
Chattanooga vs Dalton
$647/mo less in Dalton
ChattanoogaDaltonAbout 34 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Dalton costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $1,922/mo in Dalton. $2,569/mo in Chattanooga. −$7,764 a year.
Chattanooga
$2,569
left each month
Dalton
$1,922
−$647 vs Chattanooga
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 509 households moved Chattanooga → Dalton (avg AGI $55,138). 462 went the other way. The whole move →
−$647 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Chattanooga | Dalton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,958 | $6,599 | −$360 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,364 | $1,548 | +$184 |
| Take-home pay | $5,594 | $5,050 | −$544 |
| Rent | $1,137 | $1,124 | −$13 |
| Getting around | $554 | $606 | +$52 |
| Groceries | $368 | $386 | +$18 |
| Healthcare | $414 | $434 | +$20 |
| Utilities | $230 | $241 | +$11 |
| Everything else | $322 | $337 | +$15 |
| Left over | $2,569 | $1,922 | −$647 |
Salary to match Chattanooga
$91,000
Gross pay in Dalton that leaves the same amount as $83,500 in Chattanooga.
Tax difference
−$3,487
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 19.6% in Chattanooga, 23.5% in Dalton.
More about Dalton
Chattanooga, TN in full
World-class climbing and paddling, no income tax, municipal fiber.
Dalton, GA in full
A flat 5.19% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,338 and 211 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.
The other way
Start in Dalton.
Dalton → Chattanooga →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Dalton than Chattanooga?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Dalton leaves about $647 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,137 in Chattanooga and $1,124 in Dalton.
Does Dalton have state income tax?
Dalton is in Georgia, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Chattanooga to Dalton?
The paycheck is taxed in Georgia. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Chattanooga and Dalton changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.