Chattanooga, Tennessee population is 194,144 as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate), ranking #135 nationally and #4 in Tennessee. Cost of living runs 8.5% below the U.S. average (BEA RPP 2024); a family of four needs roughly $75,878/yr to break even (2025 modeled). This profile draws on 13 federal datasets covering population, housing, income, employment, climate, and risk.
At a glance.
2025 population
194,144
+2,134 in the last year
Top 1% of 19,483 U.S. cities
Census Vintage 2025
Cost of living
RPP 91.5
−8.5% vs US
Chattanooga, TN-GA metro · BEA 2024
Family-of-4 budget
$75,878/yr
−5.3% vs US
Modeled 2025 · federal sources
Median HH income
$64,523
−17% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
Median home value
$283,200
−6.7% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
2-BR fair-market rent
$1,390/mo
HUD FY2026 · 40th pct
Avg July high
90°F
NOAA 1991–2020
Gigabit broadband
100%
ISP-reported, FCC BDC
How many people live in Chattanooga?
194,144 people live in Chattanooga as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025), the #135 largest U.S. city.
Source detail
2025 population
Source agency
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Dataset
Census PEP
Vintage / period
Vintage 2025 (Jul 1, 2025)
Native geography
Census PEP subcounty place records for the included city universe.
Transformation
Copied from POPESTIMATE2025, joined by Census GEOID, and used for ranks, filters, and city pages.
Known limit: Annual estimate, not a decennial count; each new PEP vintage can revise the prior series.
Population grew 6.9% from the April 2020 base to mid-2025.
Vintage 2025 · annual estimates
Recent history (V2025 series, 2020 base → 2025).
2020 base: 181,659 → 2025: 194,144 (+6.9%)
Year
Population
Reference date
2020 base
181,659
April 1, 2020
2020
182,255
July 1, 2020
2021
181,896
July 1, 2021
2022
184,962
July 1, 2022
2023
187,976
July 1, 2023
2024
192,010
July 1, 2024
2025
194,144
July 1, 2025
Earlier history (2010–2019, prior Census vintage)
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2019 release — a separate, earlier methodology. They’re shown here as historical context only; the 2010 and 2019 values aren’t directly comparable to the 2020–2025 series above.
Population grew 7.3% from 2010 to 2019 (V2019 — see seam note below).
Chattanooga is the #135 largest of 19,483 U.S. cities and #4 in Tennessee.
▸ Show the analyst detail (9 rows)
Measure
Value
Note
2020 base
181,659
April 1, 2020 census base
5-yr change
+12,485
2020 base → 2025; within V2025
5-yr change %
+6.9%
within V2025 only
1-yr change
+2,134
2024 → 2025 estimate
1-yr change %
+1.1%
within V2025 only
Density
1,364
people per sq mi, land only
Land area
142.4
sq mi (2025 Gazetteer)
U.S. rank by population
#135
of 19,483 cities
State rank by population
#4
of 345 in Tennessee
What is the median household income in Chattanooga?
Median household income is 17% below the U.S. median ($64,523 vs $77,719); 19.1% live in poverty — 6.6 points above the 12.5% U.S. rate.
Median household income$64,523
US
Chattanooga: $64,523 — 17% below the US median of $77,719.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS income data
Chattanooga
$64,523
United States
$77,719
Income and poverty estimates for Chattanooga from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates (window 2020–2024). Every figure is shown with its 90% margin of error (MOE). Cells where the ± margin exceeds half the estimate are flagged "low precision." See methodology §12.
Measure
Estimate
± margin / note
Median household income
64,523-17.0% vs US
±1,964
Per capita income
41,600-3.9% vs US
±1,362
Population in poverty
19.1%
share of population for whom poverty status is determined
Median home value is 7% below the U.S. median ($283,200 vs $303,400); median rent is 7% below ($1,256 vs $1,348); price-to-income ratio is 4.4×, making it 1.1× as cost-burdened as the typical U.S. city (3.9×).
Median home value$283,200
US
Chattanooga: $283,200 — 7% below the US median of $303,400.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS home-value data
HUD 2-BR fair-market rent$1,390/mo
US
Chattanooga: $1,390/mo — 29% above the US median of $1,077/mo.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with a HUD Fair Market Rent
Poverty (Census SAIPE 2024, model-based), unemployment (BLS LAUS 2024 annual averages), and remote-work share (ACS 2020–2024) for Chattanooga. Numbers are labeled at their native grain — place-grain when BLS publishes it, otherwise per-county. We do not compute population-weighted county averages. See methodology §13.
