We all know Chattanooga is a wonderful place to live — but how soon did you figure that out? Were you born and raised in the Scenic City, or did you stumble upon it later in life?

We were curious, so we took a look at Migration Patterns, a tool that uses US Census Bureau data to show where people move to and from between the ages of 16 and 26.

🛫 Where Chattanoogans go (or don’t)

72% of young adults who grew up in Chattanooga chose to stay here.
15% moved away but stayed close (within Tennessee or Georgia).
13% moved out of state.

Among those who left but stayed close, the most common destinations were Nashville and Cleveland, TN + Rome and Atlanta, GA. For those who ventured farther out, two of the top out-of-state destinations included Los Angeles, CA and Washington, DC. Young people who left Chattanooga for a job moved an average of 112 miles away — below the national average of 181 miles.

🛬 Where Chattanoogans come from

17% of young adults moved here from nearby Tennessee or Georgia cities, like Cleveland, Nashville, and Rome.
16% came from out-of-state cities like Birmingham, AL; Orlando, FL; and Chicago, IL.

Thanks to Chattanooga's growing job market, newcomers are moving an average of 114 miles for a job in the Scenic City.