Chattanooga, TN vs Imperial, CA
Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.
Score Snapshot
No universal winner
Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.
Chattanooga
69
#1258 nationally
Imperial
71.3
#996 nationally
Imperial leads in median household income ($83,029 vs $52,891). Chattanooga leads in cost of living index (88 vs 118). Imperial leads in average commute (18.1 min vs 21.8 min).
Metric-by-Metric Breakdown
| Metric | Chattanooga, TN | Imperial, CA |
|---|---|---|
| WhereAtHome Score | 69 (#1258) | 71.3 (#996) |
| Population | 184,119 | 21,591 |
| Typical Home Value (ZHVI) | $322,295 | $445,376 |
| Median Household Income | $52,891 | $83,029 |
| Average Commute | 21.8 min | 18.1 min |
| Walk Score | 32 | N/A |
| Crime Level | Moderate-High | 2.1 |
| School Rating | 5.4 | N/A |
| Cost of Living Index | 88 | 118 |
| Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored | R+13.1 | R+0.9 |
Data coverage note: Imperial is missing data for 1 metric that Chattanooga has. Scores with less coverage are penalized — see our methodology.
D+
69 Score
Chattanooga, TN
Scenic City with gigabit fiber
Median Home
$322,295
Population
184,119
Crime
Moderate-High
Schools
C
Southeast
View Chattanooga, TN →
C-
71.3 Score
Imperial, CA
Small California city with local appeal
Median Home
$445,376
Population
21,591
Crime
Low
Median Income
$83,029
Pacific
View Imperial, CA →