Chattanooga named top place to live in U.S. by Money Magazine
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Money Magazine has named the City of Chattanooga as one of the 50 best places to live in the United States. The magazine noted the city’s outdoor recreation, housing, arts scene and festivals as top reasons.
Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly made the announcement about the recognition on Thursday, April 11.
The magazine wrote, “The “Scenic City” is high on outdoor adventure and all-around charm.”
They wrote about the Bike Chattanooga System, which they called a “fun and affordable way to get around.”
It goes on to mention Chattanooga’s art scene, saying, “Chatt is home to some of the best art in the U.S.”
Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly made this statement on the recognition:
“Thank you to Money Magazine for looking at the facts and recognizing what we already know–Chattanooga is special, home to beautiful nature, a growing economy, and incredible culture. We have great momentum right now. This praise from Money comes on the heels of Chattanooga rising 26 spots in the Milken Institute’s ‘Best Performing Cities’ ranking and Chattanooga being ranked first in Tennessee by moveBuddha for our ratio of inbound to outbound movers. It’s validating to see these national outlets recognize the hard work we’ve done to move our city forward, but we know we have a lot more work to do.”
The magazine said it used these standards to choose each city:
- The health of the local job market
- The average housing costs borne by homeowners and renters
- The percentage of residents in poverty
- The quality of public schools
Chattanooga’s median income is more than 180,000. The average house listing price is about $352,000 and the unemployment rate is 3% in the city.
See more about Money Magazine’s methodology here.
