Residential comparison · 13 facts
Chattanooga, TN vs Knoxville, TN
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Chattanooga needs about $85,500 in Knoxville to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Knoxville, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $84,500 in Chattanooga.
A few differences
- Knoxville is lower on property tax rate (0.7% vs 0.85%).
- Knoxville is lower on groceries index (96 vs 97).
- Chattanooga is higher on median household income ($59,000 vs $55,000).
Chattanooga vs Knoxville · facet by facet
| Facet | Chattanooga, TN | Knoxville, TN |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $330,000 | $350,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,500/mo | $1,550/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.85% | 0.7% |
| State & local income tax | 0% | 0% |
| Sales tax | 9.25% | 9.25% |
| Cost of living index | 93 | 93 |
| Groceries index | 97 | 96 |
| Utilities | $155/mo | $150/mo |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $55,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.3% |
| Crime index | 55/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 213 days | 205 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Chattanooga, TN · Knoxville, TN
Questions & answers
- Is Chattanooga cheaper than Knoxville?
- Chattanooga and Knoxville display the same day-to-day cost index; the differences show up facet by facet in the table above.
- What household income in Knoxville equals $85,000 in Chattanooga?
- A household earning $85,000 in Chattanooga needs about $85,500 in Knoxville to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Knoxville lifestyle costs about $84,500 in Chattanooga.