Hamilton County · Tennessee · South · 186k residents
Chattanooga, TN: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Chattanooga: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Tennessee median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,332/wk. Tennessee's corporate income tax rate is 6.5%. Commercial electricity averages 12.1¢/kWh.
Compare Chattanooga side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,332/wk
Corporate income tax
6.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
36%
Commercial electricity
12.1¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Chattanooga's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
28/100
Cooling
Ranks Chattanooga's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| Median home value | $330,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $200 |
| Property tax rate | 0.85% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,300/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,500/mo |
| State & local income tax | 0% |
| Sales tax | 9.25% |
| Corporate income tax | 6.5% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,332/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36% |
| Commercial electricity | 12.1¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 32.7/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $106,750 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $79,770 |
| Wage: General manager | $102,920 |
| Wage: Customer service | $45,030 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $34,410 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $57,440 |
| Wage: Electrician | $72,330 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $31,460 |
| Cost of living index | 93 |
| Groceries index | 97 |
| Utilities | $155/mo |
| Transit pass | $50/mo |
| Gas price | $2.95/gal |
| Healthcare index | 96 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,000/mo |
| Median household income | $59,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% |
| Population | 186k |
| Crime index | 55/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 |
| Walkability | 28/100 |
| Disaster risk | 93/100 |
| Avg. commute | 22 min |
| Sunny days / year | 213 days |
| July high | 84°F |
| January low | 29°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | -0.9% |
| Home price MoM | -0.3% |
| Rent YoY | +1.4% |
| Rent MoM | +0.4% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | -0.7% |
| Building permits YoY | -13.9% |
| Ocean coast | 329 mi |
| Big lake | 95 mi |
| Mountains | 4 mi |
| Major airport | 88 mi |
| Ski resort | 110 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- East Ridge, TN · 22k
- Cleveland, TN · 49k
- Tullahoma, TN · 21k
- Shelbyville, TN · 25k
- Murfreesboro, TN · 161k
Similar size
- Clarksville, TN · 176k
- Knoxville, TN · 195k
- Franklin, TN · 87k
- Johnson City, TN · 72k
- Jackson, TN · 68k
Real listings in Chattanooga
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Chattanooga a good place to run a business?
- Tennessee's corporate income tax rate is 6.5%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,332/wk; commercial electricity averages 12.1¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Chattanooga, TN?
- Chattanooga indexes at 93 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,500/mo and a median home value of $330,000.
- How much does a house cost in Chattanooga?
- The median home value in Chattanooga is $330,000 (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Chattanooga?
- A two-bedroom in Chattanooga rents for about $1,500/mo.