Cost of living in Chattanooga: rent, homes and salary
Compared with the US average, the cost of living in Chattanooga is 8.5% lower. In 2024 the BEA RPP for the Chattanooga, TN metro area stood at 91.5 (US = 100), with housing at 76.5.
- Level of prices
- 91.5US = 100, BEA 2024
- Level for housing prices
- 76.5 for rents, US = 100.
Cost of living index for Chattanooga
A regional price parity compares what one place pays for the same basket of goods and services with the US average. That average is set at 100. Chattanooga lies in the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area, which BEA prices as one whole area. Utilities sit furthest from the US average, at 74.2, which puts them 25.8% below the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | Chattanooga, TN metro | Tennessee | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 91.5 | 91.9 | −8.5% |
| Goods | 96.0 | 96.2 | −4.0% |
| Housing (rents) | 76.5 | 79.1 | −23.5% |
| Utilities | 74.2 | 72.1 | −25.8% |
| Other services | 95.3 | 95.1 | −4.7% |
Metro area and state regional price parities, 2024: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. BEA price parity data
Rent costs in Chattanooga
In Chattanooga, the typical asking rent is $1,498 a month, according to the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), which covers homes that are listed now. That figure is +2.3% on a year. In the US it is $1,932. Census median gross rent is $1,396, and it counts every renting household, not only new leases. One year of asking rent equals 27% of median household income.
| Rent | Chattanooga | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $1,498 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +2.3% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $1,396 | $1,487 |
| Twelve months of asking rent, measured against median income | 27% | 28% |
Zillow Observed Rent Index; one-year estimates from the Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024.
Chattanooga home prices
The Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) values homes in the middle of the market. In September 2026, it put a typical home in Chattanooga at $314,999. That figure is −1.3% on a year, compared with $366,157 for the US. That is 4.8 years of median household income, while the US figure is 4.5.
| Home prices | Chattanooga | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $314,999 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | −1.3% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +89.6% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 4.8 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 17.5 | 15.8 |
A price chart running from 2000, along with the forecast and how many days homes stay listed: housing market in Chattanooga.
The salary needed to live in Chattanooga
What you earn and where you live decide the salary you would need in Chattanooga, so that it buys what your pay buys now.
- Moving from
- Salary
The method, and each city placed side by side: cost of living comparison.
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Chattanooga cost of living compared with other cities
| City | Level of prices | Housing | Rent, typical | Typical value of a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | 91.5 | 76.5 | $1,498 | $314,999 |
| Nashville | 96.3 | 104.6 | $1,820 | $425,889 |
| Memphis | 92.2 | 79.8 | $1,259 | $151,794 |
| New York City | 112.6 | 148.6 | $4,089 | $825,854 |
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
| Chicago | 103.6 | 112.0 | $2,311 | $334,108 |
| Houston | 98.6 | 104.5 | $1,544 | $259,465 |
| Phoenix | 103.3 | 121.2 | $1,571 | $404,067 |
| Philadelphia | 102.6 | 113.1 | $1,757 | $231,584 |
Price levels come from BEA regional price parities (2024), where the US = 100. For rent, Zillow ZORI. Home value comes from Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
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