Health statistics for 2 towns in Tennessee (Memphis, Knoxville: transplants, to rent, crime rate)

[BlueyedCat]

Most Depressing States - depression - Health.com

[strumpeace]

Originally Posted by BlueyedCat

Most Depressing States - depression - Health.com

So I followed the link, and I saw that TN ranked pretty high on the depressed-states list. However, I don't get the title of your thread. The link said nothing about any of TN's cities -- other than mentioning the names of its two largest cities. Were there some specific statistics about those two cities that I missed?

[BlueyedCat]

Originally Posted by strumpeace

So I followed the link, and I saw that TN ranked pretty high on the depressed-states list. However, I don't get the title of your thread. The link said nothing about any of TN's cities -- other than mentioning the names of its two largest cities. Were there some specific statistics about those two cities that I missed?

I was just going by the 2 cities mentioned. But I do see what your talking about. After reading it again; it does mean the state of Tennessee.

[BirdieBelle]

Well, now I'm REALLY depressed.

[DubbleT]

Maybe people in TN are just less shy about admitting their depression or asking for help.

[hiknapster]

My educated guess is that there is a lot of depression in some of the smaller towns where poverty has been a mainstay for decades. Knoxville may have a fairly low unemployment rate -- for these times, anyway -- but there are counties such as Scott where the rate hovers near 20 percent. Abject poverty in some of these small, remote towns is rampant.

Then there is Memphis, which has a very high crime rate and a poor educational system. I understand that things are finally turning around for that city but it's not going to happen overnight.

What does this mean to me? Nothing. I live in a wonderful city that has been lovingly restored and with a very affordable cost of living and extremely friendly people. To me, the weather is perfect and I'm thrilled with the education that my daughter is receiving. I'm 50 and this is easily the happiest I have ever been in my life. We moved here almost six years ago.

Bottom line: Your mileage may vary.

Now that I think about it, Blue-eyed Cat, you are the person that is a Florida native and wants to move back there. Or back to California where you also lived. Either way, I think you said you don't like Tennessee.

Well, that's your right. We are free to move about the country. If you want to leave Tennessee you don't have to dig up a list to validate your move. Anyone can find a list that says something good or bad about anywhere.

[BlueyedCat]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

My educated guess is that there is a lot of depression in some of the smaller towns where poverty has been a mainstay for decades. Knoxville may have a fairly low unemployment rate -- for these times, anyway -- but there are counties such as Scott where the rate hovers near 20 percent. Abject poverty in some of these small, remote towns is rampant.

Then there is Memphis, which has a very high crime rate and a poor educational system. I understand that things are finally turning around for that city but it's not going to happen overnight.

What does this mean to me? Nothing. I live in a wonderful city that has been lovingly restored and with a very affordable cost of living and extremely friendly people. To me, the weather is perfect and I'm thrilled with the education that my daughter is receiving. I'm 50 and this is easily the happiest I have ever been in my life. We moved here almost six years ago.

Bottom line: Your mileage may vary.

Now that I think about it, Blue-eyed Cat, you are the person that is a Florida native and wants to move back there. Or back to California where you also lived. Either way, I think you said you don't like Tennessee.

Well, that's your right. We are free to move about the country. If you want to leave Tennessee you don't have to dig up a list to validate your move. Anyone can find a list that says something good or bad about anywhere.

Tennessee is a beautiful state and has many things going for it. Tennessee may not be my cup of tea but that doesn't mean I hate it. I like to put the good and the bad so potential transplants can get both sides (Good and Bad) so they can make informed decisions. So far the majority on here is the good that Tennessee has to offer. In these times I just don't want someone not being informed to move to a place and spend their life savings to only arrive and it not being what they thought or read.

[hiknapster]

That's what this forum is for, giving opinions about places, as well as facts. So you are saying that you are depressed? That you see a lot of Tennessee residents that are depressed? Or are you just passing this info along?

I came across a list and it had Tennessee as the third happiest state in the union. CDC: People in sunny states happiest, New York least - USATODAY.com

I've been on this forum for six years and I've found you can find a list to support any theory you want.

[BlueyedCat]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

That's what this forum is for, giving opinions about places, as well as facts. So you are saying that you are depressed? That you see a lot of Tennessee residents that are depressed? Or are you just passing this info along?

I came across a list and it had Tennessee as the third happiest state in the union. CDC: People in sunny states happiest, New York least - USATODAY.com

I've been on this forum for six years and I've found you can find a list to support any theory you want.

Your correct that these forums are for everyone to give opinions about areas they are familiar with. It helps newcomers that are asking about different areas they are interested in moving to.

No hiknapster; I'm far from being depressed as I have only been in Tennessee for 4 years and know that I will move on when my time is up here. It will be easy for us to leave as we never pulled the plug and bought a house.

I am only passing info along.

[hiknapster]

I'm glad to hear that you just rented. We tell so many people to rent first, to no avail.

I do want to point out that the slideshow makes some good points:

On its own, where you live isn't enough to make you depressed. Personal circumstances and genes also play an important role in mental health, so an area that feels like a downer to one person may be home sweet home to another.

That said, mental distress is unusually and persistently common in some states, whether due to economic troubles, lack of access to health care, or other factors.

I'm not sure how reliable this study is. It says it used data from "federal health agencies." Sounds kind of erroneous. And I've never heard of Health.com before. My link is from better sources. However, Tennessee is a very large state and a remote area with high unemployment rates can be very different from a city with good schools and jobs.

sigh. Oh, how I hate these silly lists!

I've found, though, that most transplants unhappiness comes from either not wanting to move here in the first place or having unrealistic expectations of the area. Or they pick a spot that is not for them. There are a lot of areas in Tennessee that I would never recommend to a transplant. The first few years we rented in an area that was less than ideal. Once I moved things dramatically changed and now I unabashedly gush about my area.

Everyone's mileage varies, of course.