Tennessee vs Oklahoma (Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga: for sale, crime, homes)

[futrTndweller]

Here is the deal...I AM (do you sense the determination) moving and I think that I am leaning towards Cookeville, but my BF is also moving, however she is headed towards Edund OK, and swears by the state. Not to mince words but I find OK just ugly...(sorry to those who think otherwise) Love what I have seen about Cookeville, so far...however I am very disheartened by some of the things that I am reading about Tn as a whole, schools, lack of jobs, CRIME. I love the scenic mountain terrain and character of TN, just not sure that is enough, I have young children and will not sacrifice any of the items above, just for the beauty. Please convince me I will love it there, or if you find OK as the better alternative, can you tell me why you think so. Thank you!!

[jguillot]

Originally Posted by futrTndweller

Here is the deal...I AM (do you sense the determination) moving and I think that I am leaning towards Cookeville, but my BF is also moving, however she is headed towards Edund OK, and swears by the state. Not to mince words but I find OK just ugly...(sorry to those who think otherwise) Love what I have seen about Cookeville, so far...however I am very disheartened by some of the things that I am reading about Tn as a whole, schools, lack of jobs, CRIME. I love the scenic mountain terrain and character of TN, just not sure that is enough, I have young children and will not sacrifice any of the items above, just for the beauty. Please convince me I will love it there, or if you find OK as the better alternative, can you tell me why you think so. Thank you!!

Compared to the rest of Tennessee, statistics show that crime in the city of Memphis is much higher than in any other Tennessee city. Crime in most places in Tennessee should not be a serious concern. Yes, you will find crime any place you go in Tennessee, but that is true in every state. However, I believe you will feel very safe in Cookeville if you choose to move there.

East Tennessee is very beautiful with green rolling hills, mountains, and lakes. My wife and I purchased a 4 acre lot between Cookeville and Crossville last year. We plan to build our retirement home there in about 6 years.

You will find jobs in the larger cities such as Nashville, Knoxville, or Chattanooga, but wages in Tennessee tend to be lower than in some other parts of the country. However, the low cost of living in Tennessee helps to overcome loss of income due to lower wages.

One of our members of this forum, JMT, can probably provide you with information on schools in the Cookeville area, but you might want to mention how old your children are, to help him in telling you about the schools they could attend.

[jguillot]

You can also do a search on this forum for "Cookeville Schools" and I'm sure you will find a lot of information.

[DubbleT]

It all boils down to where you choose to move to in either state. Certain parts of TN are not areas I'd choose to raise a family, but I'm sure that applies equally to certain areas of OK also.

I live in Memphis and drive through Cookeville fairly often. I have been impressed enough that is one of the places I am considering moving to in the very near future. As a matter of fact the last time I drove through I picked up a handful of "homes for sale" magazines. Cookeville has many, many positives going for it in my opinion. Pop on over to the Nashville forum and do a search on Cookeville and you'll find lots of info. One of the members isfrom the Cookeville/Crossville area and I'm sure he'd do his best to answer any questions you have. Good luck!

[Pimpy]

I've only been to Mobile-homa once, but I will say this. If I ever decided I wanted to leave Nashville, OKC would be at the top of my list of possible destinations. It's got a lot going for it: a strong economy, one of the best housing markets in the country, VERY few illegals, four seasons, decent nightlife, etc.

From what I remember, it kind of had the feel of a smaller version of Dallas, without all the smog, traffic, crime, illegals, etc.

I love Middle Tennessee, however, and we've got a lot going for us, too. You really can't go wrong in either spot. I say if you pick one and don't look back, you will be happy and will have made the right choice either way.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by futrTndweller

Here is the deal...I AM (do you sense the determination) moving and I think that I am leaning towards Cookeville, but my BF is also moving, however she is headed towards Edund OK, and swears by the state. Not to mince words but I find OK just ugly...(sorry to those who think otherwise) Love what I have seen about Cookeville, so far...however I am very disheartened by some of the things that I am reading about Tn as a whole, schools, lack of jobs, CRIME. I love the scenic mountain terrain and character of TN, just not sure that is enough, I have young children and will not sacrifice any of the items above, just for the beauty. Please convince me I will love it there, or if you find OK as the better alternative, can you tell me why you think so. Thank you!!

It looks like jguillot beat me to it! He's one of our biggest cheerleaders. He and his wife have purchased some beautiful land in a beautiful development called Cumberland Cove. I can't wait for them to come back to TN so they can take more pictures for the rest of us!

Anyway, my sister lives in Duncan OK. I've been out there many times and absolutely love it. I agree with Pimpy, I think OKC is a great city. It's a lot like Nashville although it's not growing as fast, but it has a similar feel to me: conservative with an edge, full of down-to-earth people.

I think Tennessee and Oklahoma are alike in many ways. In fact, if Memphis were located in Mississippi (and some wish it were) the crime stats for the rest of Tennessee would probably be more in line with Oklahoma.

Schools in Cookeville are excellent, easily among the best in the state. Having a mid-major university in town really helps. I was reading in today's Cookeville paper online that there are over 500 students at Cookeville High enrolled in AP and IB classes. It's one of only 6 high schools in the state with the IB (International Baccalaureate) Program.

The job situation in Tennessee isn't nearly as stellar as it used to be, but I believe the Nashville and Knoxville areas are doing pretty well. Cookeville hasn't lost any jobs, but the job situation there is a little more bleak than in Nashville or Knoxville. However, having the university there means there's usually a pretty big turnover with support jobs (secretaries, etc.) and there are TONS of jobs in retail and restaurants in Cookeville. The hospital is always hiring, too, and has something like 1600 employees.

It sounds like you both really need to visit both places and just see for yourselves. I happen to love the Cookeville area and love the countryside there: lakes, waterfalls, cliffs, deep hollows, rivers. There's beauty in Oklahoma, too, but it's a different kind of beauty.

Good luck!

[futrTndweller]

Thanks for all the input, as for the trip, I am in the planning phase as we speak, shooting for October. I hope that fall colors will shatter any reservations that I have. It's hard to break out of a situation that you know is working (as of right now I keep just having to check myself and put things into perspective, Is amazing that I have read pages and pages of threads on the great things that are going for TN, then just a couple of bad things and I am fear stricken. I am such a wuusss.