Want to move to TN (Memphis, Knoxville: sales, apartment, violent crime)

[valarieM85]

Hello I Currently Live in California i moved here From AZ and i hate it! jobs Are beyond few gas is 4:45 A gallon, we Are looking to move to Tennessee, i got family friends from Bristol VA, and boones creek tn and all of them say its Beautiful and peaceful best place to raise children. And it sounds SO IDEAL to me for my kids sake. can anyone Tell me if there Are jobs? housing costs. Ect. Also out here NO MORE SUMMER SCHOOL, no ROTC nothing .. my child is also special needs and i would like info on special needs class.
Thank You

[Serious Conversation]

I can't help you on special needs classes as I don't have kids. The area is very pretty from a scenery standpoint. There are numerous mountains - almost all of TN is in the foothills, at least, and the area isn't prone to the weather extremes we see in much of the country. The area is very green most of the time, except in cases of extreme drought, which rarely happen here. Outdoor sports and stuff are generally excellent here.

Jobs are hard to come by here. Most of the jobs we have are low wage jobs, like retail stores, restaurants, and call centers. The best jobs are usually in health care and education. If you're an experienced medical worker or a teacher, you'll probably be okay. Otherwise, you'll likely make far more money and have a much easier time getting a job in one of the big four cities (Memphis, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville) than you will in the Tri-Cities area.

For example, I am on a second interview for a position in Nashville where the starting pay is in the mid 40s. I'm working a similar job in Kingsport and the starting pay was just mid 20s. While the Tri-Cities are cheaper to live in than Nashville, many people here are on government benefits or charity assistance to make ends meet due to the low pay in the area. Taxes are much lower than what you're used to, but I'm not sure the very low pay here would make up for it.

Housing is pretty cheap across TN, especially coming from CA. Expect to pay between $400-$600 for a decent apartment or maybe even a small house if you look hard enough. The area has a lot of property crime (theft, burglary, etc) as well as more violent crime than you'd expect, but most of the crime is drug or domestic. I live between Kingsport and Blountville, and while my neighborhood is perfectly safe, I wouldn't want to live within the city of Kingsport.

If I were you and wanted to move to TN, I'd look to Knoxville or areas within a half hour of Knoxville. You're much more likely to get a decent job in Knoxville than the Tri-Cities, you're still close to the beautiful places, and there is much more going on down there. The Tri-Cities is really for retirees or well off medical workers and teachers. Most working people will find it very tough to make a living here.

[wnewberry22]

I agree with pretty much everything Emigrations said. I'm from Southwest Virginia (Bristol, VA) and I moved away for better job opportunities. I still miss the Tri-Cities like crazy but I just couldn't find a solid paying position anywhere...even with a graduate degree. Right out of college I worked in Bristol, TN in outside sales with a heavy equipment company but the pay was crap compared to what I've gotten elsewhere.

I'd check into Knoxville or Nashville...they're quite a bit bigger and the job market is a little more solid in the metro areas as opposed to back home. Plus the low COL translates pretty well across the state which is nice...so an fairly inexpensive apartment in Knoxville or Nashville still probably wouldn't cost you much north of 700/month.