Chattanooga is a city located in Hamilton County Tennessee. Chattanooga has a 2024 population of 188,850. It is also the county seat of Hamilton County. Chattanooga is currently growing at a rate of 0.97% annually and its population has increased by 4.01% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 181,568 in 2020.
The average household income in Chattanooga is $86,620 with a poverty rate of 16.92%. The median age in Chattanooga is 37 years: 35.6 years for males, and 38 years for females.
Chattanooga is located in Hamilton County, Tennessee on Nickajack Lake and Chickamauga Lake in East Tennessee. Chattanooga is located about 120 miles southwest of Knoxville and 120 miles northwest of Atlanta, Georgia.
The larger Chattanooga metropolitan area has a population of 528,000. The Chattanooga Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes Marion, Sequatchie, and Hamilton counties in Tennessee as well as Dade, Catoosa, and Walker counties in Georgia, had a 9% population growth over the last ten years.
Chattanooga is unique as it's the first American city to receive its typeface, called Chatype. Launched in 2012, this is the first time a custom crowd-funded typeface has been used for any global city.
Chattanooga also claims to have Western Hemisphere's fastest internet service, earning it several nicknames like Gig City. EPB began offering exclusive fiber optic network service to the greater Chattanooga metro area in 2009. The next year, it became the first municipality-owned utility company in the country to offer internet access directly to the public with speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second. This network has already been emulated in several U.S. cities and internationally.
Chattanooga is home to a considerable number of manufacturing and service industries, including Chattem, the first Coca-Cola bottling plant in the world; the Chattanooga Bakery, and McKee Foods Corporation, which makes Little Debbie brand snacks. The city is home to many distribution and manufacturing facilities as well, including Ferrara Candy Company, DuPont, and Amazon.com.
Since the 2010 census, Chattanooga's population growth has outpaced Knoxville, making it the second fastest-growing big city in Tennessee. While Knoxville is still ahead of Chattanooga in terms of total population at 184,280 versus 173,800 in mid-2014, Chattanooga may soon surpass Knoxville as the largest city in East Tennessee.
Chattanooga is mainly attracting new residents with its low cost of living and diverse economy and jobs market. Chattanooga's population growth has outpaced the national average for more than 20 years, and this trend is expected to continue.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Chattanooga was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 107,415 | 59.25% |
| Black or African American | 53,428 | 29.47% |
| Two or more races | 11,394 | 6.29% |
| Asian | 4,368 | 2.41% |
| Other race | 4,360 | 2.41% |
| Native American | 275 | 0.15% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 48 | 0.03% |
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Asian
Other race
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 77,016 | 2.25 | 53.4 | 46.6 |
| Non Family | 35,507 | 1.26 | 41.8 | 58.2 |
| Married | 26,578 | 3.01 | 76.5 | 23.5 |
| Female | 10,959 | 3.28 | 37.9 | 62.1 |
| Male | 3,972 | 3.21 | 46.1 | 53.9 |
3.01
Average Family Size
2.25
Average Household Size
53.4%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 8,400 | 6.66% |
| Associates Degree | 9,964 | 7.9% |
| Bachelors Degree | 26,495 | 21.02% |
| Graduate Degree | 16,535 | 13.12% |
| High School Graduate | 31,125 | 24.69% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 5,464 | 4.33% |
| Some College | 28,091 | 22.28% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 76,902 | 71,855 | 33,688 |
| Black | 35,610 | 30,530 | 5,355 |
| Hispanic | 6,428 | 3,636 | 1,015 |
| 2+ Races | 5,632 | 4,614 | 1,262 |
| Asian | 3,340 | 2,899 | 1,947 |
| Other Race | 2,205 | 1,104 | 361 |
| Native American | 178 | 157 | 71 |
| Islander | 42 | 42 | 25 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among islander people with a rate of 59.52%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $57,792 | $64,843 | $50,812 |
