Texans considering Knoxville, TN or Greenville, SC (real estate, 2015)

[BigRedBeth]

I have to admit I didn't read your whole post but what I did read seems to indicate that Greenville would be a good fit. We have only been here a few weeks, and are loving the fact that everything we need/want is here (aside from museums, but we can go to Columbia or Charlotte for that), and it is so easy to get to. The mountains are only an hour away and downtown is fantastic. I think you will like what you see!

[WhitewaterVol]

I've lived in both places. Both cities have a lot of what you are searching for. Knoxville is a bit bigger than Greenville. The revitalization of downtown is further along in Greenville but both towns have nice downtown areas.

I wouldn't consider either to be really bike accessible. Greenville does have the swamp rabbit trail but it doesn't connect to most of the residential areas. There are plans to expand the trail but that will take time. There are plans to add bike trails but that will take time. SC has one of the lowest gas taxes in the country and it shows with many roads full of potholes and infrastructure that is behind the population growth.

Knoxville roads are a bit better. There is no integrated greenbelt in Knoxville that I can remember; it would be tough to get around on a bike. If you consider some of the towns around Knoxville, that changes. Oak Ridge is fairly bike friendly. Maryville / Alcoa has an extensive greenbelt that connects both towns that could be used to get around on foot or on a bike.

I think either place is a good place to live.

[Dr. Evil]

I prefer a much more rural lifestyle so my experience is living 20 miles outside of Knoxville. If I want something downtown, its there for me within a 1 hour drive. It takes me 30 minutes to get to downtown Knoxville from where I am and 1 hour to get to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Most of my outdoor activities are within 10 minutes from me though, a big plus in my book. The downside is that you do have to be careful about the area you choose based on schools. I have, IMO, some very good schools close by in Norris. I have state parks within 5 minutes for hiking and running and trout fishing below Norris dam is 5-10 minutes away. Norris lake where we spend a great deal of our summer is less than 10 minutes away.

I posted a lot of this in another thread where someone was looking for an active outdoor lifestyle. If you cant find it here, there is no hope for you.

[vistatiger]

No state income tax in Tennessee and no high property taxes on your vehicle (each county does have a small wheel tax in TN that is very minimal like $40-$50 annually compared to the huge tax we pay on our cars here annually). The sales tax is higher in TN (around 10%if I recall correctly) but heck SC sales tax is 6% in Greenville county and up to 8% in some counties with the local option taxes in addition to the income tax and property taxes, Makes one wonder what they do with our money in SC and they want to raise our sales tax in Greenville County to pay for roads. How about find a way to do it with the money you collect now. Private Businesses and Individuals do it everyday.

Taxes aside, I don't think you could go wrong with either city. I have lived in both. Greenville is further ahead with their Downtown but Knoxville has been coming along (but they have the University of Tennessee Practically Downtown so it makes it a little different). Knoxville's Farragut area is kind of like the Mauldin/Simpsonville area of Greenville. Fast growing and lots of newcomers.

[creeksitter]

If you live near Norris doesn't it take a lot more than an hour to get to Pigeon Forge? It's almost an hour from Knoxville.

I agree that Greenville is a little more conservative but Knoxville is better for outdoor opportunities. There are lots of greenways and huge networks of mountain bike trails. Greenville has mountains that are closer, Knoxville's mountains are taller. Plus Knoxville has mountainous areas on both sides so a wider variety of outdoor opportunities.

[mcatp]

I have lived in both and prefer Greenville to Knoxville and this is coming from a UT grad. The activities available in both places are pretty similar. Greenville has the better location geographically due to being closer to the coast.

Going back to the gas tax. South Carolina has one of the lowest gas taxes in the country but one of the largest state road systems in the country. That doesn't add up to the best kept roads.

[drfranklin]

I lived in Chattanooga for a couple of years - only driven thru/stopped for day trips in Knoxville. I agree with several posters above.

Again, TN's pros are no state income tax and no ad-valorem taxes (I despise this SC tax - I see little evidence that my money is used for road maintenance here) - when I lived in Chattanooga I had no wheel tax - only certain, large municipalities in TN have them. Very high sales tax in TN - I was paying 9 3/4% on everything (including groceries). The state of SC does not charge tax on grocery items (unprepared). Further, Greenville is famous (infamous?) for having the lowest gas prices in the country.

The state of TN does not allow wine sales in any grocery store - this was an annoyance for me - wine prices in TN are much higher than SC. This is the reason that Costco chose to build its new Chattanooga location just beyond the GA border (Chattanooga sits on the TN/GA border).

Knoxville offers close proximity to Gatlinburg and Greenville offers close proximity to Asheville (nearly identical distances). I'd much rather live closer to Asheville than Gatlinburg. There was mention (on the Knoxville forum) that Knoxville's mountains are "taller" - um, what? I've got relatively easy access to the Blue Ridge Parkway, Balsam Overlook, Cold Mountain, Mt. Pisgah, etc all within a 90 minute drive. Mt Michell is a 2 hour drive. Caesar's Head (SC) state park (elevation 3,200 feet) is only 45 minutes north of downtown Greenville. Also, Greenville has easy access to the largest concentration of waterfalls in the East (all situated near the NC/SC border).

Greenville has one of the best downtown's in Southeast (very similar to Chattanooga's). I'd argue also that shopping in Greenville is slightly better than Knoxville. We have Total Wine, Macy's, REI, Cabela's, and will have Dave & Buster's. We both have Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Costco, Publix, Apple Store, Mast General, etc.

A significant con for SC in general: the I-85 interstate system is crumbling - I regularly travel to NC (family there) and to Athens/Atlanta, GA (business/friends). Also, I travel to MESA from Greenville several times a week on 85. From exit 48 thru 54 (I-85), the interstate is filled with potholes, garbage, broken/bent signs, overgrown weeds, unlandscaped interchanges/exits (again, filled with garbage), broken/missing green pylons (around exit 51), and general disrepair - I'm embarrassed to drive on I-85 with any out of state guests - I hope all of these issues will be addressed with the upcoming massive I-85/385 interchange makeover. I-385 is in much better condition than I-85 - and, for some reason, most interstate areas in Spartanburg county seem in better shape than Greenville county. However, I-85 east of Spartanburg is only 4 lanes and dangerous - at a minimum 85 should be 6 lanes to the NC line. The GA/NC interstate system is in much better condition (esp NC - I really like the roadside wildflowers in NC - that's got to be cheap to do).

Honestly, both cities are quite similar - foothills locations/easy access to mountains, similar climate, very good retail, low cost of living, etc etc. One caveat: if you choose Knoxville, I hope you like bright orange because it's everywhere.

[Hobo7396]

Originally Posted by marcolus

*LONG thread, my apologies in advance for the short focused.
**The short version: considering Greenville, SC or Knoxville, TN to move to and looking for tips/comparisons. The 'What we're looking for' paragraph narrow this down for what we hope to find. Hopefully you'll be able to read all though. Thanks!

I'm gonna go ahead and say Knoxville looks like a better fit.

That or stay where you are. You might miss Texas after awhile.

[drfranklin]

Shouldn't this thread be in the city vs city sub-forum rather than general US - why did the mod move it here?

[DubbleT]

Originally Posted by drfranklin

Shouldn't this thread be in the city vs city sub-forum rather than general US - why did the mod move it here?

City vs city is more of a pissing contest about who has the biggest, bestest, mostest. Not so much about which city fits a particular poster best when they want advice on moving and they want to know about more than one area. OP probably doesn't give a toot about stats on density, tallest skyscrapers, or GDP for these two cities.