What it's like to live in Soddy-Daisy
Soddy-Daisy is a small city in Tennessee with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Soddy-Daisy deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, above-average rainfall, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Soddy-Daisy compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Soddy-Daisy
Based on Soddy-Daisy's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,094
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $41,880 a year
- 40% of Soddy-Daisy renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$51,320
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $25,660
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 26% below US
$1,047/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,047 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $256,600. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $256,600 · 40% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Hamilton County is 3.3%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Hamilton County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 48% below US
170 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1294/100k · Soddy-Daisy Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.5 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 34°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 34% below US
24% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 24%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park (23 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Soddy-Daisy's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and above-average rainfall. A year of median rent ($1,047/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), and anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Soddy-Daisy
All Tennessee guides →Moving to Middle Valley →
4 mi away · pop. 12,187
Rent $1,180/mo · Income $95,000
Compare with Soddy-Daisy →Moving to Red Bank →
12 mi away · pop. 12,010
Rent $1,283/mo · Income $63,983
Compare with Soddy-Daisy →Moving to Chattanooga →
14 mi away · pop. 185,783
Rent $1,256/mo · Income $64,523
Compare with Soddy-Daisy →Moving to Collegedale →
16 mi away · pop. 11,330
Rent $1,581/mo · Income $70,246
Compare with Soddy-Daisy →Not sure Soddy-Daisy is the one?
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