Measure
Value
Grain
Unemployment rate (annual avg)
3.4%
Chattanooga (BLS sub-state LAUS)
Civilian labor force
96,601
2024 annual avg
Worked from home
13.6%-3.1% vs US
share of workers 16+ commuting from home · U.S. median: 14% · ACS
County context — Chattanooga sits in Hamilton County:
County
Poverty rate
Median HH income
Unemployment
Hamilton County
14.5%
$78,271
3.2%
Top industries by private employment — NAICS supersectors rolled up from Chattanooga's linked county in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW, 2024 annual averages). See methodology §11.
#
Industry (NAICS supersector)
Private employment
Avg weekly wage
#1
Health care and social assistance (62)
33,683
$1,316 / wk
#2
Manufacturing (31-33)
29,368
$1,443 / wk
#3
Accommodation and food services (72)
21,738
$496 / wk
#4
Retail trade (44-45)
21,086
$752 / wk
#5
Transportation and warehousing (48-49)
14,795
$1,412 / wk
What workers earn in the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro — top occupations by employment plus six curated benchmarks (registered nurse, software developer, elementary teacher, general manager, retail salesperson, truck driver). Wages are metro-area medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). See methodology §25.
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators is the largest tracked occupation in the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro (8,120 jobs, median $45,330/yr).
▸ Show all 13 occupations
Occupation
Employment
Median annual
Median hourly
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators
8,120
$45,330
$21.80
Fast Food and Counter Workers
7,770
$27,140
$13.05
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
7,730
$37,830
$18.19
Cashiers
5,530
$28,440
$13.67
Customer Service Representatives
5,120
$45,030
$21.65
Waiters and Waitresses
4,790
$24,240
$11.66
Stockers and Order Fillers
4,410
$34,410
$16.54
Retail Salespersons · benchmark
7,020
$31,460
$15.12
Registered Nurses · benchmark
6,460
$79,770
$38.35
General and Operations Managers · benchmark
4,690
$102,920
$49.48
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · benchmark
4,370
$57,440
$27.62
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · benchmark
All items run 8.5% below the U.S. average (RPP 91.5); utilities run 25.8% below (RPP 74.2) — the metro's utility affordability is the main driver.
Cost of living (RPP, all items)RPP 91.5
US
Chattanooga's cost of living runs 8.5% below the U.S. average (RPP 91.5 vs 100).
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of metro/non-metro areas with a BEA price parity
BEA Regional Price Parity (all items)
RPP 91.5
−8.5% vs U.S. average · BEA 2024 · Chattanooga, TN-GA metro
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR
$1,390/mo
FY2026 · Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA
State income tax (top marginal rate)
0%
no state income tax · TY2025
Family-of-four monthly budget total
$6,323/mo
3BR rent + food + childcare + taxes + transport · federal sources
Single-adult monthly budget total
$4,094/mo
1BR rent + food + taxes + transport · federal sources
Local income tax
—
not applicable in Tennessee · no modeled local income tax
Household budget figures are arithmetic floors using current federal sources at the grains documented in methodology. Not a recommended salary, not a poverty threshold, not a composite score.
8.3% foreign-born (U.S. median 14%); Spanish is the most-spoken language at home other than English (7.8% of residents 5+).
A quick read on Chattanooga's residents — nativity and languages spoken at home shown above, from the ACS 5-Year 2020–2024. The full demographic breakdown (age, race and ethnicity, household types, and educational attainment, each with its margin of error) lives on the demographics page.
Hottest month: July (90°F avg high). Coldest: January (31°F avg low). Annual precipitation: 55.7 in.
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) for Chattanooga from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See methodology §15 for the gridded vs. station source path.
Average monthly highs & lows · 30-year normal (NOAA 1991–2020). Every number on this chart is an average.
bar = avg daily high → avg daily lowprecip in inches below each barprecip in millimeters below each bar
Natural-hazard exposure for Chattanooga from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index (FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0). NRI is an expected-annual-loss composite calibrated on 1996–2019 historical losses, published at the U.S. county grain. See methodology §17.
County
NRI composite
Rating
Top hazards
Hamilton County
93.3
Relatively Moderate
Tornado 98.6 Relatively High · Strong Wind 97.5 Relatively High · Earthquake 95.7 Relatively Moderate
Source: FEMA National Risk Index · FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0 · methodology →
How fast is home internet in Chattanooga?
