Chattanooga receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
East Ridge
Chattanooga
Opportunity
61 · Top 39%
vs60 · Top 43%
Growth
56 · Top 39%
vs67 · Top 22%
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs73 · Top 38%
Physical resilience
58 · Top 50%
vs58 · Top 50%
Housing affordability
86 · Top 40%
vs72 · Bottom 37%
Schools
8 · Bottom 1%
vs32 · Bottom 25%
Access
44 · Bottom 2%
vs48 · Bottom 3%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 44%
vs45 · Bottom 24%
Measured values
| Metric | East Ridge | Chattanooga | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,070 | 185,783 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $62,247 | $64,523 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,451 | $41,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,665/sq mi | 1,305/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $211,100 | $283,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,147 | $1,256 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.5% | 52.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.2% | 36.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.1% | 19.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 54 | 993 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 5.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 38.5% | 2.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 32°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 55.0" | 55.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 89 mi | 87 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.5 min | 20.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.6 | 36.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 50 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 22.3% | 31.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 18.9% | 28.3% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
East Ridge
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Chattanooga
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
East Ridge
55
Your Score
57
Area Score
Chattanooga
57
Your Score
59
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: East Ridge, TN · Chattanooga, TN · How this is calculated: methodology