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 52 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 | 181,288 | 185,291 |
| Population Density | 1.3k /sq mi | 1.9k /sq mi |
| Center 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 | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 302 days/yr | 304 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 71°F | 70°F |
| Avg. Low | 52°F | 51°F |
| Comfort Score | 77/100Great | 72/100Great |
| Temp Swing | 39°F | 41°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 57"(145 cm) | 49"(124 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 3"(8 cm) | 5"(13 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 442024 modeled avg · 8 days > 100 | Typical: 452024 modeled avg · 17 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Walkability | 29 | 31 |
| Transit Score | 18 | 27 |
| Safety Score | 47 / 100 | 53 / 100 |
| School Rating | 6.7/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | 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 | ||
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move. | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Chattanooga. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Knoxville. One featured slot per city |
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