Population 35,567 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Ooltewah: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Ooltewah
Household size in Ooltewah
| Period | Ooltewah | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.65 | 2.48 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.76 | 2.53 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.74 | 2.50 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.73 | 2.50 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.08 | +0.02 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
At 2.73 people per household, Ooltewah sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is bigger than in the wider Chattanooga area, where it has 2.50 people. Household size has crept up from 2.65 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
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 Ooltewah
| Period | Ooltewah | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.8 | 39.6 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.4 | 40.5 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.9 | 41.3 | 39.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.6 | 41.2 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.8 | +1.6 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Ooltewah is 42.6 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. The Chattanooga area as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 40.8, in line with the national trend.
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 Ooltewah
| Period | Ooltewah | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 11.2% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 11.2% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 9.8% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.4% | 11.1% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Ooltewah: 7.4% of households, against 11.6% nationally. Ooltewah has a lower share of single-parent households than the great majority of Tennessee cities.
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 Ooltewah
Renters in Ooltewah
| Period | Ooltewah | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.6% | 30.9% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.6% | 32.2% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.2% | 32.9% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 20.4% | 31.8% | 33.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.7 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Ooltewah is largely a place of homeowners: only 20.4% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 37.2% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. The renter share is up 8.7 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Ooltewah
| Period | Ooltewah | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 11.3% | 11.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 11.8% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.7% | 11.6% | 11.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 9.9% | 10.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Ooltewah: 7.2% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Compared with other Tennessee cities, Ooltewah has a lower vacancy rate than most.
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 Ooltewah
| Period | Ooltewah | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1991 | 1977 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1994 | 1978 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1998 | 1980 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2002 | 1983 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +6 | +6 | +6 |
Ooltewah has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 2002, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1991 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the west. Only six of the 202 Tennessee cities with 5,000+ people have newer homes.
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 Ooltewah
| Period | Ooltewah | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,017 | $731 | $761 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,014 | $803 | $837 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,051 | $876 | $961 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,702 | $1,184 | $1,286 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$685 | +$454 | +$526 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Ooltewah costs $1,702 a month with utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $685 a month since 2006–10, up 67%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 30.0% of household income on rent, just over 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 Ooltewah
Bachelor's degrees in Ooltewah
| Period | Ooltewah | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.6% | 22.9% | 23.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 36.3% | 24.3% | 25.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.4% | 27.2% | 27.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 44.6% | 31.6% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.0 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than four in ten adults 25 and older in Ooltewah (44.6%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 12.0 points, in line with the national trend. Only 16 of the 202 Tennessee cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of college graduates.
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 Ooltewah
| Period | Ooltewah | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.3% | 82.5% | 83.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.2% | 84.9% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.3% | 87.4% | 87.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.0% | 89.5% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Ooltewah: 96.0% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 6.7 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Of the 202 Tennessee cities with 5,000+ people, only 15 have a higher share of high school graduates.
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 Ooltewah
| Period | Ooltewah | Chattanooga area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.2% | 9.1% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.6% | 9.3% | 9.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.0% | 4.9% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 4.7% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −4.4 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Ooltewah than nationally: unemployment was 3.9%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 1.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Ooltewah compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ooltewah | 2.73 | 42.6 | 7.4% | 20.4% | 7.2% | 2002 | $1,702 | 44.6% | 96.0% | 3.9% |
| Pine Hill | 2.44 | 46.4 | 8.2% | 8.3% | 7.3% | 1990 | $1,003 | 22.4% | 87.4% | 4.1% |
| Collegedale | 2.33 | 42.6 | 6.1% | 43.4% | 10.8% | 1996 | $1,604 | 48.0% | 91.9% | 1.7% |
| Mineral Park | 2.22 | 47.7 | 8.2% | 18.0% | 2.5% | 1994 | $1,024 | 31.1% | 89.5% | 9.0% |
| Harrison | 2.62 | 41.2 | 8.5% | 18.3% | 5.9% | 1988 | $1,254 | 29.3% | 94.2% | 2.6% |
| McDonald | 2.59 | 43.6 | 7.9% | 10.1% | 5.7% | 1987 | $1,153 | 27.5% | 91.5% | 8.3% |
| Apison | 2.70 | 45.1 | 3.5% | 14.9% | 12.5% | 1993 | $875 | 42.5% | 94.7% | 0.7% |
| Graysville | 2.58 | 44.3 | 9.2% | 19.2% | 13.3% | 1983 | $1,108 | 29.0% | 92.5% | 0.1% |
| Middle Valley | 2.59 | 44.0 | 10.5% | 15.2% | 5.5% | 1985 | $1,208 | 30.8% | 89.3% | 4.2% |
| Hixson | 2.42 | 44.4 | 12.7% | 27.8% | 6.7% | 1985 | $1,383 | 37.4% | 93.6% | 4.4% |
| Chattanooga area | 2.50 | 41.2 | 11.1% | 31.8% | 9.9% | 1983 | $1,184 | 31.6% | 89.5% | 4.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Pasadena, MD · Jacksonville, AR · Ken Caryl, CO · La Verne, CA · Laramie, WY · Lawndale, CA · Leavenworth, KS · Lebanon, OH · Lenoir, NC · Lexington, MA
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 Ooltewah. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.