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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Chattanooga, TN

Population: 181,288 (2022) · Mid-Size Cities (100K–250K)

B
78/100

Good fiscal health — above-average across most metrics

Total Spending
$4.4B
Per Capita
$24,150
Total Revenue
$7.0B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
43.4%$1.9B
Housing & Community Development
20.3%$889.7M
Interest on Debt
8.6%$374.8M
Utilities
6.7%$295.3M
Parks & Recreation
6.6%$289.3M
Fire Protection
4.4%$192.3M
Public Welfare
3.7%$162.2M
Hospitals
2.9%$126.4M
Health
1.8%$79.1M
Highways & Roads
0.9%$38.4M
Sewerage
0.7%$31.7M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Sales Tax
0.2%$14.8M
Income Tax
0.8%$54.6M
Intergovernmental
1.6%$108.2M
Other
34.6%$2.4B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$1,061/person
Highways & Roads$212/person
Parks & Recreation$1,596/person
Health$436/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)90/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)37/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Chattanooga stacks up against another city.

vs Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TNvs Memphis, TNvs Knoxville, TN
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Tennessee

Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN

Pop. 684K

D
Total Spending
$33.5B
Per Capita
$48,948

Memphis, TN

Pop. 630K

B
Total Spending
$13.9B
Per Capita
$22,111

Knoxville, TN

Pop. 192K

C
Total Spending
$3.4B
Per Capita
$17,926

Clarksville, TN

Pop. 168K

A
Total Spending
$1.4B
Per Capita
$8,523

Compare Chattanooga With

Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN

Spending: $48,948/person · Grade: D

Memphis, TN

Spending: $22,111/person · Grade: B

Knoxville, TN

Spending: $17,926/person · Grade: C

Clarksville, TN

Spending: $8,523/person · Grade: A

Frequently Asked Questions

Chattanooga, TN spends $24,150 per resident, based on total expenditures of $4.4B for a population of 181,288. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of B (78/100).

Chattanooga, TN has total expenditures of $4.4B and total revenue of $7.0B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Chattanooga, TN employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Chattanooga, TN has a Fiscal Health Score of B (78/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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