Southside & St. Elmo, Chattanooga Homes For Sale

Southside is the neighborhood just south of downtown Chattanooga, roughly from 12th to 20th streets around the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo. Main Street and Station Street anchor its restaurants and nightlife, and downtown is a short walk or bike ride north.

St. Elmo sits at the base of Lookout Mountain, just southwest of Southside. St. Elmo Avenue runs through the heart of the neighborhood, and the bottom station of the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway is here.

Most of Southside is in zip code 37408. St. Elmo is in 37409. Both are in Hamilton County, Tennessee.

Like any part of a city, it depends on the block and the time of day. For current numbers, check public crime data for any address you are considering, and visit the street in the morning, the evening and on a weekend before you buy.

Southside mixes converted industrial buildings with a wave of new townhome communities, including Madison Townhomes, Southside Nine, The Davis on Cowart, The Luxe, East by Main, Adams at Main, Burnside, Madison Park, Sculpture Alley at Montague and Wheland Village. Pricing can change from one building phase to the next, so compare recent resales with new-build incentives.

Yes. St. Elmo was dedicated as a local historic district in 1992. You will find Queen Anne, Colonial and Tudor Revival homes alongside craftsman bungalows, plus newer construction in subdivisions like St. Elmo South. Exterior changes to homes in the district usually need historic zoning review, so ask before you plan a renovation.

On the Southside, walk Main Street and Station Street for restaurants and bars, or visit the Chattanooga Choo Choo. In St. Elmo, ride the Incline Railway up Lookout Mountain, eat along St. Elmo Avenue, or follow the Riverwalk, which runs through the neighborhood.

Yes. Parts of South Chattanooga fall inside the EPA's Southside Chattanooga Lead Superfund Site, where some yards were affected by lead-bearing foundry material. EPA has sampled thousands of properties and is cleaning up yards above its limits. Before you buy, ask whether the property was sampled or cleaned, and check EPA's site page for the boundary.

The median sale price in the South Chattanooga market area was $322,750 in August 2026, across 16 closed sales. That is up 24.4% from $259,500 a year earlier. Sales ranged from about $107,000 to $932,500.

It is fairly balanced, with 3.4 months of supply in August 2026, up from 2.4 a year earlier. Homes sold at a median of 98.4% of the original list price in 49 days, and 25% sold at or above list. 56.3% of sellers paid concessions, with a median of $5,000.

The area is zoned to Hamilton County Schools, with Battle Academy, a STEAM magnet elementary, nearby. Chattanooga Christian School is in St. Elmo, and Baylor, GPS, McCallie and Notre Dame are a short drive away. Confirm zoning with Hamilton County Schools before you buy.

Chattanooga is in the Eastern time zone, the same as Atlanta and Knoxville. Nashville is in Central time, one hour behind.

No. This page covers the Southside and St. Elmo neighborhoods of Chattanooga, Tennessee, not the South Side of Chicago.