1st Advantage MortgageIn Hamilton County, Tennessee, the typical household earns $76,183 a year and the typical rent is $1,253. Your income, debts and credit decide what you qualify for. Get offers in writing, compare the total repaid, and never pay a fee up front.
On this page
- A quick profile of Hamilton County
- Household income in Hamilton County
- The Hamilton County job picture
- What it costs to live in Hamilton County
- Regional comparison for Hamilton County
- Hamilton County towns compared
- A Hamilton County household budget, worked through
- Hamilton County residents: age, schooling, coverage
- Borrowing situations common in Hamilton County
- Lender oversight for Hamilton County
- Checklist for Hamilton County applicants
- Related local guides
- Frequently asked questions
A quick profile of Hamilton County
Roughly 376,192 residents live in Hamilton County, Tennessee, 4th by population among the state's 95 counties and county equivalents. Packed into 542 square miles, that is close to 694 residents for every square mile of land. The federal metro definitions (OMB, July 2023) place it in the Chattanooga, TN-GA metropolitan area. The Census Bureau counts 19 places in the county (10 incorporated, 9 census-designated); the largest is Chattanooga, with about 185,783 residents, or 49% of the county.
Household income in Hamilton County
Half of Hamilton County households take in less than $76,183 a year and half take in more, 9% above the Tennessee median of $69,595. In the state ranking that is 11th of 95.
| Yearly household income | Hamilton County | Gap to Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 21.5% | -2.6 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 40.4% | -2.0 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 26.6% | +2.1 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 11.5% | +2.5 pts |
About 21% of households earn under $35,000, while 38% clear $100,000. 13.1% of residents fall below the federal poverty line (statewide: 13.8%). The Gini index of income inequality is 0.485 (0 is perfect equality). A household earning below the $76,183 median should test any payment carefully; one earning above it should still pick the shortest term it can manage.
The Hamilton County job picture
Education and health care employs 22% of working residents, the largest share; manufacturing is next with 13%. The sharpest difference from the state is in finance, insurance and real estate, at 9% locally and 6% for Tennessee. Averaged over the five survey years, 4.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking. Long commutes are the exception here: 7% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work. 5.8% of households have no vehicle.
| Top industries | Hamilton County share | +/- vs Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 22.2% | -0.2 pts |
| Manufacturing | 13.3% | +0.8 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 10.4% | -0.3 pts |
| Retail trade | 10.4% | -1.2 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 9.0% | +0.1 pts |
| Finance, insurance and real estate | 8.6% | +2.5 pts |
If your hours swing with the season or with overtime, size a loan payment against your base pay, not your best month.
What it costs to live in Hamilton County
A typical Hamilton County rental runs $1,253 a month including utilities, which is 5% above Tennessee. By the Census definition, 45% of Hamilton County renters are cost-burdened. With a median value of $312,800, a typical Hamilton County house costs 4.1 times what the median household earns in a year. 64% of Hamilton County households own their home and 36% rent. Half the housing stock was built before 1982.
| Measure | Hamilton County | Tennessee | Median U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,253/mo | $1,189/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $312,800 | $286,700 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 64% | 67% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 45% | 49% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 20% | 25% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 8% | 10% | n/a |
Regional comparison for Hamilton County
Distances run center to center, from Catoosa County at 19 miles out to Whitfield County at 28. Catoosa County leads the group on income ($74,639), Sequatchie County trails ($58,750), and Hamilton County out-earns 6 of the six. Some neighbors are in Georgia. Lender licensing is state by state, so a loan for a Hamilton County resident follows Tennessee rules.
| Neighbor | Distance | Income | Rent | Own |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County | - | $76,183 | $1,253/mo | 64% |
| Catoosa County, GA | 19 mi | $74,639 | $993/mo | 74% |
| Sequatchie County, TN | 19 mi | $58,750 | $818/mo | 78% |
| Bradley County, TN | 19 mi | $66,552 | $1,030/mo | 67% |
| Marion County, TN | 23 mi | $61,824 | $853/mo | 79% |
| Dade County, GA | 28 mi | $64,568 | $829/mo | 80% |
| Whitfield County, GA | 28 mi | $67,070 | $971/mo | 67% |
Hamilton County towns compared
Here are the 14 most populous of the county's 19 Census places, with income and rent from the same 2020 to 2024 survey. About 79% of Hamilton County residents live in one of the 19. Lookout Mountain has the highest median household income on the list ($201,000) and Sale Creek the lowest ($53,932), counting places with at least 500 residents. Rent is cheapest in Apison ($812) and steepest in Signal Mountain ($1,852). One of them, Chattanooga, has a separate city guide (linked); for the rest, this is the local guide.
