Live-In Caregivers in Chattanooga, TN: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Chattanooga, TN: the local picture

3,484

residents 85 or older (1.9% of all residents)

15,179

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (71%)

54%

of Chattanooga homes have 3 or more bedrooms (64% in Hamilton County)

$7.25

Tennessee minimum wage per hour

About 3,484 Chattanooga residents are 85 or older. Live-in care is most often arranged for this age group, when help is needed through the day and someone should be close at night.

A live-in caregiver needs a private room. 54% of homes in Chattanooga have three or more bedrooms (64% in Hamilton County), while 16% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.2 rooms.

Of Chattanooga households headed by someone 65 or older, 15,179 own their home and 6,209 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 1,546 owners and 644 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Chattanooga compared with Hamilton County and Tennessee

Census figure	Chattanooga	Hamilton County	Tennessee
Residents 85 or older	1.9%	2.0%	1.6%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	36%	29%	29%
Residents 65+ with a disability	34%	33%	36%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	14%	9.4%	11%
Residents 65 or older	17%	18%	17%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	12%	9.5%	8.6%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$50,374	$56,058	—

Older residents in towns around Chattanooga

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Red Bank, TN	4.2 mi	1,871	231
East Ridge, TN	4.9 mi	4,078	693
Lakeview, GA	6.1 mi	897	77
Rossville, GA	6.7 mi	784	161
Harrison, TN	7.0 mi	1,559	172
Signal Mountain, TN	7.5 mi	2,181	568

Emergency hospitals near Chattanooga

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Parkridge Medical Center	Chattanooga, TN	2.8 mi	4 of 5	(423) 894-4220
Erlanger Medical Center	Chattanooga, TN	3.1 mi	4 of 5	(423) 778-7000
Commonspirit-Memorial Hospital-North Georgia	Ringgold, GA	11 mi	3 of 5	(770) 874-5400

Straight-line miles from the center of Chattanooga. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a live-in caregiver can help with

Help across the day: meals, housekeeping, personal care
Someone in the home overnight if help is needed
Medication reminders and appointment rides
Companionship and a steady routine

Cost

What live-in care costs in Chattanooga

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $15.45 an hour (the Tennessee median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,348 a month (80% of the $4,198 monthly median income of Chattanooga households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $11,248 a month (268% of the $4,198 monthly median income of Chattanooga households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Tennessee has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see TennCare CHOICES: how to get paid to care for a family member in Tennessee.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a live-in caregiver

Put the arrangement in writing: hours on duty, sleep time, days off, the room and pay (federal rules: DOL Fact Sheet 79B).

Questions worth asking: Have you lived in with a client before, and for how long? What days off and sleep time do you need? How do you handle being woken at night? More in our live-in caregivers guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Live-In Caregivers in Chattanooga: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Chattanooga?

Parkridge Medical Center in Chattanooga, about 2.8 mi in a straight line from the center of Chattanooga (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (423) 894-4220. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Chattanooga?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $15.45 an hour (the Tennessee median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,348 a month (80% of the $4,198 monthly median income of Chattanooga households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $11,248 a month (268% of the $4,198 monthly median income of Chattanooga households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Tennessee has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Chattanooga?

A live-in caregiver sleeps in the home and has protected sleep and break time. 24-hour care uses two or three caregivers in shifts so someone is always awake; in Chattanooga it costs more than three times as much a month (see the cost section above). Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near Chattanooga

More senior care near Chattanooga

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Chattanooga

More for Chattanooga families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

Live-In Caregivers in Chattanooga, TN