HousingPermits

Metro area in Tennessee, Georgia · part of the Chattanooga-Cleveland-Dalton, TN-GA-AL combined area

Chattanooga, TN-GA

The Chattanooga metro area authorized 2,958 new housing units in 2025. Buildings of five or more units took 19% of its 2021–2025 units, less than the national 34%. Per 1,000 residents it authorized 5.6 units a year in 2021–2025, 1.2 times the national rate of 4.7.

01,0002,0003,0004,0002004: 3,558 units (3,141 single-family, 128 in 2–4 unit, 289 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 3,798 units (3,330 single-family, 139 in 2–4 unit, 329 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 3,455 units (3,029 single-family, 184 in 2–4 unit, 242 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 2,687 units (2,118 single-family, 99 in 2–4 unit, 470 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 1,544 units (1,316 single-family, 74 in 2–4 unit, 154 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 1,126 units (994 single-family, 65 in 2–4 unit, 67 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 1,086 units (955 single-family, 62 in 2–4 unit, 69 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 1,331 units (959 single-family, 35 in 2–4 unit, 337 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 1,315 units (1,181 single-family, 18 in 2–4 unit, 116 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 1,942 units (1,264 single-family, 33 in 2–4 unit, 645 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 2,346 units (1,226 single-family, 34 in 2–4 unit, 1,086 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 2,093 units (1,532 single-family, 23 in 2–4 unit, 538 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 2,487 units (1,725 single-family, 80 in 2–4 unit, 682 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 2,631 units (1,928 single-family, 42 in 2–4 unit, 661 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 2,227 units (1,971 single-family, 98 in 2–4 unit, 158 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 2,697 units (1,861 single-family, 164 in 2–4 unit, 672 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 3,061 units (2,251 single-family, 128 in 2–4 unit, 682 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 3,673 units (2,443 single-family, 204 in 2–4 unit, 1,026 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 3,081 units (2,121 single-family, 246 in 2–4 unit, 714 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 3,016 units (2,243 single-family, 246 in 2–4 unit, 527 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 3,594 units (2,607 single-family, 302 in 2–4 unit, 685 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 2,958 units (2,547 single-family, 252 in 2–4 unit, 159 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252005 high · 3,7982010 low · 1,08601,5003,0004,5002004: 3,558 units (3,141 single-family, 128 in 2–4 unit, 289 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 3,798 units (3,330 single-family, 139 in 2–4 unit, 329 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 3,455 units (3,029 single-family, 184 in 2–4 unit, 242 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 2,687 units (2,118 single-family, 99 in 2–4 unit, 470 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 1,544 units (1,316 single-family, 74 in 2–4 unit, 154 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 1,126 units (994 single-family, 65 in 2–4 unit, 67 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 1,086 units (955 single-family, 62 in 2–4 unit, 69 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 1,331 units (959 single-family, 35 in 2–4 unit, 337 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 1,315 units (1,181 single-family, 18 in 2–4 unit, 116 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 1,942 units (1,264 single-family, 33 in 2–4 unit, 645 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 2,346 units (1,226 single-family, 34 in 2–4 unit, 1,086 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 2,093 units (1,532 single-family, 23 in 2–4 unit, 538 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 2,487 units (1,725 single-family, 80 in 2–4 unit, 682 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 2,631 units (1,928 single-family, 42 in 2–4 unit, 661 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 2,227 units (1,971 single-family, 98 in 2–4 unit, 158 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 2,697 units (1,861 single-family, 164 in 2–4 unit, 672 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 3,061 units (2,251 single-family, 128 in 2–4 unit, 682 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 3,673 units (2,443 single-family, 204 in 2–4 unit, 1,026 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 3,081 units (2,121 single-family, 246 in 2–4 unit, 714 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 3,016 units (2,243 single-family, 246 in 2–4 unit, 527 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 3,594 units (2,607 single-family, 302 in 2–4 unit, 685 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 2,958 units (2,547 single-family, 252 in 2–4 unit, 159 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252005 high · 3,798

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Houses or apartments

The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Visalia (19% in five-plus buildings). That share has risen sharply since 2004–2006, when it stood at 8%. Duplexes to fourplexes are unusually common here: 7.7% of units, against 3.5% nationally. Units in five-plus buildings peaked in 2014 (1,086), single-family houses in 2005 (3,330).

2021–202573.3%73%7.7%19.1%19%2004–200687.9%88%4.2%8.0%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202573.3%73%7.7%19.1%19%2004–200687.9%88%4.2%8.0%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 24 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Chattanooga, with 5,554 units or 34% of the total, followed by Hamilton County (unincorporated) with 4,649. Among the three largest, Chattanooga put 38% of its units in five-plus buildings, Hamilton County (unincorporated) 8.5%.

  • Chattanooga34% (5,554 units)
  • Hamilton County (unincorporated)28% (4,649 units)
  • Catoosa County12% (1,965 units)
  • Walker County (unincorporated)8.1% (1,329 units)
  • Marion County (unincorporated)5.5% (894 units)
  • Fort Oglethorpe2% (328 units)
  • Collegedale1.4% (226 units)
  • Red Bank1.3% (220 units)

Share of the units authorized in the metro area, 2021–2025.

The wider Chattanooga-Cleveland-Dalton region

The Census Bureau groups Chattanooga with 2 neighboring metro areas in the Chattanooga-Cleveland-Dalton, TN-GA-AL combined area. Metro areas in it authorized 4,709 units a year in 2021–2025 (micropolitan parts not counted); Chattanooga accounted for 69%. The others, with their yearly averages: Cleveland, TN (890), Dalton (555).

Where in the metro

Hamilton County accounted for 69% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, Catoosa County for 14%. The part in Georgia supplied 24%.

  • Hamilton County, TN69% (1,887 in 2025)
  • Catoosa County, GA14% (546 in 2025)
  • Walker County, GA9.7% (299 in 2025)
  • Marion County, TN6.9% (203 in 2025)
  • Sequatchie County, TN0.5% (14 in 2025)
  • Dade County, GA0.2% (9 in 2025)

Boom, bust and since

Chattanooga authorized the most units in 2005 (3,798); 2025 reached 78% of that. Its peak year is shared by 105 other metro areas, among them Spokane, Reno, Portland, ME. Annual permits fell from 3,798 during the mid-2000s boom to 1,086 in 2010, a drop of 71%. The nearest bust profile in the East South Central states was Nashville's (72%). The 2021–2025 pace of 3,264 units a year is 9.4% below the 2004–2006 pace. From 2024 to 2025 the count fell 18%.

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
Jackson, MS1,5682.22.9%
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA3,1726.244%
Toledo, OH4931.528%
Chattanooga, TN-GA2,9585.619%
New Haven, CT1,0201.873%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Chattanooga beside Toledo

Every yearly figure behind the chart, split by building size: yearly-units.csv. State view: Tennessee. Counting rules.