Support Us Button Widget

Why millennials are moving to Chattanooga

Market-City-Center-Chattanooga-Tn

Downtown view from a balcony in Market City Center apartments | Photo via Market City Center

Table of Contents

More + more people namely, millennialsare choosing to make Chattanooga their home. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2,000 new people moved to Chattanooga in 2017 (the most in any year since 2010) and our city saw an 11,265 population increase from 2010-17.

This summer, Nooga was listed among the 20 best cities for millennial homebuyers – with a median home price nearly 28% below the U.S. average – and scored highly for job growth in another ranking of the top 20 cities for young home buyers, with 3,567 jobs added in 2019.

Why is our population growing? Here are a few reasons:

  • Chattanooga has made its way onto a number of lists lauding its livability, like the 2014 Top 100 Places to Live.
  • Our proximity to the mountains + the Tennessee River provides residents access to outdoor activities like hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, tubing + more.
  • Despite a nationwide decline in homeownership among young adults, a 2017 study found Nooga was one of the top 10 markets where homeownership has improved in the past decade for those in their 20s + 30s.
  • Nooga is home to a slew of tech-based companies + startups, due largely in part to its citywide high-speed internet provided by EPB.
  • STEM-based jobs have led to STEM-focused programs in Chattanooga + Hamilton County schools, like the STEM School of Chattanooga + UT’s Chattanooga Challenger STEM Learning Center.

How is our city growing to accommodate new residents?

Know someone considering a move to Chattanooga? Help convince them by passing along these downtown digs at Market City Center + sharing this email via the buttons below.

Quiz


More from NOOGAtoday
Learn more about one of Chattanooga’s oldest standing buildings and its ties to the area’s historic railways.
Learn how to prepare your garden and what to plant in the winter months.
We’re testing out this internet trend with our very own Scenic City.
Becoming a new resident is easy with our Chattanoogan 101 guide to all things Chattanooga.
The Tennessee Aquarium is working to save this fish species that is only found in Chattanooga.
Thaw out from the cold weather with a bowl of warm soup.
Celebrate the life + legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with Chattanooga’s MLK Day of Service, parade, and other local events happening around the city.
Tennessee’s biggest music festival just dropped its lineup for 2025, here’s what you need to know for the hour-long journey to Manchester.
Don’t miss these annual events in the Scenic City.
According to the Chattanooga Public Library, you couldn’t get enough of these titles last year.