CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

35.00° N · 85.23° W · GEOID 4722720

East Ridge

Hamilton County, Tennessee · part of the Chattanooga, TN metro

TennesseeEast Ridge, TNEast RidgeEast Ridge

The short answer

East Ridge is home to 22,070 people. Median household income is $62,247 a year and median rent is $1,147 a month, 22.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $211,100, about 3.4x annual median household income.

East Ridge's housing market sets it apart. Owning with a mortgage costs only about $65 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 93% of places its size. Also notable: OpenStreetMap shows 5.9 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, more than in 93% of places its size.

33OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

East Ridge scores better than 33% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 67th of 112 in Tennessee.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%50
Economy 20%35
Safety 20%32
Amenities 15%49
Education 10%32
Commute 10%75
Growth 5%41
Median gross rent
$1,147
16% below the median place
Median household income
$62,247
22% below the median place
Median home value
$211,100
34% below the median place
Unemployment
5.3%
8% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about East Ridge

  • Affordability39% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 84% of the 2,222 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
01

Moving to East Ridge

Hamilton County gains about 8.5 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in17,907
Moved out15,363
Net+2,544

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Catoosa County, GA1,0121,358−346
Bradley County, TN1,0841,245−161
Walker County, GA754984−230
Marion County, TN246308−62

Within Tennessee, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within TennesseeOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$76K
Leavers$69K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Hamilton County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
8.9% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 5.3% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Hamilton County report $76,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $68,700, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$45,900 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,147 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,212 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $211,100.
Getting to work
21 minutes each way on average; 12.5% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Union City, TN matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
5.3%
169% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
8.9%
55% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
8.5
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureEast RidgeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year18.9%55% above
Moved from another state15.3%169% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure8.5above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$76,1588% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$68,6502% below
02

What it costs to live here

After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $51,300 a year, less than in 80% of the 1,884 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

East Ridge22.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$45,880
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
22.1%
8% above the median place
Home price to income
3.4x
11% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
22%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$51,000
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in East Ridge, $1,147 a month, and local prices for everything else (94.5 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like East Ridge, but easier on the budget

Places that match East Ridge on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Union City, TN9517.4% vs 22.1%n/aCompare
Elizabethtown, PA9418.5% vs 22.1%$11,200Compare
Vinton, VA9418.2% vs 22.1%$4,100Compare
Ottawa, KS9417.3% vs 22.1%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in East Ridge.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to East Ridge? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,212
35% below the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
39.4%
22% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,555
52% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureEast RidgeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,14716% below
Rent to income122.1%8% above
Property tax rate10.7%19% below
Home price to income13.4x11% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure91.59% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,34017% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,55552% below
Median home value1$211,10034% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure1.8%45% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure63.3%23% above
Homeownership157.5%13% below
Renters paying 30%+139.4%22% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,21235% below
Vacant homes18.2%16% above
Median year built119641% below
03

Work and pay

Mean commute is 21 min, 16% below the median place.

Mean commute1
21 min
16% below the median place
Median household income1
$62,247
22% below the median place
Income per person1
$35,451
12% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Poverty rate13.1% +22%
Unemployment5.3% +8%
Works from home12.5% +0%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureEast RidgeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$62,24722% below
Income per person1$35,45112% below
Unemployment15.3%8% above
Average annual pay5County figure$69,2535% above
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure4.9%32% above
Jobs5County figure219,58046% above
Poverty rate113.1%22% above
Mean commute121 min16% below
Works from home112.5%0% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.6%33% below
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 13.8%, 116% above the median place.

