Chattanooga vs Knoxville
Chattanooga, Tennessee versus Knoxville, Tennessee: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Chattanooga and Knoxville score about the same overall (44 vs 42 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Chattanooga | Knoxville |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $58k | $48k |
| Cost of Living | $53k | $53k |
| Home Value | $231k | $184k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.91% | 0.76% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.55% | 9.55% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 6.78% | 6.05% |
| Unemployment | 5.1% | 4.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 41°F | 39°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 80°F | 78°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 60.3 in | 55.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 3.6 in | 4.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 221 days | 211 days |
| Summer Humidity | 69°F | 68°F |
| Comfortable Days | 78 days | 77 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 56.5 | 35.3 |
| Air Quality | 52 AQI | 52 AQI |
| School Quality | 38.0 | 30.2 |
| Violent Crime | 2751/100k | 2725/100k |
| Property Crime | 5207/100k | 3914/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 181,288 | 191,857 |
| Median Age | 37.0 | 33.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.56 | 0.42 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.91 | 0.94 |
| Political Leaning | Even | R+15 |
| White (%) | 56.6% | 72.1% |
| Black (%) | 29.1% | 16.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.6% | 5.7% |
| Asian (%) | 2.4% | 1.6% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.3% | 4.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 19 min | 21 min |
| Walkability | 9.3/20 | 14.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 107 mi | 154 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.7% | 82.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 18.09 | 19.96 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Chattanooga or Knoxville more affordable?
- Knoxville has the lower cost of living: its index is $53k, compared with Chattanooga's $53k and Knoxville's $53k. Median rent is $1k in Chattanooga versus $1k in Knoxville.
- Is Chattanooga or Knoxville safer?
- Knoxville has the lower violent crime rate. Chattanooga reports 2751/100k and Knoxville reports 2725/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Chattanooga or Knoxville?
- The median home value is $231k in Chattanooga and $184k in Knoxville, so homes are more affordable in Knoxville.