Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My husband works at home and can be anywhere in the state as long as there's a good internet connection.
I'm currently a SAHM.
Yes, I see that. I just went through several of your previous posts to get a feel for you.
I'm a New England native, a professional with a 14-year-old daughter. I also have adult children that were educated in Massachusetts. My children's education is my biggest priority. Period.
I'm also the unofficial keeper of the US News and World Report's High School Rankings on CD. I drive some people crazy about it. I'm assuming your oldest is going to Lehigh Valley.
I would NOT move to Corbin, KY or Morristown, TN. Although the latter does have good high schools, you can get better or the same and not have to live there, which is a big plus in my book.
Please be aware that living in the country up north is going to be very different than living in a lot of the rural to small-town areas in most parts of the South. This is a very important statement that you must not forget.
My recommendations are Hardin Valley, Oak Ridge, Farragut and Bearden High Schools. Signal Mountain is also a good bet.
For what it is worth, my daughter goes to West High and is in the International Baccalaureate program. She wants to be an attorney. However, that area is slightly closer to the city, so it may not be for you. However, please bear in mind that cities in the South can often be much smaller than you expect. Knoxville feels more like an overgrown town. Its downtown is about as large as most big towns in the northeast. Knoxville can be "sprawly," especially to the west, but it can often have a rural feel minutes from all the action. I live in an apartment complex that is zoned for West yet I look out my windows and it looks like I'm in the middle of the country.
In any event, it sounds like a trip to Knoxville and Chattanooga are in order. You can swing by Morristown if you like, but I don't think it's what you are looking for.
If I made $50,000 in Eastern PA, I could maintain the same standard of living in Corbin, KY for about $40,000, but in Signal Mountain, TN that salary would have to increase to nearly $60,000.
*I find this info interesting. Back when I moved to Knoxville in 2005, it was cheaper to live in Chattanooga. That's why it's good to keep on top of things because life is fluid and data changes.
I honestly did not join this forum to offend anyone or debate people about where they live and how much it costs. You don't like what I said. Sorry that I offended you.
Different areas cost less to live than others. If you don't believe me, you are perfectly welcome to look into it yourself.
Also, maybe some of us don't have to have every public service that is provided at our current locations. I don't expect more rural areas to have all the amenities I have here. Don't expect it, don't necessarily want it.
I'm not offended. My statement wasn't directed at you personally Im just as curious as you.
Yes different areas cost less than others. Basically as schools go in TN (and that's the public service Im referring to) those in cheaper areas, mostly rural, are not as "good" (depending on what your idea of good is) as those in more costly areas. Its only logical that the cost of living will be higher around areas with the "good" school districts. That is all I'm saying.
You stated you were trying to find out why TN would be cheaper and that "people" say it is cheaper. I am also wondering why it would be cheaper in better school districts in TN than it would in a comparable school district in another state. Perhaps it is, IDK, I have no personal comparison.
You are absolutely correct 2mares. Rural schools are often not great here, but the cost of living is. There are some wonderful schools located across the state, but they are in areas where the cost of living, especially housing, is much higher. It's like that everywhere. Cheap area, not that great place to live, for most.
Everyone is looking for that mythical area where the cost of living is low, weather is fabulous, crime is low, education is high. If someone finds it, I want in.
Until then, there are certain degrees that one can live with, and they come from all quarters.
Right now, I can move into a condo that is paid for in Massachusetts. It will be mine, no one to share it with except my daughter. But it is located in a horrible school system. That's right, in the middle of some of the best schools in the country sits a school system that is just terrible. It's a small town (about 13,000), crime isn't high, but they never put a big emphasis on education and it only got worse with time.
So I stay.
But I've seen more than my fair share of posts on here over time that has asked for cheap living and surprised when they can't find it. We even see people looking for homes that cost $25,000, $40,000, $60,000 but in areas that have very good medical care, no meth labs, etc.
Yes, I see that. I just went through several of your previous posts to get a feel for you.
I'm a New England native, a professional with a 14-year-old daughter. I also have adult children that were educated in Massachusetts. My children's education is my biggest priority. Period.
I'm also the unofficial keeper of the US News and World Report's High School Rankings on CD. I drive some people crazy about it. I'm assuming your oldest is going to Lehigh Valley.
I would NOT move to Corbin, KY or Morristown, TN. Although the latter does have good high schools, you can get better or the same and not have to live there, which is a big plus in my book.
