3%(584)
Honduran0.3%(540)
Salvadoran0.2%(285)
Peruvian0.1%(250)
Colombian0.1%(248)
Dominican0.1%(209)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.1%(185)
Ecuadorian0.1%(168)
Spaniard0.1%(129)
Uruguayan0%(56)
Chilean0%(55)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.9%(1,673)
Vietnamese0.3%(560)
Chinese0.3%(474)
Filipino0.2%(403)
Korean0.2%(377)
Pakistani0.2%(317)
Cambodian0.1%(114)
Japanese0%(69)
Burmese0%(39)
Thai0%(20)
Taiwanese0%(16)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(61)
Guamanian0%(13)
Ancestry
English12.1%(22,395)
German9.3%(17,247)
Irish9.2%(17,084)
American6%(11,183)
Scottish2.6%(4,757)
Italian2.2%(4,069)
Scotch-Irish1.4%(2,628)
Polish1.2%(2,264)
French1%(1,934)
Dutch0.9%(1,596)
West Indian0.7%(1,369)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.6%(1,190)
Haitian0.5%(1,014)
Welsh0.5%(913)
British0.4%(827)
Norwegian0.4%(683)
Arab0.4%(657)
Swiss0.3%(492)
Russian0.3%(480)
Nigerian0.2%(445)
Greek0.2%(414)
Brazilian0.2%(408)
Danish0.2%(356)
Ethiopian0.2%(334)
Ukrainian0.2%(286)
Lithuanian0.1%(262)
Czech0.1%(252)
Canadian0.1%(233)
Jamaican0.1%(232)
Lebanese0.1%(227)
Iranian0.1%(185)
Hungarian0.1%(176)
Finnish0.1%(135)
Portuguese0.1%(134)
Romanian0.1%(134)
Slovak0.1%(131)
Egyptian0.1%(115)
Syrian0%(86)
Austrian0%(81)
Guyanese0%(71)
Slovene0%(65)
Moroccan0%(54)
Barbadian0%(37)
Croatian0%(36)
Serbian0%(33)
Turkish0%(33)
Armenian0%(22)
Jordanian0%(18)
Belgian0%(10)
Israeli0%(9)
Somali0%(6)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population · Largest Central American population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
36.0%
+14.4 ptssince 2000
from 21.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
90.0%
+12.4 ptssince 2000
from 77.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
13.5%
+5.9 ptssince 2000
from 7.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.5 min
+53%since 2000
from 12.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
73.6%
−6.5 ptssince 2009
from 80.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.8%
−2.9 ptssince 2009
from 11.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.9%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
13.6%
+11.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.9%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
8.6%
−3.0 ptssince 2009
from 11.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.4%
−6.7 ptssince 2011
from 12.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
64.6%
+1.1 ptssince 2011
from 63.5% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
10.6%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 12.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
41.3%
−24.7 ptssince 2009
from 66.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.4%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 46.6% in 2009
Female
51.6%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 53.4% in 2009
Foreign born
8.3%
+4.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.1% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.9%
−39.6 ptssince 2009
from 45.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.1%
−2.1 ptssince 2012
from 16.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
12.2%
−72.6 ptssince 2013
from 84.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.4%
+19.6 ptssince 2017
from 70.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
88.0%
−5.3 ptssince 2016
from 93.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
7.8%
+4.0 ptssince 2016
from 3.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married42.4%(30,851)
Married42.7%(31,087)
Widowed2.8%(2,072)
Divorced12%(8,754)
Women 15+
Never married35.5%(28,423)
Married39%(31,195)
Widowed10%(8,009)
Divorced15.5%(12,449)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
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Compare Chattanooga to nearby cities

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CHATTANOOGA VS
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CHATTANOOGA VS
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CHATTANOOGA VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Chattanooga, Tennessee?

Chattanooga, Tennessee has about 185,783 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Chattanooga, Tennessee?

The typical household in Chattanooga, Tennessee earns about $64,523 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Chattanooga, Tennessee expensive?

In Chattanooga, Tennessee, the median home is worth about $283,200, and the typical rent is about $1,256 a month.

How educated are people in Chattanooga, Tennessee?

About 36.0% of adults age 25 and over in Chattanooga, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Chattanooga, Tennessee?

About 19.1% of people in Chattanooga, Tennessee live below the federal poverty line.

Has Chattanooga, Tennessee grown since 1990?

Yes, Chattanooga, Tennessee has grown since 1990. The population has added about 33,295 residents, a change of about 22 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →