The Town Files

Hamilton County, Tennessee

376,192 people. The median home is worth $312,800 (typical Tennessee town: $204,650) and the median household earns $76,183.

Towns in Hamilton County

Towns in Hamilton County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
Chattanooga181,099$283,200$64,52336.3
East Ridge22,167$211,100$62,24737.6
Soddy-Daisy13,070$256,600$75,11345.6
Red Bank11,899$269,400$63,98337.9
Middle Valley11,695$319,400$95,00045.4
Collegedale11,109$365,100$70,24636.4
Signal Mountain8,852$544,300$141,00844.3
Harrison7,902$307,400$89,39544.6
Apison4,428$459,000$129,30745.6
Sale Creek3,021$299,700$53,93250.8

People and housing

Hamilton CountyTypical Tennessee town
Median home value$312,800$204,650
Median rent$1,253$863
Median household income$76,183$57,917
Median age39.540.8
Bachelor's degree or higher37.5%18.2%
Below the poverty line13.1%14.2%

Jobs and pay

221,207 jobs in 2024, average pay $66,004 a year.

Largest industries in Hamilton CountyHealth care & social assistan…33,683 jobs · $68,413Manufacturing29,368 jobs · $75,036Hotels & restaurants21,738 jobs · $25,797Retail21,086 jobs · $39,123Transportation & warehousing14,795 jobs · $73,402Administrative & support14,007 jobs · $45,218
BLS QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in Hamilton County0%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023 3.2%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 723 storm events in Hamilton County from 1996 to 2026, with 25 deaths.

Storm events in Hamilton County by type since 1996Hail121Flood25Tornado21Ice Storm3Lightning9Heavy Snow39Debris Flow2Flash Flood63Strong Wind5Funnel Cloud4
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

Hamilton County has been included in 25 FEMA declarations since 1953.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
February 6, 2026Winter StormDR-4898: Severe Winter Storm
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3635: Severe Winter Storm
April 2, 2025Severe StormEM-3625: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
June 17, 2024Severe StormDR-4792: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
May 17, 2023Severe StormDR-4712: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornado
April 24, 2020Severe StormDR-4541: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).