No matter what part of town you’re in, it seems that new housing developments are popping up left and right. This has locals + outsiders alike wondering what the Chattanooga community currently looks like.
“Who’s moving to Chattanooga and what brought them here? I hear lots of anecdotes, but what does the data say?” — Scott P.
We’d be more than happy to break down who is moving to Chattanooga + why they choose to move here.
What is bringing people to Chattanooga?
Chattanooga has made the rankings of several U.S. News listings such as:
- No. 49 in Best Places to Live in the US
- No. 27 in Best Places to Retire
- No. 3 in Best Places to Live in Tennessee
The reasoning behind these rankings?
Here are the determining factors:
- Beautiful natural surroundings + outdoor activities
- Cost of living is below the national average
- Diverse economy + job market
- Retirement opportunities
- Family, friends, and lifestyle
Who is moving to Chattanooga?
The US Census Bureau has this great tool that allows you to see how many people moved to a specific county and from where between 2015-2019.
From 2015-2019:
- 12,212 people moved to Hamilton County from a different state
- 6,314 people moved from a different county in Tennessee
- 973 people moved to Hamilton County from a different county
A study by United Van Lines found that in 2021, 62% of moves are inbound for the state of Tennessee and that people of all ages + incomes are moving here.
People 65 years or older make up 29.92% of the people moving to Tennessee, closely followed by people ages 55 to 64 at 24.55%.
Income wise, this study found that 45.82% of people moving to Tennessee make $150,000+ annually + 21.74% make $100,000 to $149,999 annually.
In conclusion
There’s a mix of people of all ages + incomes moving here from all kinds of different places to enjoy all the wonderful things Chattanooga has to offer.
We’re curious, what do you think the No. 1 reason to move to Chattanooga is? Send your thoughts (anecdotal as they may be) our way.