No health insurance1
13.8%
116% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
87.5%
5% below the median place
High school or higher1
86.2%
7% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.3 −8%
Bachelor's or higher24.2% −24%
Median age37.6 −4%
Born abroad9.6% +9%
All 9 people measures
MeasureEast RidgeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population122,0702115th largest
Population change since 20206-1.1%below (median 1.1%)
Median age137.64% below
Bachelor's or higher124.2%24% below
High school or higher186.2%7% below
Household size12.38% below
Born abroad19.6%9% above
No health insurance113.8%116% above
Homes with broadband187.5%5% below
05

Life in East Ridge

OpenStreetMap shows 3.6 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 84% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

112 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents3.6 −64%
Playgrounds per 10k8.2 −13%
Grocery stores per 10k5.9 2.8×
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k15.4 +38%
Libraries per 10k0.9 +5%
Named paths and bike trails7 km 3.4×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park 4 miles
  • Russell Cave National Monument 33 miles
  • Little River Canyon National Preserve 44 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars22.8 +10%
Shops38.3 +26%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.4 +7%
Doctors' offices and clinics24.0 +19%
Child care centers1.8 −22%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
4.3
86% below the median place
Shops per 10k8
38.3
26% above the median place
Public schools13
82
above the median place (median 9)
All 17 schools and local life measures
MeasureEast RidgeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13County figure82above (median 9)
Public school students13County figure45,981above (median 4,897)
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure22.810% above
Shops per 10k8County figure38.326% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure4.47% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure24.019% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.822% below
Parks per 10k93.664% below
Playgrounds per 10k98.213% below
Grocery stores per 10k95.9178% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k915.438% above
Libraries per 10k90.95% above
Named paths and bike trails96.8240% above
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site104.386% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10350% above
National Register listings11County figure112above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

The city police department reported 415 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, more than in 84% of the 1,457 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Violent crime per 100k
415
116% above the median place
Property crime per 100k
1,337
10% above the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Annual precipitation14
57.1 in
30% above the median place
Tornado risk15
98.6
21% above the median place
Heat wave risk15
75.6
16% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureEast RidgeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure88°F2% above
January average low14County figure30°F20% above
Average temperature14County figure60°F9% above
Annual precipitation14County figure57.1 in30% above
Natural hazard risk15County figure93.31% above
Hurricane risk15County figure62.511% below
Tornado risk15County figure98.621% above
Wildfire risk15County figure70.615% above
Heat wave risk15County figure75.616% below
Median air quality index16County figure442% above
Good air days16County figure64.9%5% below
08

East Ridge in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 22% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 22% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, East Ridge does better than 49% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 71%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,147/mo (2024)$1,480/mo$1,210 to $1,800/mo+4.3%
Median household income$62,247 (2024)$79,000$67,000 to $93,500+4.1%
Median home value$211,100 (2024)$307,000$223,000 to $423,000+6.5%
Population21,921 (2025)21,96021,070 to 22,900+0.0%

The median home would be worth 3.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.4 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like East Ridge

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Martinsburg, WV$1,150$59,555Compare
Westland, MI$1,158$62,076Compare
Delavan, WI$1,094$65,357Compare
Stickney, IL$1,154$66,942Compare
Stickney, ILDelavan, WIWestland, MIMartinsburg, WVEast Ridge, TNEast RidgeMartinsburgWestlandDelavanEast RidgeMartinsburgWestlandDelavan

Places built like East Ridge

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how East Ridge performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
East Ridge, TN22.1%5.7%/yr-1.1%
Greenwood, MS22.9%5.6%/yr-8.8%Compare
Winchester, KY20.2%4.0%/yr1.9%Compare
Danville, KY17.4%5.7%/yr2.9%Compare
Vicksburg, MS21.5%7.4%/yr-8.1%Compare
Mayfield, KY18.9%4.9%/yr-1.6%Compare
Ashland, KY19.9%5.2%/yr-2.9%Compare

Common questions

Is East Ridge a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 33 out of 100, better than 33% of the places we rate and 67th of 112 in Tennessee. 39% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 84% of the 2,222 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 27 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is East Ridge expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 22.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $211,100.

What salary do you need to live in East Ridge?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $45,880 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is East Ridge safe?

There were 415 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to East Ridge?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Martinsburg, WV, Westland, MI, Delavan, WI and Stickney, IL.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  16. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares East Ridge with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for East Ridge itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/east-ridge-tennessee

Citytistics. “East Ridge, Tennessee.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/east-ridge-tennessee/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.