WHO WE ARE
- Median age in Hamilton County is 39 years old
- 11.3 percent of the population are veterans
- 60 percent of those living in Hamilton County were born in Tennessee
- 5.4 percent speak a language other than English
- Median family income in Hamilton County in 2009 was $58,045
Source: U.S. Bureau of Census
HOW WE LIVE
- Two-thirds of Hamilton County residents live in owner-occupied homes
- One-third rent their homes
- The median home price in the Chattanooga area in 2010 was $121,400, down from $122,600 the previous year
- Average household size is 2.42 people
- Average family size is 3.03 people
Source: U.S. Bureau of Census
LARGEST EMPLOYERS
Tennessee's biggest health insurance company, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, is also Chattanooga's biggest employer.
Rank/Employer Employees
1- BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee: 4,458
2- Hamilton County schools: 4,297
3- Tennessee Valley Authority: 3,715
4- Erlanger Health System: 3,359
5- McKee Foods Corp.: 3,060
6- Unum Corp: 2,800
7- Memorial Health Care System: 2,796
8- City of Chattanooga: 2,266
9- Cigna Healthcare: 1,953
10- Hamilton County government: 1,867
Source: Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce
WHERE WE WORK
In the six-county metropolitan Chattanooga area in 2010:
Total employment: 229,600
- Government jobs: 36,300 (16 percent)
- Health & education services: 31,800 (14 percent)
- Manufacturing: 27,400 (12 percent)
- Retail trade: 25,400 (11 percent)
- Hospitality: 23,100 (10 percent)
- Professional services: 22,300 (10 percent)
- Financial activities: 17,600 (8 percent)
- Construction: 9,100 (4 percent)
- Wholesale trade: 8,000 (4 percent)
- Information: 3,600 (2 percent)
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
VEHICLE SALES
Annual new car and truck licenses granted in Hamilton County peaked in 2004:
2010 : 9,512
2009 : 7,939
2008 : 13,236
2007 : 16,215
2006 : 14,202
2005 : 16,951
2004 : 17,685
2003 : 15,944
2002 : 15,727
2001 : 14,846
Source: Hamilton County Clerk's Office
CITY POPULATIONS
The biggest cities in the Chattanooga area include:
City / 2009 population/ Change since 2000
- Chattanooga: 171,350, 10.2 percent
- Cleveland: 40,261, 8.3 percent
- Dalton, Ga.: 33,604, 20.3 percent
- East Ridge: 19,985, -3.2 percent
- Soddy-Daisy: 12,859, 11.5 percent
- Red Bank: 11,765, -5.3 percent
- Fort Ogelthorpe, Ga.: 9,868, 42.2 percent
- LaFayette, Ga.: 7,529, 12.3 percent
- Signal Mountain: 7,253, -2.4 percent
- Collegedale: 8,195 ,25.8 percent
- Dayton: 6,921, 12.0 percent
- Dunlap: 5,569, 33.4 percent
- Rossville, Ga: 3,390, -3.4 percent
- South Pittsburg: 3,104, -5.8 percent
- Jasper: 3,079, -4.2 percent
- Ringgold, Ga.: 2,850, 17.7 percent
- Trenton, Ga.: 2,358, 21.4 percent
- Spring City: 2,142, 5.8 percent
- Walden: 2,125, 8.4 percent
- Lakesite: 1,940, 5.1 percent
- Lookout Mountain, Tenn.: 1,898, -5.1 percent
- Lookout Mountain, Ga.: 1,517, -6.2 percent
Source: U.S. Bureau of Census
EDUCATION
Among adults age 25 and older in Hamilton County:
- 4.9 percent have less than a ninth-grade education
- 16.1 percent don't have a high school diploma
- 33.4 percent have some college degree, including 2-year associate degrees
- 26.8 percent have at least a 4-year college degree
- 8.7 percent have a graduate or professional degree
Source: U.S. Bureau of Census