9 Reasons to Move to Greater Chattanooga
Find out why this stunning three-state region in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama may be the right fit for you.
Are you looking for a great place to launch a career? Or maybe you’re an outdoor lover who loves weekends full of adventure, or an arts connoisseur eager to immerse yourself in new activities. No matter the reason, here’s why moving to Chattanooga, TN may make perfect sense for you.
In This Article
1. Remote Workers Love It Here
Greater Chattanooga is an ideal location for remote workers, thanks to its affordability, range of outstanding future career opportunities, 10-gig broadband speeds and standout quality of life. The region has been recognized as a top work-from-home city by Timeout.com, PCMag and Forbes.
2. Top Companies Love it Here, Too
Household names are at home in Greater Chattanooga, including well-known brands such as Volkswagen, Shaw Industries, Nokian Tyres, Mohawk Industries, La-Z-Boy, Whirlpool and Amazon. Lower costs and access to talent have helped draw major corporate headquarters and back-office operations. The region also houses insurers Unum and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.
3. There’s Plenty of Job Opportunities
Encompassing 16 counties in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, Greater Chattanooga offers a globally connected economy with technology-driven industry sectors in logistics, advanced manufacturing, auto production, food production and health care. The region saw nearly 170 new investment and expansion projects between 2016 and 2020 that added close to 14,000 jobs.
4. Find Adventures in Greater Chattanooga
If you like adventure, you’ll love hiking to gorgeous mountain vistas in the area or whitewater rafting along the Ocoee River. Chattanooga has twice been named “The Best Town Ever” by Outside magazine, and New York-based Thrillist.com ranks Chattanooga among the 15 American Cities that Secretly Have Great Food Scenes.
5. Get Around Easily
It’s easy to get to and from – and around – the region, with commute times that average less than 30 minutes. Chattanooga Airport is convenient and easy to access, offering direct service to several locations. International airports in Birmingham, Nashville and Atlanta are a two-hour drive away.
6. Educational Opportunities Abound
The region offers a wealth of education opportunities in both the K-12 and higher education realms. The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga anchors a higher-ed segment that includes standout private universities such as Lee University, Southern Adventist University, Bryan College, Covenant College and Tennessee Wesleyan University, as well as a network of community and technical colleges.
7. Region Aims to be Sustainable
Since 2007, Chattanooga-based green|spaces has advocated ways for advancing sustainability to increase the quality of life for residents. In addition, the nonprofit organization meets with commercial and residential builders to educate them on ways to make construction less wasteful and more environmentally responsible. green|spaces’ outreach has resulted in 43 LEED building projects in Chattanooga, 60 “BetterBuilt” green homes, 10 green roofs and 17 photovoltaic solar array installations, among other accomplishments. The group also hosts numerous classes along with design competitions to help citizens become better aware of sustainability initiatives in the region.
8. Dine Among the Dead
Actor Norman Reedus, who plays Daryl Dixon on the hit television show “The Walking Dead,” opened a restaurant in downtown Chattanooga, along with the program’s makeup artist, Greg Nicotero. The pair teamed up to open a restaurant outside of Atlanta, where the show is filmed. Nic & Norman’s-Chattanooga, the first expansion, is located on Market Street in the historic Choo Choo district and open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, and brunch on weekends.
9. Program Strives to Attract Diverse Talent
Styles Linton Hutchins (1852-1950) was an educator, attorney, politician, entrepreneur and minister who became the first African American admitted to the Georgia bar. He moved 140 miles north to Chattanooga in 1881 and found professional and political success. To honor his legacy, the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and its partners launched the Styles L. Hutchins Fellows program. The program selects three or four high-achieving Black UTC students who conduct research and make recommendations on strategies to attract, recruit and retain early-career Black talent in the region. The Fellows present their findings after tackling issues such as how to give more young Black students at UTC reasons to remain and succeed in Chattanooga after graduation, along with how to strengthen diversity and inclusion efforts at UTC.
