East TN County Comparison (Knoxville, Oak Ridge: real estate, crime, homes) - Tennessee - City-Data Forum

tkdwes · 06-21-2006, 08:49 AM

Hi! We are looking to move to the Maryville, TN area from Central Florida. Looking for nice home and land where we can move our horses to as well. I've found great homes in several counties and wondering if anyone can advise on the "Pros and Cons" of the areas?

The counties we are looking in are: Loudon, Blount, Sevier, Jefferson, Grainger, Hamblen and Monroe. I have 2 daughters, one starting high school and one in middle school, so the school districts are certainly a factor. Job wise, both my wife and I work with technology in a Florida school district. Is any areas better for tech related jobs that others?

Thanks for any help!!

Mr. Bighead · 06-21-2006, 09:17 AM

I'm more familiar with the areas north and west of K-town, but I do occasionally go south and east. Here's my impression of those counties:

Loudon County- close enough to K-town for an easy commute. Mostly cheap real-estate (except for around the lake). Very redneck area.

Blount County- Good schools, close enough to K-town, slightly more expensive real estate. It's a pretty good area.

Sevier County- Appalachain Las Vegas. It could not possibly be more tacky. Otherwise, it's ok.

Jefferson County- Cheap real-estate. Not too far from Knoxville, but traffic on Ashville Hwy often gets bad. Hope you like Mexicans, rednecks, and factories.

Grainger County- Deliverance country. I wouldn't move there unless I had a bunch of cousins there. Its claim to fame is BIG TOMATOS.

Hamblen County- I don't know where that is.

Monroe County- Nice rural area. This area has more of a deep-south character, rather than the inbred appalachain character of most of east Tennessee. It's got lots of rednecks, and a sizeable black minority. Despite sensational news stories, I don't think there is much racial tension there.

rossc · 06-21-2006, 03:34 PM

Here is a county map from the US Census Bureau, Click on a county and it displays all sorts of census data for that county.

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/map...essee_map.html

Rayman421 · 06-23-2006, 10:13 AM

Mr Bighead

What is your take on the demographics of McMInn county??

tokyopapa · 06-23-2006, 11:21 AM

Loudon County- I do not know.

Blount County- The best choice of the options you mentioned. Close to Knoxville, much wealthier than the surrounding counties, good schools, and nice neighborhoods.

Sevier County- I like how Mr. Bighead described this county as the Appalachain Las Vegas. Honestly, he could not have said it better. Sevier County is very tacky and overgrown with too much tourist traffic for its own good. This area is a good vacation spot, but I would not advise moving here.

Jefferson County- Small, scarcely populated. Situated right on Interstate 81, this county is not very wealthy, poorly educated and not too exciting. Excellent if you're a farmer. Technology...eh, not so much.

Grainger County- The county seat of Grainger County has about 2500 people. This town is also the largest city in the county. Need I say more.

Hamblen County- Hamblen County and pretty much all of the Morristown area is over-industrialized and pretty filthy. Plenty of rednecks can be found in these parts, but a plus side is that this county has a mall and a decent shopping scene, unlike any of the surrounding counties.

Monroe County- I do not know.

TC500 · 06-25-2006, 11:24 AM

Have you thought about the Oak Ridge area?

Mr. Bighead · 06-25-2006, 11:40 AM

Rayman:

I haven't spent a much time there. It seems a lot like Monroe County- more southern than appalachain.

nova · 07-08-2006, 10:31 PM

Oak ridge? LET'S GO TO THE ATOMIC CITY FOR A GOOD RADIO ACTIVE TIME. It's cheap there for a reason, think about it. It's one of the few places the goverment is finally telling the truth about (some what).

LauraC · 07-09-2006, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TC500

Have you thought about the Oak Ridge area?

Please tell me about Oak Ridge. I'm thinking of retiring there because I'm impressed with the course offerings at the Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning. The population of Oak Ridge is similar in size to where I live now in Maryland. I want to live in suburbia not a big city. I like to fish. Can you fish from the shore there? Also, I'm in research now. I like the idea that it's a research kind of town. What's the newspaper there?

Went to Asheville, NC this Spring and the size of the city and the traffic scared me. Plus, in Asheville I saw more overaged hippies in one week than the entire 11 years I've lived in MD.

Thanks in advance for anything you can tell me about Oak Ridge.

AKA FLEX · 07-10-2006, 06:34 PM

Don't listen to Nova. Oak Ridge is possibly the nicest city in East Tennessee. Incredible culture, great museums, beautiful lakes and marinas, top-notch schools, open-minded and educated citizens. I could go on, but you get the picture. Crime is VERY low with the exception of two or three rough areas which are off the beaten path. You would have no reason to be there.

Oak Ridge's new Rarity Ridge development looks to be one of the most idyllic communities since Mayberry. Check it out at http://www.rarityridge.com. Anything specific you want to know about Oak Ridge, just ask.