Chattanooga, TN Crime Rate 2023: 276.5 per 100,000
Population 181K · 2023 FBI UCR Data · Safety Grade B
Chattanooga, TN has a violent crime rate of 276.5 per 100,000 residents, which is 24% below the national average of 363.8. The property crime rate is 1,219 per 100,000, 33% below the national average. Over the past 5 years, crime in Chattanooga has increased by 5.0%.Chattanooga receives a Safety Context Score of B (65/100) based on 2023 FBI UCR data.
Reading this data in context: Chattanooga's violent crime rate of 276.5 per 100,000 residents is 24% below the national average. Over the past 5 years, the overall crime rate has increased (+5.0%). Crime data reflects reported incidents and does not capture the full picture of neighborhood safety. All crime statistics are compiled from the FBI Crime Data Explorer, which aggregates data reported by local law enforcement agencies nationwide.
Crime Rate Breakdown (per 100K residents)
All rates per 100,000 residents. National average shown for comparison.
Chattanooga, TN Crime Types Explained
Below is the per-capita breakdown of each FBI-tracked offense in Chattanooga, 2023. Every figure is per 100,000 residents — never a raw count — and includes the national average for comparison.
Robbery in Chattanooga, TN
Chattanooga reported 41.5 robbery incidents per 100,000 residents in 2023, which is 43% below the national robbery rate of 73 per 100,000 — below the national average. The FBI defines robbery as taking property by force or threat of force. See how Chattanooga ranks nationally for robbery.
Aggravated Assault in Chattanooga, TN
Chattanooga reported 152.1 aggravated assault incidents per 100,000 residents in 2023, which is 38% below the national aggravated assault rate of 246.4 per 100,000 — below the national average. The FBI defines aggravated assault as unlawful attack with intent to inflict severe bodily injury, usually involving a weapon. See how Chattanooga ranks nationally for aggravated assault.
Murder in Chattanooga, TN
Chattanooga reported 2.8 murder incidents per 100,000 residents in 2023, which is 51% below the national murder rate of 5.7 per 100,000 — well below the national average. The FBI defines murder as intentional homicide, the most serious violent crime category. See how Chattanooga ranks nationally for murder.
Burglary in Chattanooga, TN
Chattanooga reported 146.2 burglary incidents per 100,000 residents in 2023, which is 46% below the national burglary rate of 269.8 per 100,000 — below the national average. The FBI defines burglary as unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft. See how Chattanooga ranks nationally for burglary.
Larceny-Theft in Chattanooga, TN
Chattanooga reported 792 larceny-theft incidents per 100,000 residents in 2023, which is 44% below the national larceny-theft rate of 1,402 per 100,000 — below the national average. The FBI defines larceny-theft as the unlawful taking of property without force, threat, or fraud — the most common property crime. See how Chattanooga ranks nationally for larceny-theft.
Motor Vehicle Theft in Chattanooga, TN
Chattanooga reported 97.5 motor vehicle theft incidents per 100,000 residents in 2023, which is 69% below the national motor vehicle theft rate of 318.3 per 100,000 — well below the national average. The FBI defines motor vehicle theft as theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle. See how Chattanooga ranks nationally for motor vehicle theft.
5-Year Crime Rate Trend
Per-capita rates per 100,000 residents
Frequently Asked Questions
Chattanooga has a Safety Context Score of B (65/100). The violent crime rate is 276.5 per 100,000 residents, compared to the national average of 363.8. Over the past 5 years, overall crime has increased (+5.0%).
Chattanooga's violent crime rate is 276.5 per 100,000 residents and property crime rate is 1,219 per 100,000. These are per-capita rates based on FBI UCR data, which provide a more accurate comparison than raw crime counts.
Chattanooga's 5-year crime trend shows a +5.0% change. Crime rates have been increasing, though trends can shift year to year. Always look at long-term trends rather than single-year changes.
Chattanooga's violent crime rate of 276.5 per 100K is below the national average of 363.8. The property crime rate of 1,219 per 100K is below the national average of 1,832.
Based on 2023 FBI data, Chattanooga earns a Safety Context Score of B (65/100). With below-average crime rates, Chattanooga compares favorably to most US cities. The 5-year trend is worsening, which is an important factor for anyone considering relocation. Crime statistics represent city-wide averages and vary significantly by neighborhood.
The most common crime type in Chattanooga is larceny-theft at 792 per 100,000 residents. Overall, property crime (1,219/100K) is significantly more common than violent crime (276.5/100K), which is typical for most US cities. Motor vehicle theft is 97.5/100K below the national average of 318.3.
Explore More
All crime rates are per 100,000 residents. Safety Context Scores are calculated using per-capita violent crime (40%), per-capita property crime (30%), and 5-year trend direction (30%), all compared to national averages.
For this entity, the underlying data on this page comes from the FBI UCR/NIBRS dataset. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the FBI UCR/NIBRS dataset portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. cities and counties. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.