Population 2,950 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Downtown Chattanooga
Household size in Downtown Chattanooga
| Period | Downtown Chattanooga | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.36 | 2.48 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.37 | 2.53 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.47 | 2.50 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.50 | 2.50 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.14 | +0.02 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Downtown Chattanooga are small: just 1.50 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 1.36, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Downtown Chattanooga
| Period | Downtown Chattanooga | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.8 | 39.6 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.5 | 40.5 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.7 | 41.3 | 39.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.5 | 41.2 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | −4.3 | +1.6 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Downtown Chattanooga are younger than 40.5 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Downtown Chattanooga
| Period | Downtown Chattanooga | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 11.2% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 11.2% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.4% | 9.8% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.8% | 11.1% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Downtown Chattanooga than nationally: 8.8%, against 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Downtown Chattanooga
Renters in Downtown Chattanooga
| Period | Downtown Chattanooga | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.3% | 30.9% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 84.4% | 32.2% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 89.0% | 32.9% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 87.7% | 31.8% | 33.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Downtown Chattanooga rent: 87.7% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Among homeowners, 36.1% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Downtown Chattanooga
| Period | Downtown Chattanooga | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.5% | 11.8% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.8% | 11.6% | 11.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.5% | 9.9% | 10.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +9.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 20.5% of the housing in Downtown Chattanooga, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Downtown Chattanooga
| Period | Downtown Chattanooga | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1962 | 1977 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1950 | 1978 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1980 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1972 | 1983 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +6 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Downtown Chattanooga run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1972 against 1980.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Downtown Chattanooga
| Period | Downtown Chattanooga | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $490 | $731 | $761 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $522 | $803 | $837 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $803 | $876 | $961 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,138 | $1,184 | $1,286 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$648 | +$454 | +$526 | +$606 |
The median renter in Downtown Chattanooga pays $1,138 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The picture is much the same across the Chattanooga area. Rent takes 26.6% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Downtown Chattanooga
Bachelor's degrees in Downtown Chattanooga
| Period | Downtown Chattanooga | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.1% | 22.9% | 23.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 27.1% | 24.3% | 25.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.5% | 27.2% | 27.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 41.3% | 31.6% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +21.2 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a bit more common in Downtown Chattanooga than nationally: 41.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Downtown Chattanooga
| Period | Downtown Chattanooga | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.3% | 82.5% | 83.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 73.8% | 84.9% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.0% | 87.4% | 87.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.6% | 89.5% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +14.2 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Downtown Chattanooga never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Downtown Chattanooga
| Period | Downtown Chattanooga | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.0% | 9.1% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 17.8% | 9.3% | 9.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.7% | 4.9% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.8% | 4.7% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −15.2 pts | −4.4 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.8%, unemployment in Downtown Chattanooga is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in the wider Chattanooga area (4.7%). Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Downtown Chattanooga compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Chattanooga | 1.50 | 40.5 | 8.8% | 87.7% | 20.5% | 1972 | $1,138 | 41.3% | 87.6% | 5.8% |
| Martin Luther King | 1.61 | 23.3 | 2.6% | 75.2% | 20.7% | 1973 | $1,272 | 59.8% | 95.6% | 5.2% |
| Northside Community | 1.90 | 33.3 | 7.2% | 59.5% | 8.1% | 1996 | $1,424 | 54.5% | 96.2% | 1.2% |
| Highland Park | 3.48 | 27.3 | 23.3% | 55.4% | 15.9% | 1942 | $1,234 | 30.1% | 75.9% | 8.0% |
| Lookout Valley | 2.15 | 48.8 | 4.6% | 24.7% | 9.8% | 1977 | $1,040 | 50.0% | 94.4% | 7.4% |
| Cannon Heights | 2.62 | 32.1 | 16.3% | 61.1% | 12.8% | 1971 | $1,045 | 5.9% | 35.3% | 0.8% |
| Hampton Cove | 2.62 | 46.2 | 6.6% | 9.3% | 2.2% | 2002 | $2,626 | 73.1% | 97.9% | 1.2% |
| Downtown Huntsville | 1.86 | 42.4 | 8.1% | 61.1% | 12.7% | 1973 | $1,352 | 43.4% | 83.9% | 4.5% |
| Oakley | 2.48 | 39.1 | 13.6% | 46.1% | 27.2% | 1990 | $1,539 | 50.7% | 95.1% | 3.7% |
| Woodside Cotton Mill Historic District | 2.49 | 31.7 | 15.8% | 70.7% | 13.3% | 1981 | $1,107 | 20.6% | 68.6% | 9.9% |
| West End | 1.62 | 38.6 | 7.1% | 78.5% | 10.6% | 1995 | $1,351 | 48.2% | 91.0% | 9.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Downtown Michigan City, Michigan City, IN · Esther Short, Vancouver, WA · Raintree, Kissimmee, FL · Embassy Hills, Jasmine Estates, FL · Rising Sun-Lebanon, Magnolia, DE · Edgemar-Pacific Manor, Pacifica, CA · Duval-Eagle Eyes Crime Watch, Gainesville, FL · River Point, West Warwick, RI · Downtown Wyandotte, Wyandotte, MI · Downtown, Superior, WI
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Downtown Chattanooga. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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