6 Reasons to Call Greater Chattanooga Home

Find out how this region aligns with your life and career goals.

By Lindsey Hyde on August 7, 2023

Greater Chattanooga has it all – excellent job opportunities, top schools, friendly and affordable communities, abundant outdoor recreation options, delicious local fare, thriving arts scenes and so much more. Thanks to these amenities, anyone can find their niche here, including you. 

Here are six reasons to call Greater Chattanooga home.

1. Launch Pad

For those looking to launch a business, opportunities abound in Greater Chattanooga. The region is home to many startup-friendly venues that help turn startup dreams into reality. Examples include the INCubator, a three-year progressive development program created through a partnership with Hamilton County, Tennessee, and the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce; Proof, which offers food and beverage entrepreneurs incubator space and a test kitchen; the Dalton Innovation Accelerator, which assists small businesses in every stage of development; the Cleveland Bradley Business Incubator, which offers startups space and business assistance; and Brickyard, which calls itself an insulator, rather than an incubator, for businesses.

2. Excellent Education

Whether you’re preparing to enter the business world or looking to change careers, Greater Chattanooga is the place to jump on a path destined for success. In Catoosa County, Georgia, the From HERE to CAREER College and Career Academy is slated to open for the fall 2023 semester. It will provide high school juniors and seniors with college credit and technical college certificates upon graduation. In addition, the Partnerships in Industry and Education (PIE) Innovation Center in Cleveland, Tennessee, offers high school juniors and seniors training in fields like welding, information technology and chemical technology. For students and adults pursuing careers in construction trades, the Construction Career Center in Chattanooga provides training, career counseling and industry resources.

3. Superb Speeds

When it comes to internet speeds, Greater Chattanooga takes the lead. In August 2022, EPB, Chattanooga’s municipal utility, launched a 25-gig internet service and made it available to business and residential customers in a 600-mile area. Its first customer was the Chattanooga Convention Center. This isn’t the first time EPB has taken a step forward in delivering fast internet speeds. It also launched America’s first community-wide gig-speed internet service in 2010 and the first 10-gig internet service in 2015.

“EPB is keeping Chattanooga on the cutting edge,” Vicky Gregg, EPB board chair, says. “Our goal is to enable new frontiers for technical innovation and job creation for our customers to the benefit of our whole community.”

In addition, EPB has partnered with Qubitekk to launch a commercial quantum network aimed at advancing the development and adoption of quantum products. The network will leverage EPB’s existing infrastructure and Qubitekk’s quantum encryption technology to provide secure and reliable communication, benefiting industries and research fields.

EPB’s history with lightning-fast and affordable gig-speed internet has helped draw tech companies to Chattanooga as well as top talent who are looking for a smart alternative to Silicon Valley, Boston, Seattle and New York. Recent tech accolades for Chattanooga include its listing among Inc.’s Surge Cities, recognition by hospitality industry leader Knowland as one of the top five growth markets for the meetings industry and ranking as one of the South’s best cities on the rise by Southern Living.

4. Master of Mobility

Greater Chattanooga boasts a vast transportation network, making it an ideal location for businesses and residents. The region offers rail through CSX and Norfolk Southern; direct flights to major U.S. cities through the Chattanooga Airport; ground transportation by way of Interstates 75, 24 and 59; and water access through the region’s inland port. It’s no wonder that Greater Chattanooga is sometimes referred to as the “Gateway to the South.”

5. Outdoor Fun

A total of 15 state parks are within a 90-minute drive from Chattanooga.

Located in Sequatchie County, Tennessee, on the Cumberland Plateau, South Cumberland has more than a dozen large waterfalls, the tallest of which is Foster Falls.

Next on the list of Tennessee wonders is Fall Creek Falls State Park in Bledsoe and Van Buren Counties. The main attraction is the park’s namesake, the 256-foot Fall Creek Falls is one of the highest free-fall waterfalls east of the Mississippi River. The park has six other waterfalls along with overlook areas to enjoy the views.

In Dade County, Georgia, Cloudland Canyon State Park sits on the western edge of Lookout Mountain and is known for a pair of large waterfalls – Cherokee Falls and Hemlock Falls. In addition, Cloudland Canyon is popular with avid adventurers because several of its hiking trails are considered moderate to difficult, with gorges along the way.

6. Amazingly Affordable

Compared to many regions around the U.S., Greater Chattanooga offers an affordable cost of living, especially within its outer counties. The median listing home price is only $161,000 in DeKalb County, Alabama, $201,000 in Whitfield County, Georgia, and around $182,000 in Marion County, Tennessee, according to Zillow.com (March 2023).  With nearby state parks, great restaurants and regional attractions, Greater Chattanooga offers affordability without sacrificing high-quality of life.

Kevin Litwin contributed to this article.