What areas/towns are best for retirement ? (Knoxville, Chattanooga: rentals, big house)

[DADDYO49]

......It seems pretty obvious that a number of people are looking to move to various areas of Tennessee for various reasons ( jobs, school, etc. ); so... I was wondering if there are areas/towns in Tennessee that are regarded more for retirement purposes rather than availability of jobs, schools, etc. ?? Are certain areas of Tennessee considered to be more conducive to retirement ?? If so, what areas ??...Are there specific areas ( geographic or otherwise ) that are better for suited for retirement than other areas ???.......I don't want to retire to a big city ( 100,000 + ) nor do I want to retire to a town with a population of less than 12,000........I am looking for a nice retirement town ( not too far from mountains & lakes--the mountains or lakes don't have to be too large or too close ), proximate to a Hospital and also within driving distance of a shopping mall or outlet ???..I am very interested in retiring to Tennessee; but am seeking recommendations as to exactly where to retire in Tennessee ?? Is Western, Tennessee different from Eastern, Tennessee or Northern, Tennessee or Southern, Tennessee ??

[BarbieGirl]

I would say there is a major difference in West Tennessee and East Tennessee. East TN has more of the mountains that people are looking for. There is an area in Middle TN, close to East TN that more and more people are retiring to because there are lots of recreational opportunities in a relatively short distance. Van Buren County has a number of new communties that are attractive to people looking to retire. If you are interested in one particular community, please e-mail me and I will be happy to tell you about some of those communities.

[akm4]

Money Magazine rated Franklin the best place to retire. You might want to look up their list to see what criteria they used. Good luck!

[insanesmooch]

Crossville is touted as the ideal place to retire; they even (at least used to) have a billboard up about it. It is supposed to be one of the most affordable places. I'm not sure what size it is. I know there is an outlet mall there right off the interstate. It is approximately 1 hour West of Knoxville. It is on the Cumberland Plateau so it is sort of mountainous and there are several state parks near by. Within about 45 minutes or so you could probably be at Turkey Creek in the West of Knoxville. There is lots of shopping and a couple of hosiptals there.

[McMar]

Crossville is stunningly beautiful and still affordable (for the next couple of years, anyway - lots of big houses are being built for FL and New England retirees). It has been named in several magazines as one of their best places to retire. There are lots of recreational opportunites, and they claim to have more golf courses per capita than anywhere else in the world. But there is nothing country clubbish about it. It's still small town with the nicest southern folks. But it is the county seat, so there are a lot of restaurants, a Lowe's, Staples, etc. Also of note, a very good hospital. The historic Homestead community 4 miles south of Crossville (a WPA created town) is so interesting and Cumberland Mountain State Park is my home away from home. It's 2 hours from Nashville, an hour from Knoxville, and and hour 20 min from Chattanooga. I will note that Crossville is not ethnicly diverse. Very white. Franklin is also lovely in a more sophisticated way, but good luck finding a house under $300 grand. Not certain, but I'm also guessing not very diverse. You find that in a lot of small Tennessee towns.

[mbmouse]

My parents(retired) followed me from Fl to TN and they settled in Rogersville. They love it and have met some really great fellow retireies.There seem to be more and more people retiring to Upper East TN. There are some golf courses, several good hospitals, which are drawing more and more of some of the best specialists Dr's. Plenty of shopping, home improvement stores, antique shops and organizations to get involved in if you want. Property is very reasonable. Just about anywhere in TN you will find people moving in from other states. My suggestion is to think about what you really want to do during retirement. Do you want to fix up an old house (my parents choice), play golf on a daily basis, get involved with a community project, have a home base while you travel, have a large garden and can food for winter? When you answer these questions for yourself, then look for an area that fits these needs. IE: If you want to travel to visit friends and family in other states, look towards the part of TN that is close to the main hwys headed to where you want to go the most. Or Nashville as it has the cheapest airport to fly out of. If you want to garden, look to East TN as there is more land available that isn't orange clay. If it is golf, as McMar said, Crossville has great golf courses. It all depends on what your idea of retiring is. Start there.
Just my opinion, hope it helps.

[Tek_Freek]

that was geared towards retiement is Fairfield Glade. Unless you feel the need to live in/next to a big city this is an excellent area.

Search the forum for fairfield for my and others comments.

Originally created as a resort, it seems to have become a haven for retirees. 6 golf course, 11 lakes (wakeless), good (getting better) medical facilities, Fire Department, Police Department, recreation center, some shopping, exercise center, quiet, wooded, affordable. 10 minutes from Crossville.

But - is is still fairly rural. If you need liquor or a large library you have a drive ahead of you.

We really liked it except for a few things. Might be where we end up...

[Tyler Lund]

Have you Considered Tullahoma? we are located in southwestern Coffee county and northern Franklin county. Tullahoma has a population of 23,000.
We have numerous shopping centers and Northgate mall which houses a Dillards, K-mart, J.C.Pennies, Peebles, and Goodies. we have an outstanding recreational program with 2 community centers, 5 city parks, 20 ball fields, and 2 swimming pools and numerous other things. Very unique Downtown as well. We also have an outstand Police department which has a staff of around 55 officers and A excellent Fire Department which has 2 firestations and a crew of about 40. We have numerous awards for outstanding public safety, including the implementaion of 7 outdoor Tornado Warning Sirens, and an AM emergency radio station.so come and join us, the folks are friendly,We are a small town with a Bigtown feel.

[raggysgirl]

I don't know where you will be moving from to retire, but I moved from Boston to Tenn. in August. I moved to Tullahoma and I love it here. There are alot of stores right on N. Jackson St. Homes and rentals are not expensive, and people are so friendly here that I still have to get use to that because in Boston it wasn't like that. I am still learning my way around here but I am sure that you would really love living here.

[mattevon]

Jefferson County is 20 miles east of knoxville, has two lakes, lots of golf courses and nestled in the foot of the Smoky Mountains. Low taxes. Rural. Lots of History. I-40 goes right through the middle of the county where it meets I-81.[url]http://www.jefferson-tn-chamber.orgwww.creeksidetn.com[/url]