Moving family to Eastern Tennessee, need advice (Knoxville, Chattanooga: house, employment)

[Mlshipley]

Hi everyone,

My Husband, 3 small kids and I, are looking to move to Eastern Tennessee (Maryville, Farragut, Chattanooga, or Johnson City). We're a conservative Christian family, looking for good schools and small town (population of 30,000 or less, none touristy). My husband is a construction worker and I'm a stay at home mom/hairstylist. We like the convenience of shopping, hospitals, park, lakes, mountains, history, and 4 season's. We're looking for a house around, $700,000 range, with good economy.

My biggest concern is finding a town where, liberals aren't indoctrinating our kids. We currently live in Oregon, I've had to explain to my oldest daughter (5 yrs old), why boys are wearing girl clothes. I'm also concerned about Muslim's pushing Islam, in our schools and town, or where illegals aren't taking over. If this offends you, please don't reply.

As a concerned parent, I just want my kids to grow up in a town, where neighbors know their neighbors, a good downtown main square, community involvement and lots of festivals, slow paced and southern hospitality.
Maybe I'm day dreaming, with the crazy world we live in today.


Thank you in advance

[Serious Conversation]

OK, it's time to set some expectations. I currently live in Kingsport, but have lived in Johnson City as well.

Farragut is somewhat below 30,000, but is an affluent suburb of Knoxville where you won't always be able to tell that you left the city of Knoxville. It doesn't feel small town at all.

Maryville is more independent and is around 30,000. I had an interview there, and thought it seemed extremely boring with little going on compared to Johnson City.

Johnson City is about 65,000, but has some diversity through the university, VA, and the HQ of the regional health system.

Chattanooga is much larger than any of the other cities with more diversity of all kinds.

None of the cities are liberal, and TN Democrats are going to be very different than West Coast Democrats.

You need to try and secure employment before you move. You can probably find jobs in the $15/hr or so range pretty easily, but higher end work is tough to come by in east TN. Did you mean $70,000 for a home?

[jjbradleynyc]

Originally Posted by Mlshipley

Hi everyone,

My Husband, 3 small kids and I, are looking to move to Eastern Tennessee (Maryville, Farragut, Chattanooga, or Johnson City). We're a conservative Christian family, looking for good schools and small town (population of 30,000 or less, none touristy). My husband is a construction worker and I'm a stay at home mom/hairstylist. We like the convenience of shopping, hospitals, park, lakes, mountains, history, and 4 season's. We're looking for a house around, $700,000 range, with good economy.

My biggest concern is finding a town where, liberals aren't indoctrinating our kids. We currently live in Oregon, I've had to explain to my oldest daughter (5 yrs old), why boys are wearing girl clothes. I'm also concerned about Muslim's pushing Islam, in our schools and town, or where illegals aren't taking over. If this offends you, please don't reply.

As a concerned parent, I just want my kids to grow up in a town, where neighbors know their neighbors, a good downtown main square, community involvement and lots of festivals, slow paced and southern hospitality.
Maybe I'm day dreaming, with the crazy world we live in today.


Thank you in advance

It is very Christian-oriented in northeast TN, and most of TN for that matter, but northeastern "Tri-Cities" region of Kingsport, Johnson City and Bristol is very conservative on the whole, and still considered part of the "Bible Belt" region.

If you are looking for a "good economy," most of the US has that now, but jobs can be more challenging in the Tri-Cities unless you know someone, are skilled in engineering, medical, or IT, or have an "in" at one of the local manufacturing plants (like Eastman, Domtar, BAE, etc).

Construction may be hard to land in the immediate Tri-Cities area, but if you lived in a town in the Tri-Cities region, and if your husband was ok travelling a bit each day for work, that might be an idea. The Knoxville area, Sevierville/Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area, Asheville, NC, Charlotte, Nashville, etc.

Smaller towns in the Tri-Cities might be what you are looking for, like Greenville, Jonesborough, Church Hill/Mt Carmel, Elizabethton, Rogersville, Bristol or even Kingsport. These all have many churches, very conservative on the whole, family-oriented and religion can play a key, large part in people's lives.

Johnson City has a tendency to be a bit more liberal due to East Tennessee State University and the medical school, but it will be nowhere near what you are used to, most likely (really conservative area overall).

BTW, I grew up in the Church Hill/Mt Carmel/Rogersville areas (Hawkins County, TN), which are considered "western small suburbs" of Kingsport. This area is extremely church-oriented, school-oriented and sports-oriented, for socializing and for meeting folks, activities. It is really family-oriented and could be what you are looking for.

[Mlshipley]

Thank you, for the replys.
It's nice to have a website that focuses on city information, from locals. I will be looking into those little towns you mentioned.

[Rayray0815]

I love Chattanooga

[creeksitter]

We're a conservative Christian family

I'll recommend you look at Cleveland TN. I believe it's the HQ of the Church of God.

I suspect that Chattanooga, Knoxville (and that includes Farragut) and Johnson City will be too diverse in opinions for your taste.

[Beretta]

Originally Posted by creeksitter

I'll recommend you look at Cleveland TN. I believe it's the HQ of the Church of God.

I suspect that Chattanooga, Knoxville (and that includes Farragut) and Johnson City will be too diverse in opinions for your taste.

Totally agree although Greeneville or Morristown may be a fit.

[tnff]

You might want to also include places in Middle Tennessee. Cookeville often comes up as does Murfreesboro. Both are home to large Universities, though in my opinion, Murfreesboro is the more growing city. If you're looking for small towns with easy access to bigger cities, consider the Tri lakes region of Tullahoma, Manchester, and Winchester. They are about equidistant between Nashville, Chattanooga, and Huntsville Al. For housing costs, $700,000 will get you a pretty near mansion on the lakefront home in that area.

[Beretta]

Originally Posted by tnff

You might want to also include places in Middle Tennessee. Cookeville often comes up as does Murfreesboro. Both are home to large Universities, though in my opinion, Murfreesboro is the more growing city. If you're looking for small towns with easy access to bigger cities, consider the Tri lakes region of Tullahoma, Manchester, and Winchester. They are about equidistant between Nashville, Chattanooga, and Huntsville Al. For housing costs, $700,000 will get you a pretty near mansion on the lakefront home in that area.

Love those areas but the OP mentioned mountains. Certainly the areas you mentioned check a lot of other boxes.

I think the OP will be shocked with what they find once they start looking and how far their dollar will go.

[danielj72]

As far as East Tennessee goes the OP is more likely to find jobs near Knoxville or Chattanooga as they are bigger areas. Plenty of small towns around those cities within commuting distance that may be more what the OP is looking for.

East Tennessee is likely one of the more conservative places in America, solid Bible Belt Red State America. The kind of left wing activism you describe does not really exist at all here. There is a liberal mayor in Knoxville and liberal areas around the college but all that is mild compared to what exists out west or up north. Of course most urban areas everywhere have more liberals in them so you just want to make sure you do not live in a big city. Knox county on the other hand is quite conservative. (Knoxville suburbs) You can use the data from this site to look up voting patterns by zip code or city.