9 non-satellite ISPs serve the area; 100% of locations have gigabit-capable service per ISP filings.
Fixed broadband availability for Chattanooga from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Collection (BDC), as of June 30, 2025. Every speed and provider count below is an ISP-reported advertised maximum — not measured throughput. Actual delivered speeds typically run 60–80% of advertised. See methodology §16.
Measure
Value
Note
Providers serving this city
9 + satellite
distinct ISPs, excluding satellite-only
Fiber providers
7
offer fiber-to-the-premises somewhere in the BDC
Units with ≥100/20 Mbps fixed
100.0%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Locations with ≥100 Mbps upload
100.0%
derived: max(fiber ≥100/20, gigabit). Fiber is symmetric; gigabit is ≥100 up by definition
Units with ≥1 Gbps fixed
100.0%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Total broadband-serviceable units
102,346
residential locations in the FCC Fabric (not households)
Source: FCC BDC · as of June 30, 2025 · methodology →
How much crime is reported in Chattanooga?
In 2024, law enforcement reported 1,556 violent and 7,447 property offenses in the Chattanooga jurisdiction — a violent-crime rate of 823.7 per 100,000, above the U.S. estimate of 359.1.
Reported offenses known to law enforcement from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program (CIUS Table 8), 2024. Figures describe the FBI agency jurisdiction: Chattanooga — an FBI jurisdiction population of 188,894, versus the Census place population of 194,144. The rate per 100,000 is the FBI's own (count ÷ that jurisdiction population), never divided by the Census place figure. These are reported crimes under voluntary participation — not measured or victimization crime — and the FBI cautions against using them to rank or compare places. See methodology §31.
Offenses known, 2024
Count
Rate /100k
U.S. rate
Violent crime
1,556
823.7
359.1
Property crime
7,447
3,942.4
1,760.1
▸ Offense breakdown and 3-year trend
Offense, 2024
Count
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter
24
Rape
172
Robbery
177
Aggravated assault
1,183
Burglary
717
Larceny-theft
5,471
Motor vehicle theft
1,259
Arson (12-month reporters only)
24
Year
Violent /100k
Property /100k
Jurisdiction pop.
2022
1,137.4
5,221.2
182,603
2023
1,091.3
4,857.3
185,370
2024
823.7
3,942.4
188,894
Only years the agency reported a complete 12 months appear; the FBI does not estimate missing agency-years, so a gap is a non-reporting year, not zero crime.
U.S. rate is the FBI national estimate (imputes non-reporting agencies); the city figures are reported-only. Source: FBI UCR CIUS Table 8 (2022–2024) · FBI agency jurisdiction: Chattanooga · methodology → · FBI Crime Data Explorer →
In-state context.
Chattanooga sits at state rank #4 among 345 cities in Tennessee. Nearby in the state ranking:
Just above in the profiled set: Montgomery, AL · #134 · 195,300 residents.
Just below in the profiled set: Brownsville, TX · #136 · 192,957 residents.
Quick travel facts for Chattanooga
Quick travel facts.
Nearest commercial airport
Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (Lovell Field)(CHA) ·
3 mi 5 km from city centroid
Best months to visit
May, Oct · months when the avg high sits in 65–80°F and precipitation is at or below the city's median monthly precip
Sources: elevation from USGS Elevation Point Query Service (3DEP) · nearest airport from OurAirports CSV (FAA-aligned, type=large/medium, scheduled_service=yes) · best months derived from NOAA 1991-2020 normals · methodology →
Frequently asked questions about Chattanooga.
How many people live in Chattanooga, TN?
Chattanooga has 194,144 residents as of July 1, 2025, making it the #135 largest city in the United States and #4 in Tennessee. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025.
Is Chattanooga growing or shrinking?
Chattanooga has grown 6.9% since the April 2020 census baseline, adding 12,485 residents, including a 1.1% increase from 2024 to 2025. Source: Census PEP Vintage 2025.
What was Chattanooga's population in the 2020 census?
The GEOID for Chattanooga is 4714000. These are the official datasets used by this profile's main data modules; click "methodology" for inclusion rules and the V2019 ↔ V2025 seam, or "source" for the raw publisher page. The headline population value above includes a source-detail disclosure with publisher, dataset, vintage, native geography, transformation, and caveat.