Please be aware that living in the country up north is going to be very different than living in a lot of the rural to small-town areas in most parts of the South. This is a very important statement that you must not forget.
My recommendations are Hardin Valley, Oak Ridge, Farragut and Bearden High Schools. Signal Mountain is also a good bet.
For what it is worth, my daughter goes to West High and is in the International Baccalaureate program. She wants to be an attorney. However, that area is slightly closer to the city, so it may not be for you. However, please bear in mind that cities in the South can often be much smaller than you expect. Knoxville feels more like an overgrown town. Its downtown is about as large as most big towns in the northeast. Knoxville can be "sprawly," especially to the west, but it can often have a rural feel minutes from all the action. I live in an apartment complex that is zoned for West yet I look out my windows and it looks like I'm in the middle of the country.
In any event, it sounds like a trip to Knoxville and Chattanooga are in order. You can swing by Morristown if you like, but I don't think it's what you are looking for.
Yes, my oldest kids have been in IB since kindergarten.
I suspect Corbin would not be right for us, but why not Morristown, in your opinion?
Do you feel West High is overcrowded? Several of the schools I've looked at have that as a complaint.
I've lived in a few different places down South and have family/family spread out in different places. So I have some idea what to expect, but you're right, nothing beats a visit to the area we might consider.
There is still a chance we may stay in PA, they go to an excellent school and we've been happy there for the most part. However, there will be a lot of changes for us either way. My husband has a health condition that is exacerbated by the cold and really should be in a warmer climate. We would also like to move into a more spacious area that's a bit more affordable. Signal Mountain is out for us.
Also, if we stay, I don't like the other schools my oldest might go to here, but I'm not entirely sure my oldest is cut out for the DP programme. I don't want to say more about that on the open forum.
I'm from Kingsport and drive through Corbin at least once a month, and have some friends in Morristown. I wouldn't consider either place worth two cents.
Morristown is about midway between Knoxville and the Tri-Cities. There isn't much in the way of industry or things to do there, and it's isolated, but relatively less so than Corbin. It's also a bit larger than Corbin. Morristown is growing, but much of that is coming from an increased Hispanic (illegal) presence.
Corbin is a real hike to Knoxville and still more than an hour from Lexington, and there's little of interest between the two points. Corbin's population is declining, and that whole area of eastern KY is the absolute dumps, probably far, far worse than anything you'd see in PA. It's really sobering to even go through that area.
I can't imagine schools in either area would be very good. Small towns in the South, for what it's worth, tend to have really poor schools. You're not just in the South there - you're in Appalachia, which runs neck and neck with some of the poorest, toughest places to live in the country. Your kids won't have the same opportunities in classes, extracurricular activities, or even the ability to get that first job while in high school in Corbin/Morristown that they would in Knoxville or Lexington. Jobs are few and far between, and there's little in these small towns these days that's constructive for young people to do, and it's hard to keep kids off of drugs and out of jail.
If you're in a halfway decent spot in PA, just stay. If you held a gun to my head and made me choose between the two, I'd choose Morristown, but that's mainly for tax purposes. TN has no tax on earned income nor personal property tax, and KY has both.
Sure, the cost of living is low compared to high cost places on the coasts, but it is not as cheap as people make it out to be. TN has very low taxes overall, and that's where the bulk of your savings will be. Gas is cheaper in east TN than in a lot of places, but because it's rural and spread out, you're going to use a lot more gas than in a lot of other places. Property is often not as cheap as you may think, especially when you consider local wages, which are incredibly low. Groceries are higher in east TN than IA/IN/SC (where I've lived) and were nearly as high as the Boston suburbs. While my car registration was $250 more in IN than TN, I save $800 a year in insurance, more than making up for the increased tag fees. You can probably live in much of the Midwest for the same or slightly less than east TN.
I'd say that both towns have seen better days, but I don't know if there were ever good days in either place.
Last edited by Serious Conversation; 11-06-2014 at 02:09 PM..
Yes, my oldest kids have been in IB since kindergarten.
I suspect Corbin would not be right for us, but why not Morristown, in your opinion?
Do you feel West High is overcrowded? Several of the schools I've looked at have that as a complaint.
I've lived in a few different places down South and have family/family spread out in different places. So I have some idea what to expect, but you're right, nothing beats a visit to the area we might consider.
