Chattanooga Crime (Cleveland, East Ridge, Red Bank: apartment complexes, sex offenders, crime rate)

[dmbmama]

We were thinking of relocating to Chattanooga but we've recently come across some data online showing Chattanoogas crime rates are very high. We would be living in either Ooltewah, Hixson or Soddy, can you give me an idea of how bad it is. The rapes and murders were higher than the national averages. Could this just be in the BAD parts of town or in the suburbs as well. Is shopping safe around Hamilton Mall?? We were set on a move but now we are freaked out!!! Any help from ya'll would be great!!

[Celsius]

The areas that you are leaning on to live in I would suspect have a much lower crime rate than some of the areas in Chattanooga. I have lived in the Brainerd area for over 10 years and crime is a little higher in our area, but on the flip-side, I feel safe in our neighborhood. It just depends on where you are in any city. The areas you list are pretty safe areas. You'll love the Oolteway area which is really booming.

[reynolds78]

We just moved to the area, East Ridge specifically. We don't feel safe and their is more than enough crime in our area(apartment complex). We are looking at Soddy and Cleveland.

[fourhartslock]

Hixson has the highest gang related crimes of chattanooga. So that is a no go I would think.

Second to that would be Cleveland.

Soddy is a good choice and so is Ooltewah.... but you need to be careful what area in Ooltewah..the schools are over populated at the moment. I beleive they are working on some new Middle Schools and High Schools in that area.

I would avoid Red Bank...wayyyy too many apartment complexes there.

[Guenseth]

I have lived here in Cleveland, Tennessee now for over a year now and I have always felt safe. I moved here from a small town in central Wisconsin with a population of 3000 so coming to Cleveland, Tn 35,000 plus was a little to adapt to. But the people here are very friendly and helpful

[jkmewright]

Reynolds, if you don't mind, where in E.Ridge are you? I am just over the interstate in Brainerd (very close to East Gate) and I have never had any trouble in my neighborhood. Well, except one of the neighbor kids stole some gatorade from the driveway.

[Stir Fry]

Signal Mountain is the safest place around. Its a small town of around 12,000 but only 15 - 20 minutes from down town. It also provides incredible views up and down the mountain. People are really friendly and the crime rate is next to nothing. Chatt is not great in the crime area, but its a lot better than where we moved from in Florida where the sex offenders are concerned.

[big_byrd52]

I just happened to come across this thread doing some research for a school paper on crime and public safety in hamilton county. I have lived in chattanooga all my life. i grew up on signal mtn and now live in hixson.

hixson and soddy daisy are very close to each other and lay on the outskirts of the city, prolly 20 minutes from downtown. it is a rural area with small suburbs and neiborhoods. not quite country, but nice views and out from the city. the hixson area is mostly upper middle class, soddy as well in most parts, but as u get out further it gets more country. soddy is the outer most city, then as you come in u hit hixson, then downtown. Red bank is a little south and less developed than hixson. it is an older part of the city. hixson is mostly new development. Yes Hixson highschool has become a problem area, but that has happened with most schools now that they have begun busing city kids to better schools.


i hope this helps u out some.

[gizmoviki73]

Since my family is moving from Florida to Chattanooga, I am VERY excited about the crime rate being LOWER!!! We drove though the "bad neighborhoods" on our last trip up there, not much different than our current neighborhood, which is considered middle class. We might not have gone thru what ya'll consider bad, but we drove thru missionary ridge and some of the areas around downtown, that I would have considered "poorer" areas, but nothing that scared us.

[jkmewright]

Thanks Giz, it's nice to see what those who visit think. Some of us have been here so long that things, both good and bad, don't phase us that much

Not to say that there are some areas that don't make me nervous after dark.