All cities / Tennessee / Chattanooga
Chattanooga, TN for digital nomads
City-owned fiber reaches every address, with rents among the lowest on this list.
As of October 2026, a 1-bedroom near downtown Chattanooga runs $1,245 a month on HUD's FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rent, against $1,231 across the whole metro area, which includes the far-out and less walkable parts. The downtown walkability index is 13.5 out of 20 (above average), 7.9% of households get by with no car, and the fastest advertised home internet is 2 Gbps from Xfinity. An entire-home Airbnb has a median of $207 a night. The city has 11 open breweries.
- 1-bed near downtown
- $1,245HUD FY2027, utilities in
- 1-bed metro-wide
- $1,231HUD, whole metro
- Walkability
- 13.5/20Above average
- No-car households
- 7.9%Car needed
- Fastest internet
- 2 GbpsXfinity
- Transit ride
- $1.50CARTA
- Airbnb night
- $207median, entire home
- July high
- 91°FNOAA normal
- Breweries
- 11open, in city
Live in Chattanooga? Tell us what you pay and your number joins the resident figures below the housing section.
Walkability and internet in Chattanooga
| Provider | Type | Top speed | Addresses covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPB | Fiber | n/a | 100% |
| Xfinity | Cable | 2 Gbps | 99% |
Housing costs in Chattanooga
The headline number is HUD's Small Area Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom, utilities included, taken as the median of 10 ZIP codes within 2 miles of downtown: the same circle the walkability score covers, so the rent and the walkability describe the same place. The metro-wide figure is HUD's rent for the whole Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA, which is lower in most cities because it includes outlying areas. The Census figure is what current tenants pay inside the city limits.
What people in Chattanooga say they pay
A second opinion on the official figures, from readers who live here. Each number shows once three people have reported it, marked low confidence until there are five: the middle value of the last 12 months of reports, with the highest and lowest 10% set aside. Reports are stored as numbers only.
Food costs in Chattanooga
Burger and fries at local restaurants
| Restaurant | What was priced | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Tremont Tavern | Tavern Burger $17 (served with choice of side incl. steak fries) + cheese $2 | $19.00 |
| Urban Stack | The Big Cheese cheeseburger $12.99 + House-Cut Fries $4.50 | $17.49 |
| Main Street Meats | Local Beef Burger (bacon, Swiss, caramelized onions) $19 + House Made Fries $7 | $26.00 |
| Armando's (Hwy 58) * | Cheeseburger $7.35 + French fries $2.99 | $10.34 |
| Hi-Fi Clyde's | Clyde's Burger $14 (double-stacked, American cheese, bacon; the only beef burger on the menu; all sandwiches served with Clyde's fries) | $14.00 |
* Price read from a third-party menu or delivery page, which can run higher than in-store.
Cheese pizza at local pizzerias
| Pizzeria | What was priced | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Lupi's Pizza Pies | Pizza Pie (red sauce + mozzarella), 16 inch, 16 inch | $19.00 |
| Pizza Bros (Northshore) | Custom Built Pizza, hand tossed 16 inch starting at $17.00 (sauce + mozzarella, no toppings), 16 inch | $17.00 |
| Five Wits Brewing Co. | Build Your Bar Pie, cheese, 14 inch (sizes are 9 and 14 inch; largest offered), 14 inch | $16.00 |
| Crust Pizza (Broad St) | Build Your Own Pizza, classic cheese, 16 inch (restaurant's own site, ordering runs on Slice), 16 inch | $16.00 |
| Community Pie (Downtown) | 14 inch NY cheese pizza (sizes are 14 and 19 inch; 19 inch is $19), 14 inch | $15.00 |
Getting around Chattanooga without a car
| How residents get to work | Share |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 73.8% |
| Public transit | 0.6% |
| Walk | 1.4% |
| Bike | 0.2% |
| Work from home | 13.2% |
Source: Census ACS 2024 1-year, table B08301.
Weather in Chattanooga by month
30-year averages for 1991 to 2020 from the Chattanooga Lovell Ap weather station, 6.2 miles from downtown.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 51°F | 56°F | 64°F | 74°F | 81°F | 88°F | 91°F | 90°F | 84°F | 74°F | 62°F | 53°F |
| Average low | 32°F | 36°F | 42°F | 50°F | 59°F | 67°F | 71°F | 70°F | 64°F | 51°F | 40°F | 35°F |
| Rain, inches | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 5.3 |
Places to work in Chattanooga
Counts are within 2 miles of downtown.
Coworking and makerspace lists not collected yet.
Breweries in Chattanooga
11 breweries listed as open inside the Chattanooga city limits on Open Brewery DB, a community-kept directory, read Oct 2026. Breweries in nearby suburbs are not counted, and a few new ones may be missing.
Camping and van life near Chattanooga
Public land and campgrounds within 50 miles of downtown, from federal map services, read Oct 2026. Distances are straight-line from downtown, so driving is further.
Free overnight spot for van lifers
The nearest free public camping mapped is Ball Field Dispersed Camping Area, about 39.2 miles from downtown, run by Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. Dispersed camping on Forest Service and BLM land is free, usually limited to 14 days, with no hookups and no services.
