184,143
Population
Sunny Days: 207
45100 Affordability
79100 Schools
44100 Diversity
48100 Safety
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Gig City
The Best Thing About Chattanooga?
Small Southern Town Meets Modern Tech Hub
Those two city personas are not mutually exclusive and Chattanooga is living proof why. With its reasonable cost of living and southern staples like the annual Tennessee Whiskey Festival, Chattanooga might seem like many other small southern cities. But with more and more startups and tech companies moving in every month, this feels less like the Tennessee/Georgia border and more like Silicon Valley. Chattanooga was even the first city in the country to roll out a citywide gigabyte network for residents. You truly get the best of both worlds here.
The Worst Thing About Chattanooga?
Growth
Chattanooga was already on the rise prior to Covid but since March of 2020 things have gotten really crazy. Particularly for locals, the explosion is causing some cultural, and structural challenges. Chattanooga is the perfect storm for contemporary and pandemic growth: it’s in the south in a state with low taxes, it’s a college town, it’s a smaller city that helps big city folks feel like they can spread out more, and then for the newly minted work-from-homers it has that gigabit network. Holy moly all these things add up to a storm of northeasterners and northwesterners to flock down here.
Grumpy local on the growth: Honestly, without trying to offend anyone, I hate the out of state transplants and traffic that comes with it. This is pretty much Tennessee in general, however. Growing up in Chattanooga, I never felt the traffic was bad. Now it's almost unreckognizable due to the growth. The traffic sucks and I never recall it being that bad.
Lifestyle of Chattanooga
There’s a lot to do in Chattanooga for a relatively small city with a nice mix of cool city options and amazing outdoor lifestyle options. The downtown area is filled with local boutiques for groovy shopping and foodies get a food scene thriving as much as its tech scene, with way more than just the southern classics. Chattanooga also has great access to outdoor recreation opportunities, with rivers and parks in town for daily play, and tons of forest trails, river rapids, rock formations, and waterfalls close by for more intense excursions.
Workstyle of Chattanooga
Tech and healthcare are two of the hottest industries in Chattanooga’s growing economy. In an emerging Covid world, many tech companies and startups view it as a cheaper but still solid alternative to SF and NYC, and remote workers have viewed the city in the same light. Healthcare has always been big in the area with some of the best hospitals in Tennessee, but the overall work climate is on the rise as well.
Why You Should Move Here Now?
Escape the Madness
The same reason that many already are. It’s a low tax destination to find a great tech job or work remotely in an environment where you can enjoy the perks of escaping hyper-dense cities in a cool, growing place.
Living in Chattanooga
Neighborhoods in Chattanooga
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Northshore
Young Professionals
Northshore is one of the hottest neighborhoods in Chattanooga, with amazing shopping boutiques, restaurants and gastropubs. It’s filled with a mix of young professionals and young families and the housing options support apartment/condos and smaller home living all with great walkscores to the social options. It also has great outdoor options with two great parks that offer climbing walls, carousel, biking and amazing views of the city.
- Northshore
- Downtown
- Southside
Southside
DINKs/SINKs/LGBTQ+
Southside is a booming neighborhood known for sustainability and a thriving entertainment, culture and arts scene. Big investment in redevelopment turned this once center of industry into a mecca for those looking for a more eclectic lifestyle than the one offered in Downtown Chattanooga. Expect to find a more diverse population of artists, musicians and young families who appreciate the broad range of experiences and housing options. Southside also attracts many in the LGBTQ community that are drawn to the cool housing, arts scene, and owned and supportive community businesses.
- Southside
-North Chattanooga
Avondale
Families
For the price-conscious check out Avondale first. It has a great mix of affordable homes, very safe streets and convenient access to pretty much everything else in the city. It also has a wonderful Youth and Family Development center with a great gym, computer lab, basketball courts, game room and a public library. Perfect for the growing brains and bodies of the local kiddos. Northshore is another great option, albeit a heck more expensive than Avondale. The outdoor options for the kids and the parents make it ideal when combined with the homes and schools available here.
- Avondale
- Northshore
- St Elmo
St Elmo
Retirees/Empty Nesters
Southern cities with low taxes always do well with retirees and Chattanooga is no exception. St Elmo is one of the more popular neighborhoods for retirees and empty nesters who appreciate the easy access to outdoor living and more affordable prices for homes. Belvoir is another good option, due to its historic, charming and affordable homes. A wonderful community vibe with tons of dog walking, walking and hiking create a welcoming space for newcomers.
- St Elmo
- Belvoir