Main differences between Chattanooga, Knoxville and Cookeville areas (crime, home)

[mrunik]

I've read quite a bit on this forum about all these areas. But can I get some of you long timers to give me an idea of the main differences between these areas and the smaller communities around them? I know weather is roughly similar, but are there things that only locals would know that stand out as really different, both good and bad?

We'll be visiting these areas and hopefully more later this week to try and get a feel for where we'd like our final home to be.Thanks for any replies.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by mrunik

I've read quite a bit on this forum about all these areas. But can I get some of you long timers to give me an idea of the main differences between these areas and the smaller communities around them? I know weather is roughly similar, but are there things that only locals would know that stand out as really different, both good and bad?

We'll be visiting these areas and hopefully more later this week to try and get a feel for where we'd like our final home to be.Thanks for any replies.

Cookeville is much, much smaller than either Knoxville or Chattanooga. Cookeville has a population of around 35,000 and a micropolitan population of around 115,000. Chattanooga has a population of around 180,000 and a metropolitan population of around 550,000. Knoxville has a population of around 190,000 and a metropolitan population of around 900,000. Chattanooga and Knoxville, therefore, have more of everything than Cookeville: more restaurants, more shopping, more traffic, more entertainment, more hospitals, more crime, etc. Cookeville is no slouch when it comes to things to do and quality of life, but it really can't compare to Chattanooga or Knoxville when it comes to amenities.

Personally, I much prefer Cookeville, but I don't like traffic and am totally fine with the amount of things offered in Cookeville. For a small town, it has a heck of a lot going for it, and I don't have to pack a lunch to drive across town like I had to do in Knoxville (somewhat joking here). Plus, I'm a frequent flyer and appreciate being closer to the Nashville airport. My elderly mother (87) also moved from Knoxville to Cookeville and enjoys it much more, primarily because it's much easier to maneuver around town, particularly on foot. She lives downtown and walks to do most of her errands and doesn't worry about crime or traffic, something which wasn't possible on her income in Knoxville.

[mrunik]

Thanks for the reply. My wife and I are in Tennessee now and we both think its a drop dead beautiful state so far.