| Community | Type | Residents | Household income (median) | Rent (median) | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | city | 185,783 | $64,523 | $1,256 | 7 mi |
| East Ridge | city | 22,070 | $62,247 | $1,147 | 12 mi |
| Soddy-Daisy | city | 13,231 | $75,113 | $1,047 | 7 mi |
| Middle Valley | CDP | 12,187 | $95,000 | $1,180 | 2 mi |
| Red Bank | city | 12,010 | $63,983 | $1,283 | 6 mi |
| Collegedale | city | 11,330 | $70,246 | $1,581 | 12 mi |
| Signal Mountain | town | 8,860 | $141,008 | $1,852 | 8 mi |
| Harrison | CDP | 8,011 | $89,395 | $1,216 | 4 mi |
| Apison | CDP | 4,271 | $129,307 | $812 | 15 mi |
| Sale Creek | CDP | 2,955 | $53,932 | $1,042 | 17 mi |
| Falling Water | CDP | 2,315 | $111,842 | n/a | 4 mi |
| Lakesite | city | 2,168 | $96,250 | $863 | 4 mi |
| Lookout Mountain | town | 2,111 | $201,000 | $1,428 | 14 mi |
| Fairmount | CDP | 2,110 | $137,317 | $1,675 | 7 mi |
A Hamilton County household budget, worked through
The debt-to-income ratio is the main affordability test lenders use. Applied to Hamilton County's medians:
- Monthly gross at the median, Hamilton County: $6,349
- Less median rent of $1,253, which is 20% of it
- With a 36% ceiling, about $1,032 remains for car, card, student and any new loan payments
Car, student loan and card payments come out of that room first. Try your own numbers in the calculator.
Hamilton County residents: age, schooling, coverage
37% of Hamilton County adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or more. 9.7% of residents have no health coverage.
| Indicator | Hamilton County | All of Tennessee | U.S. county median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.5 | 38.9 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 37.5% | 31.1% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 8.5% | 10.0% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 9.7% | 10.0% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 5.8% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 14.3% | 12.9% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 13.1% | 13.8% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 4.4% | 4.7% | 4.4% |
| Minutes to work | Hamilton County workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 26.2% |
| 15 to 29 min | 46.8% |
| 30 to 44 min | 19.9% |
| 45 to 59 min | 4.2% |
| 60+ min | 3.0% |
Borrowing situations common in Hamilton County
Where the Hamilton County numbers stand out, and why it matters for a loan:
- Renters under pressure. When 45% pay 30% or more for rent, the smallest loan that solves the problem is the right size.
- Check your file. An error fixed before you apply can change the offers a Hamilton County borrower sees (free reports).
- Advance-fee offers. No legitimate lender asks a Hamilton County borrower to pay first (scam signs).
Lender oversight for Hamilton County
The Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions is the place to verify any lender's Tennessee license. A CFPB complaint gets forwarded to the company for a response. Statewide data and rules: Tennessee guide.
Checklist for Hamilton County applicants
Steps that save money for Hamilton County residents:
- Price the Hamilton County expense first and borrow that amount, no more.
- Compare the total repaid on every offer, not just the payment.
- Check the license, then the reviews, then the offer.
- Ask about early-payoff penalties.
Related local guides
More local guides:
Frequently asked questions
Is Hamilton County a high-income county?
Its $76,183 median ranks 11th of 95 Tennessee counties and compares with $65,681 for the median U.S. county.
Is Hamilton County expensive for renters?
Median rent is $1,253 against $1,189 statewide, and 45% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Which towns does the Hamilton County guide cover?
Every community in the county, unincorporated areas included. The largest of its 19 Census places: Chattanooga, East Ridge, Soddy-Daisy, Middle Valley, Red Bank.
Is the fit check different in Hamilton County?
No. It is identical everywhere, and it never looks at your neighborhood.
Where can someone in Hamilton County check a lender's license?
With the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions. If a lender is unlicensed or asks for a fee before funding, walk away.