Chattanooga, TN Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Chattanooga Crime & Safety

Is Chattanooga safe to live in?

By the numbers, Chattanooga holds up well compared to many mid-size U.S. cities. Of the 25 neighborhoods analyzed for 2026, 48% earned an A grade and 28% earned a B grade, meaning 76% of the city's neighborhoods are classified as safe. Only 24% landed in the C range, and not a single neighborhood received a D or F. The city-wide safety rating is B (Safe), while the overall crime grade across all metrics is a C, reflecting pockets of elevated activity concentrated in a handful of areas. Neighborhoods like Lookout Valley / Lookout Mountain (A+) and Westview / Mountain Shadows (A) post the strongest safety profiles, while Bushtown / Highland Park and Downtown Chattanooga — both graded C- — account for a disproportionate share of reported incidents. In short, where you live or visit within Chattanooga matters enormously.

What is the crime rate in Chattanooga, TN?

Rather than a single city-wide number, Chattanooga's crime picture is best understood through its grade distribution. 12 out of 25 neighborhoods (48%) score an A, indicating low crime relative to national benchmarks. Another 7 neighborhoods (28%) score a B, reflecting above-average safety. The remaining 6 neighborhoods (24%) score a C, signaling moderate crime levels that warrant awareness. The higher-activity areas — Ridgedale / Oak Grove / Clifton Hills, Amnicola / East Chattanooga, Glenwood / Eastdale (all C), plus Bushtown / Highland Park and Downtown Chattanooga (both C-) — tend to concentrate property crimes such as auto theft and burglary alongside a share of violent incidents. Meanwhile, the A-rated corridor stretching from East Brainerd through Red Bank and North Chattanooga / Hill City consistently reports low incident rates across both property and violent crime categories.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Chattanooga?

Ten neighborhoods stand out as the city's safest for 2026. Lookout Valley / Lookout Mountain leads with an A+ grade and a median household income of $97,653 — roughly double the city median. Westview / Mountain Shadows follows at Grade A with the highest neighborhood income in the dataset at $117,742. East Brainerd (A, $97,228) and Riverview / Stuart Heights (A, $95,186) round out the top tier. Notably, safety isn't exclusive to high-income areas: East Ridge (A, $54,423) and Red Bank (A, $52,132) both earn A grades at income levels close to the city median, demonstrating that affordable, safe neighborhoods do exist in Chattanooga. Harrison (A, $84,915), Lupton City / Norcross (A, $72,597), North Chattanooga / Hill City (A, $81,508), and Mountain Creek / Moccasin Bend (A-, $49,563) complete the top-10 safest list.

Which areas of Chattanooga have higher crime?

Five neighborhoods account for the bulk of Chattanooga's elevated crime activity, all graded C or C-. Bushtown / Highland Park (C-) and Downtown Chattanooga (C-) are the lowest-rated areas in the 2026 analysis — though it's worth noting that even a C- represents a moderate, not extreme, risk level given that no neighborhood in the city scored D or F. Ridgedale / Oak Grove / Clifton Hills, Amnicola / East Chattanooga, and Glenwood / Eastdale all sit at Grade C. Property crime — particularly vehicle-related offenses and theft — tends to be the dominant driver in these neighborhoods. Visitors to Downtown Chattanooga should apply standard urban precautions: secure valuables, stay aware of surroundings, and use well-lit, populated routes at night.

Is Chattanooga a good place to live in 2026?

For most residents, yes — with the right neighborhood choice. Chattanooga's population of 404,766 is spread across a relatively low-density footprint of 491 people per square mile, giving it a more spacious feel than many comparably sized cities. The median home value of $175,414 and median rent of $891 make it one of the more affordable mid-size metros in the Southeast. The unemployment rate of 5.2% sits modestly above the national average, and a poverty rate of 17.6% does reflect real economic stress in some communities — factors that correlate with the C-grade areas. However, with 76% of neighborhoods rated A or B for safety, the majority of residents live in areas with low-to-moderate crime. Families prioritizing safety alongside affordability often gravitate toward East Ridge, Red Bank, or Mountain Creek / Moccasin Bend, which combine accessible price points with strong safety grades.

How does Chattanooga's safety compare across its neighborhoods?

The spread between Chattanooga's safest and least-safe neighborhoods is meaningful but not extreme. The top tier — led by Lookout Valley / Lookout Mountain (A+) — benefits from higher incomes, lower density, and geographic separation from the city core. The bottom tier, anchored by Bushtown / Highland Park and Downtown Chattanooga (both C-), sees higher incident rates but still falls within a moderate risk band — no neighborhood in Chattanooga reached a D or F grade in 2026. That 0% of neighborhoods scored D or F is a meaningful data point: it suggests the city lacks the severely distressed crime hotspots found in some comparable metros. The 12 Grade-A neighborhoods are distributed across multiple quadrants of the city — east, west, north, and the ridge communities — so safe options exist regardless of which part of Chattanooga you're considering.