There is still a chance we may stay in PA, they go to an excellent school and we've been happy there for the most part. However, there will be a lot of changes for us either way. My husband has a health condition that is exacerbated by the cold and really should be in a warmer climate. We would also like to move into a more spacious area that's a bit more affordable. Signal Mountain is out for us.
Also, if we stay, I don't like the other schools my oldest might go to here, but I'm not entirely sure my oldest is cut out for the DP programme. I don't want to say more about that on the open forum.
Thank you for your input.
Be careful of those rating internet sites where parent and students come to whine. It's much like apartment ratings sites. The disgruntled or someone with a dog in the fight usually show up. Tennessee is a big state, so I'm not sure which schools are overcrowded. West has a 16 to 1 ratio, I don't find it is overcrowded at all.
I think "Litefoot's" post pretty much sums up Morristown.
Edit to add: I agree with almost all of Emigration's post, especially regarding Corbin and Morristown. He said a lot of what I was afraid to say.
Regarding Knoxville, it is unlike a lot of the small towns in East Tennessee, and the northeast Tenn. corridor that Emigrations is from. I love it here and I'm not sure I would go back to the northeast even if I had the free condo (that will eventually be mine) and without the youngest child. I love it here that much and hate that area that much. The weather is terrible, for starters. The people are nicer - although you probably know about both of these things.
Most importantly, unless you've really lived in the Northeast (and not stayed for a few weeks of training, sorry Emigrations) you don't understand the hidden taxes like the never-ending excise tax, the staggering property taxes, and the horrific heating bills. Pay may be less here but pit the pay next to COL and compare it to the Northeast and Florida and Knoxville wins every time.
I'm not offended. My statement wasn't directed at you personally Im just as curious as you.
Yes different areas cost less than others. Basically as schools go in TN (and that's the public service Im referring to) those in cheaper areas, mostly rural, are not as "good" (depending on what your idea of good is) as those in more costly areas. Its only logical that the cost of living will be higher around areas with the "good" school districts. That is all I'm saying.
You stated you were trying to find out why TN would be cheaper and that "people" say it is cheaper. I am also wondering why it would be cheaper in better school districts in TN than it would in a comparable school district in another state. Perhaps it is, IDK, I have no personal comparison.
I'm glad.
I think part of the issue may be that when people speak of an area as being less expensive, they are looking at different services and features. For example, I started with cost of living and geographic area/climate that seemed appealing...then I started to research the things that are important to us and lots of places started getting crossed off fairly quickly.
To be completely clear, I would not feel comfortable raising kids anywhere in east TN but Knoxville or anywhere in eastern KY.
Rural KY and TN are struggling with high unemployment, high crime, addiction problems, etc. Greater Knoxville has UT-Knoxville, Oak Ridge National Laboratories, the TVA, and the tourist/resort places around the Smokies, which leads to more diversity, a more cyclical population, and a better educated populace than places like Corbin or Morristown. The larger industry, university, and the number of people coming in and out keep Knoxville more normal than backwoods towns like Corbin and Knoxville.
Neither Corbin nor Morristown have any significant industry, no significant universities (I wouldn't call Walters State significant), nor are they attracting many new people. Most of the people who are there are from there or nearby, with the exception of the illegals in Morristown.
You also have to be careful of where you settle, as the Knoxville MSA (not to mention CSA) can have striking differences. Bean Station and Newport are going to be remarkably backward compared to Farragut and Maryville.
I have no idea why someone would even consider living somewhere like Corbin or Morristown, as there are ample small towns that aren't as screwed up in other areas of those states.
I think part of the issue may be that when people speak of an area as being less expensive, they are looking at different services and features. For example, I started with cost of living and geographic area/climate that seemed appealing...then I started to research the things that are important to us and lots of places started getting crossed off fairly quickly.
People want everything - they want good schools, low crime, good jobs available, and most of all, they want it CHEAP.
We get a lot of posts on these boards (mostly from people in well-off coastal states) who want that absurdly cheap property with great mountain views, fishing, good schools for the kids, and a job nearby, and that's not how it works at all.
If you want any level of services, quality of schools, etc, you're generally going to have to pay more, in TN as in anywhere else. I pay a little more to live in a desirable area where there are nice running trails, an excellent (and fairly inexpensive) gym owned by the county government, has great schools, lots of amenities, etc. I could probably drop my rent by $200 and live either out in the sticks where there's none of those amenities, or move into the hood.
We don't get a lot of posts on Morristown...for a reason. It's small and not a desirable place for people to be.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm assuming your oldest is going to Lehigh Valley.