| Graduate Degree | $65,197 | $88,882 | $57,773 |
| High School Graduate | $31,486 | $34,039 | $26,861 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $25,875 | $26,367 | $24,735 |
| Overall | $42,970 | $47,153 | $38,714 |
| Some College | $38,976 | $46,193 | $31,926 |
$42,970
Average Earnings
$47,153
Average Male
$38,714
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
89.53% of Chattanooga residents speak only English, while 10.47% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 6.57% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 52,147 | 13,309 | 25.52% |
| White | 97,896 | 10,332 | 10.55% |
| Hispanic | 13,449 | 4,230 | 31.45% |
| Multiple | 10,875 | 3,113 | 28.63% |
| Other | 4,320 | 1,274 | 29.49% |
| Asian | 4,203 | 228 | 5.42% |
| Islander | 48 | 27 | 56.25% |
| Native | 275 | 23 | 8.36% |
16.92%
Overall Poverty Rate
16.11%
Male Poverty Rate
17.66%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Chattanooga is Islander, with 56.25% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Chattanooga is Asian, with 5.42% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.2%. Among those working part-time, it was 21.6%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 26.65%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 32.22% |
| High School | 19.58% |
| Some College | 10.83% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 4.93% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Female Unemployed | 39.26% |
| Male Unemployed | 36.07% |
| Female Employed | 8.47% |
| Male Employed | 6.01% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $78,965 | $110,578 |
| Households | $57,703 | $86,620 |
| Married Families | $104,163 | $140,152 |
| Non Families | $39,828 | $55,604 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
38.3%
Overall Marriage Rate
41.1%
Male Marriage Rate
35.8%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
8,802
Number of Veterans
8,080
Male Veterans
722
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 3,130 |
| First Gulf War | 1,703 |
| Second Gulf War | 1,450 |
| Korea | 406 |
| World War II | 187 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 65 to 74 | 2,336 |
| 35 to 54 | 2,243 |
| 75+ | 1,954 |
| 55 to 64 | 1,845 |
| 18 to 34 | 424 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 5,953 | 6.56% |
| Black | 2,468 | 6.08% |
| Hispanic | 227 | 2.83% |
| 2+ Races | 206 | 2.93% |
| Other Race | 120 | 4.56% |
| Asian | 38 | 1.05% |
| Native American | 14 | 5.74% |
| Islander | 3 | 6.25% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
11.52%
Veteran Poverty Rate
30.63%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
64%
Labor Force Participation
60.6%
Employment Rate
5.1%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
55.64%
Born in Chattanooga
92.67%
Native Born
7.33%
Foreign Born
4.71%
Non Citizen
2.62%
Naturalized
92.67% of Chattanooga residents were born in the United States, with 55.64% having been born in Tennessee. 4.71% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 197,953 | 1,820 | 0.93% |
| 2028 | 196,133 | 1,821 | 0.94% |
| 2027 | 194,312 | 1,821 | 0.95% |
| 2026 | 192,491 | 1,820 | 0.95% |
| 2025 | 190,671 | 1,821 | 0.96% |
| 2024 | 188,850 | 1,820 | 0.97% |
| 2023 | 187,030 | 2,992 | 1.63% |
| 2022 | 184,038 | 2,871 | 1.58% |
| 2021 | 181,167 | -401 | -0.22% |
| 2020 | 181,568 | -1,260 | -0.69% |
| 2019 | 182,828 | 747 | 0.41% |
| 2018 | 182,081 | 2,390 | 1.33% |
| 2017 | 179,691 | 1,758 | 0.99% |
| 2016 | 177,933 | 1,389 | 0.79% |
| 2015 | 176,544 | 1,105 | 0.63% |
| 2014 | 175,439 | 26 | 0.01% |
| 2013 | 175,413 | 1,376 | 0.79% |
| 2012 | 174,037 | 1,657 | 0.96% |
| 2011 | 172,380 | 1,798 | 1.05% |
| 2010 | 170,582 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 155,554 | 3,088 | 2.03% |
| 1990 | 152,466 | -17,048 | -10.06% |
| 1980 | 169,514 | 49,591 | 41.35% |
| 1970 | 119,923 | -10,086 | -7.76% |
| 1960 | 130,009 | -1,032 | -0.79% |
| 1950 | 131,041 | 2,878 | 2.25% |
| 1940 | 128,163 | 8,365 | 6.98% |
| 1930 | 119,798 | 61,903 | 106.92% |
| 1920 | 57,895 | 13,291 | 29.8% |
| 1910 | 44,604 | 14,450 | 47.92% |
| 1900 | 30,154 | 1,054 | 3.62% |
| 1890 | 29,100 | 16,208 | 125.72% |
| 1880 | 12,892 | 6,799 | 111.59% |
| 1870 | 6,093 | -191,860 | -96.92% |