Nearest public campgrounds and dispersed areas
| Site | Type | Miles | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Pocket Recreation Area | Campground | 34.3 | $15/site/night |
| Hickey Gap Campground | Campground | 37.6 | Free |
| Cottonwood Patch Campground | Campground | 38.2 | Camping: $8/site/night/year-round |
| Ball Field Dispersed Camping Area | Dispersed camping | 39.2 | Free |
| Lake Conasauga | Campground | 39.4 | $15 a night per site. |
| Lake Conasauga Overflow Campground | Campground | 39.6 | Camping: $8/site/night, payable on-site. Campers may use the self-service fee tube to pay |
| Chilhowee Recreation Area | Campground | 40.3 | Non-electric sites (42 sites) - $12. Electric Sites (29 sites) - $20. Walk-in sites with e |
| Parksville Lake Campground | Campground | 41.8 | RV sites (17 sites) - $20 all with electric hookups. Tent sites (24 sites) - $12; 1 pod, 5 |
| Jacks River Fields Campground | Campground | 46.5 | Camping: $5/site/night. Campers may pay with checks or cash in the self-service fee tube. |
| Thunder Rock Campground | Campground | 46.7 | See Recreation.gov for details on fees. |
| Tumbling Creek Campground | Campground | 47.7 | No Fee. |
| Lost Creek Campground | Campground | 48.2 | No Fee. |
Source: Forest Service recreation sites and BLM recreation sites, read Oct 2026. Fees are quoted from the agency page and change by season; check the linked page before you go.
Air quality and natural hazards in Chattanooga
| Natural hazard | FEMA risk rating |
|---|---|
| Heat wave | Relatively Low |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low |
| Tornado | Relatively High |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate |
| Inland flooding | Relatively High |
| Coastal flooding | Not Applicable |
| Winter weather | Relatively High |
| Drought | Relatively Low |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025, for Hamilton County. Ratings compare this county with every other US county and count the people and buildings exposed, so large counties tend to rate higher.
Indie hacking scene in Chattanooga
General startup scene
Small but organized: Devanooga runs a developer meetup and Slack, 1 Million Cups hosts weekly founder talks, and the CO.LAB accelerator was taking applications in mid 2026. No dedicated indie hacker group turned up.
Found by web search in Oct 2026. Meetups come and go, so check the link for current dates.
Questions people ask
How much is rent in Chattanooga, TN?
Near downtown, $1,245 a month for a 1-bedroom and $1,195 for a studio, utilities included: that is HUD's FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rent, the median of 10 ZIP codes within 2 miles of downtown, as of October 2026. Across the whole Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA the figure is $1,231, 1% less, because it includes outlying areas. Current tenants inside the city limits report a median of $1,281 for a 1-bedroom (Census ACS 2024 1-year).
Is Chattanooga walkable?
Above average by the EPA's National Walkability Index: the area within 2 miles of downtown Chattanooga scores 13.5 out of 20, and the area within 5 miles scores 10.3. 1.4% of residents walk to work.
Do you need a car in Chattanooga?
Car needed. 7.9% of Chattanooga households own no car, 0.6% of residents commute by public transit, and a single CARTA ride costs $1.50. The bike network scores 33 out of 100 with PeopleForBikes.
How fast is home internet in Chattanooga?
The fastest advertised home plan is 2 Gbps cable from Xfinity, offered to 99% of addresses according to FCC coverage data. The cheapest advertised plan starts at $30 a month before fees. Speeds are advertised, not measured.
Is there free camping near Chattanooga?
1 free dispersed camping area on Forest Service or BLM land is mapped within 50 miles of downtown, the nearest about 39.2 miles out. The nearest BLM land is within 100 miles; check that parcel's rules before camping.
What does an Airbnb cost in Chattanooga?
The median nightly rate for an entire home was $207 in Sep 2026, from AirROI's market model. That is a modeled estimate, not a listing count.
How hot does Chattanooga get in summer?
The hottest month is July with an average high of 91°F and nights around 71°F. The coldest month averages a low of 32°F. These are NOAA 30-year normals for 1991 to 2020.
How many breweries are in Chattanooga?
11 breweries are listed as open inside the city limits on Open Brewery DB as of Oct 2026: 9 microbreweries, 2 brewpubs. See every Chattanooga brewery with a link and a map.
Is Chattanooga good for indie hackers?
General startup scene. Small but organized: Devanooga runs a developer meetup and Slack, 1 Million Cups hosts weekly founder talks, and the CO.LAB accelerator was taking applications in mid 2026. No dedicated indie hacker group turned up.
Know Chattanooga? Spot a wrong number, a missing link or something worth adding? Suggest an update for Chattanooga.
Rent by ZIP code near downtown Chattanooga
HUD publishes rent for each ZIP code. These are the ones within 2 miles of downtown, cheapest 1-bedroom first; each has its own page.
- 37410 $980
- 37407 $1,040
- 37406 $1,070
- 37419 $1,150
- 37404 $1,170
- 37450 $1,320
- 37402 $1,340
- 37403 $1,490
- 37405 $1,550
- 37408 $1,550
Nearest cities on the site
- Atlanta, GA 104 mi, $1,710
- Nashville, TN 113 mi, $1,725
- Asheville, NC 160 mi, $1,800
- Chicago, IL 488 mi, $2,670
Cities with similar rent
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