CensusEasy
CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Chattanooga

Tennessee · 152,488 residents · 142 sq mi
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The short version

Chattanooga is a city of 152,488 people in Tennessee. 54% of homes are owner-occupied. The typical home is worth $53,900. The median household earns $22,197, about 26% below the national median. 18.2% of residents live below the federal poverty line. About 18% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 34.6
US median: 33.0
Average education
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 15%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

152,488
−2%vs 2000
vs 155,554 in 2000
1990 – 2025
34.6
−6%vs 2000
vs 36.8 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
142 sq mi
Population, 19902024
149K159K169K179K189K19902000201020202024Chattanooga
2024186K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.8%(10,374)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 96.2%(9,526)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.3%(9,638)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197%(10,679)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247.7%(11,771)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3416.5%(25,139)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4414.1%(21,491)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5410.2%(15,575)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 649.9%(15,105)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 748.5%(12,890)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 845%(7,676)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.7%(2,624)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$22,197
−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $32,006 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
$12,332
−37%vs 2000
vs $19,689 in 2000
US average: $14,340
18.2%
+0.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 17.9% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

$53,900
−15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $83,300 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
$360
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $495 in 2000
US average: $450
54.2%
−0.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 54.9% in 2000
45.8% rent
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%
1990
White, non-Hispanic64.9%(98,960)
Black33.7%(51,360)
Hispanic / Latino0.6%(925)
Asian0.9%(1,374)
Other0.5%(794)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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)
Section 05

Education

18.2%
−3.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 21.5% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
69.0%
−8.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 77.6% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
5.3%
−2.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 7.5% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

17.6 min
+46%vs 2000
vs 12.1 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
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
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

12.2%
−3.0 ptssince 2013
from 15.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
50.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 50.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 14.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
18.2%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 19.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
20.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 21.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
62.6%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 63.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.1%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 36.9% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)20.5%(1,765)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.7%(1,953)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34.8%(2,991)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.8%(325)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.7%(59)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 8,597 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Chattanooga, Tennessee?

Chattanooga, Tennessee has about 152,488 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Chattanooga, Tennessee?

The typical household in Chattanooga, Tennessee earns about $22,197 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 $53,900, and the typical rent is about $360 a month.

How educated are people in Chattanooga, Tennessee?

About 18.2% 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 18.2% of people in Chattanooga, Tennessee live below the federal poverty line.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →