Knoxville? Nashville? or Johnson City? (Chattanooga, Kingsport: houses, unemployment rate, buying)

[1orangetabbycat]

We are looking to locate to Tennessee and need a little help deciding on which city to live outside of. I would genuinely appreciate any help with this! Here are the criteria:

1. Better economy (I work for myself and my husband can work from home, but we don't like to put all of our eggs in one basket, in case of emergency).
2. Excellent schools.
3. Good health care. Nothing is more important than health!
4. Good environment. We don't want to live by a superfund site!
5. The goal is to have 10 acres in or near water in a small town, 10-15 minutes from chain restaurants, box stores, general suburbia that is little over an hour to a major city (if we needed to go for healthcare, jobs, airport).

Does anything come to mind meeting these criteria?

Thank you so much for all of your help!

[airen123]

Originally Posted by 1orangetabbycat

We are looking to locate to Tennessee and need a little help deciding on which city to live outside of. I would genuinely appreciate any help with this! Here are the criteria:

1. Better economy (I work for myself and my husband can work from home, but we don't like to put all of our eggs in one basket, in case of emergency).
2. Excellent schools.
3. Good health care. Nothing is more important than health!
4. Good environment. We don't want to live by a superfund site!
5. The goal is to have 10 acres in or near water in a small town, 10-15 minutes from chain restaurants, box stores, general suburbia that is little over an hour to a major city (if we needed to go for healthcare, jobs, airport).

Does anything come to mind meeting these criteria?

Thank you so much for all of your help!

I can speak for both Nashville and Knoxville, but no help with JC.
The economy is slightly better in Nashville for jobs, but housing is cheaper in Knoxville.
Schools in Nashville are hit-and miss, while most Knoxville schools are good.
Vanderbilt and UT Medical Center are powerhouses in the medical industry, either city is good on healthcare, and both cities have others that are good as well.
Environment? Nashville is a bigger city, thus more hurried lifestyle than Knoxville. Both have their local perks, though. It's easy to find a little area of each and have a "feel" of a smaller town with access to the city in both.
Near water in Nashville-perhaps Hendersonville area, or Percy Priest Lake. Knoxville, Dandridge is about 30 minutes away, but buying on water in or around Knoxville is expensive, whereas around Nashville (Hendersonville or Percy) is not.

Hope this helps

[hiknapster]

I agree with airen, except for jobs. Knoxville has a better unemployment rate, and it has been that way for quite awhile, now.

Nashville: 9 percent
Johnson City: 8.9 percent
Knoxville: 8 percent

Table 1. Civilian labor force and unemployment by state and metropolitan area

[charz]

I currently live in Knoxville and used to live in Kingsport and work in Johnson City. Johnson City is a smaller town than both Knoxville and Nashville, but it is a nice area. It has hospitals, although probably not as big as the other two cities. You would probably be able to find acreage there. There is water in tri-cities area but I don't think it's very close to Johnson City. Schools are good. I have no idea about how the economy is now. I haven't lived there in quite a while. Twice a year Bristol Motor Speedway draws in tens of thousands of people that crowd streets and businesses in Johnson City, Kingsport, and Bristol.

[blindsolitude]

I can tell you about Nashville and Johnson City. . .

Nashville:
- Huge healthcare area (HCA, Vandy, and St. Thomas)
- Really great parks (Percy/Edwin Werner, Centennial, etc)
- Schools. . .ok, Metro schools are not the greatest. there are a few that are, but for the most part they aren't that great. Not to mention they hired Chattanooga's (where I'm from orginally) old superintendent and there is a reason why Hamilton County bought out his contract. . .
- Economy is ok. Nashville is large enough to have very good job potential, but as someone pointed out, they're unemployment rate is the highest of the 3.
- Acreage in Nashville? Good luck. You'd have to go pretty far out of Metro to get that. You might find some still in Franklin, Smyrna, LaVergne, and Hendersonville

Johnson City:
- We have two healthcare systems: Mountain State Health and Wellmont. Plus, ETSU's College of Medicine and the VA. MSHA opens tennessee's first "green" hospital on 7/12.
- I like a few of the parks here. They are kind of hit or miss. The VA campus is really nice to walk around.
- Schools. . as a (hopefully) soon to be teacher, I have observed in a few of the schools here. Indian Trail Middle School is an excellent middle school. They have top test scores and the school is new. Lake Ridge is a wonderful elementary school. I'm not that impressed with the high school (Science Hill). They have a lot of programs and what not, but I'm not a fan og huge schools. That's just me though. I have only observed one school in the county and it was Grandview Elementary (K-8). It seemed really nice.
- Land: You'd have a better chance at acreage near water in JC/Gray/Boones Creek area than you would in Nashville.