Housing and tax tradeoff: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Chattanooga vs Knoxville on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 5 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
ChattanoogaKnoxville
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on affordability, weaker on safety.
Potential dealbreaker: Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on rent burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 181,099 | 185,291 |
| Population Density | 1.3k /sq mi | 1.9k /sq mi |
| Elevation | 676 ft(206 m) | 906 ft(276 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $313,143 | $359,252 |
| Median Rent | $1,514 | $1,716 |
| Median Income | $57,703 | $48,309 |
| Rent Burden | 31% | 43% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Sunny Days | 302 days/yr | 304 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 71°F | 70°F |
| Comfort Score | 77/100Great | 72/100Great |
| Temp Swing | 39°F | 41°F |
| Annual Rainfall | 57"(145 cm) | 49"(124 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 1"(3 cm) | 2"(5 cm) |
| Air Quality | AQI 44 (Avg)8 days > 100 | AQI 45 (Avg)17 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Central walkability | 17 | 21 |
| Safety Score | 47 / 100 | 53 / 100 |
| School Rating | 6.7/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Fire Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal | minimalMinimal |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 100%Cable: 98% | Fiber: 67%Cable: 98% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 37 years | 33.4 years |
| College Educated | 34% | 33% |
| Remote Workers | 10% | 9% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Plan a first lookWays to plan a first visit or connect with a relevant local partner. | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Chattanooga | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Knoxville |
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