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Consider Knoxville. Has everything you might need along with views of the mountains and close proximity to an abundance of outdoor activities. Cost of living is low. Another big plus is the people are nice. It is very noticeable if you go and visit.
Or maybe live out side of the city rat race ! What knoxville offers is very noticeable all right just like in most any city its size but if that's the life that you want jump on as it only matters to you .
I agree with Lizap and beckycat. NC has a Democrat governor and is a very red and blue polka-dotted state. If you don't think you'll like Virginia I don't think NC is a better fit. SW VA has some pretty conservative pockets, though.
No, let me clarify that statement.
I am not considering VA due to their recent anti gun laws. I live in NY and that's one of my main reasons for moving to get away from that. I don't want to just move to another state with the same problem that I don't like. I like everything about VA except that. I would definitely consider Roanoke or SW VA but at this point I won't consider it any longer.
NC doesn't have those laws so I'm content with their state politics.
Or maybe live out side of the city rat race ! What knoxville offers is very noticeable all right just like in most any city its size but if that's the life that you want jump on as it only matters to you .
Thanks that's something to think about.
I would consider living outside Knoxville for sure. Somewhere in the suburbs/exurbs but within commute distance could work. I've read Oakridge and Maryville are nice towns with good public schools.
Cost of living issues don't often neatly sort out.
Keep in mind that while TN has no state income tax, sales tax is around 9.5% in most counties. Combined that with items like food being taxed (which isn't in many states), and those high sales taxes can eat away at more income tax savings than you might think, especially if you are lower income.
Property taxes in TN are fairly low, but if you live in the city, you pay both county AND city property taxes. Combined, they're generally about 1% of the value of the property. County taxes will be somewhere between 0.5%-0.7%, but schools are worse in the counties and utility rates are often increased. Figure about a $2,500 combined property tax bill on $250,000 house. Also, while cheaper than WNC, the better parts of east TN are not as cheap as some think. If you have kids, the only place I'd live would be Johnson City and Washington County. If you didn't get a job IN Johnson City, I'd avoid the area entirely - Bristol schools aren't great, and while Kingsport's are rated better, Kingsport has a lot of issues as a city where I couldn't recommend it. The biggest issue here is that it's very easy to fall into a pattern of living in Johnson City, working in Kingsport, while shopping at The Pinnacle in Bristol, etc., and that's a lot of gas, miles, and running around.
Knoxville has a better array of smaller cities around it that also have good schools, decent property prices, mountain views, and easy access to the city of Knoxville. It's worth considering.
Also, I've found basic essentials like groceries to be higher in east TN and western NC than the larger Midwestern metros I've lived in. Knoxville has somewhat lower prices due to more competition. Overall, I'd rate the cost of living in Johnson City as about a wash with when I lived in Indianapolis. I pay considerably less in taxes, but other costs (auto insurance, groceries especially). I'd rank shopping as Greenville, Knoxville, Asheville, and then the Tri-Cities. Knoxville does have the flagship university and all that comes with that. Clemson is not that far from Greenville, and Furman is basically right up the road for smaller events.
South Carolina has a punitive state income tax with a 7% rate above $15,000 or so. I've heard that vehicle registration costs are also high. Greenville is a great city, but you will be paying quite a bit of extra taxes.
I'm not going to get much into the politics, but I wouldn't write off VA. A lot of people are unhappy about the direction that their state government is taking, and turnout was low last election in Republican areas. Those people may end up motivated and show up at the polls, swinging things back the other way.
One thing that a lot of people from outside the area don't know is that VA probably has more buildable land over 2000' or so than most of east TN. A lot of land at that elevation in east TN is park/national forest or under some kind of protection. VA has quite a bit of land available at that price and it's steeply discounted compared to WNC.
The bad thing about VA is that cities are small and employment opportunities are really scarce. Roanoke is the largest city in western VA, but I've never been impressed with it and I don't think it compares well to even Johnson City.
I would consider living outside Knoxville for sure. Somewhere in the suburbs/exurbs but within commute distance could work. I've read Oakridge and Maryville are nice towns with good public schools.
Keep in mind that, culturally, small towns and rural areas in WNC/ETN are going to be very different from what you are used to and even what you think you might be looking for. Maryville and Oak Ridge are fine.
You'll see the Confederate flag flying fairly often. Church is the center of social life, and many churches are conservative theologically and politically. Where I am, the Southern Baptist Convention dominates, though there are plenty of other denominations. If you're not religious (I'm a moderate, agnostic Republican), it is difficult to break into social circles.
Rural areas tend to be socially closed and populated with the same families for generations. Outsiders are often treated with suspicion and not particularly wanted.
I work for a very large employer that is not in the "religion business," but someone has a big Ten Commandments poster above her cube that eveyone can see. This kind of thing will be a shocker to a lot of folks from outside the area, even Republicans. I've worked in other "red" areas and this kind of thing wouldn't happen.
I've known a guy here on CD for years who was originally from up north and wanted to retire in WNC initially. That was off-budget for him. Oak Ridge has the government labs and associated defense contractors and is a nice white-collar community. He liked Johnson City, but there are issues here with our healthcare that gave him pause. He ended up liking Maryville a good bit, and it's very close to UT Medical Center, which brings me to my next point.
Mission Health recently sold themselves to Nashville based, for-profit CHS. My guess is that patient care will decline over time. A lot of the corporate and office jobs will likely be eliminated or sent to Nashville. That's likely going to be a huge loss for WNC economically.
The issue is no better over here on the other side of the mountains in the Tri-Cities. I can name off probably a dozen people I know personally who were referred out of area, often to UT Medical Center or other hospitals/specialists in Knoxville. A former colleague of mine has lupus and had a kidney transplant at UT Medical Center last year. A personal friend of mine was diagnosed with some sort of weird "behind the eye" cancer was sent to Emory in Atlanta. My ex-girlfriend also has lupus and had issues with her hip and had to have a hip replacement done at Vanderbilt. It goes on and on like that. I don't know anyone who has been sent to Asheville for treatment.
Keep in mind that, culturally, small towns and rural areas in WNC/ETN are going to be very different from what you are used to and even what you think you might be looking for. Maryville and Oak Ridge are fine.
You'll see the Confederate flag flying fairly often. Church is the center of social life, and many churches are conservative theologically and politically. Where I am, the Southern Baptist Convention dominates, though there are plenty of other denominations. If you're not religious (I'm a moderate, agnostic Republican), it is difficult to break into social circles.
Rural areas tend to be socially closed and populated with the same families for generations. Outsiders are often treated with suspicion and not particularly wanted.
I work for a very large employer that is not in the "religion business," but someone has a big Ten Commandments poster above her cube that eveyone can see. This kind of thing will be a shocker to a lot of folks from outside the area, even Republicans. I've worked in other "red" areas and this kind of thing wouldn't happen.
I've known a guy here on CD for years who was originally from up north and wanted to retire in WNC initially. That was off-budget for him. Oak Ridge has the government labs and associated defense contractors and is a nice white-collar community. He liked Johnson City, but there are issues here with our healthcare that gave him pause. He ended up liking Maryville a good bit, and it's very close to UT Medical Center, which brings me to my next point.
Mission Health recently sold themselves to Nashville based, for-profit CHS. My guess is that patient care will decline over time. A lot of the corporate and office jobs will likely be eliminated or sent to Nashville. That's likely going to be a huge loss for WNC economically.
The issue is no better over here on the other side of the mountains in the Tri-Cities. I can name off probably a dozen people I know personally who were referred out of area, often to UT Medical Center or other hospitals/specialists in Knoxville. A former colleague of mine has lupus and had a kidney transplant at UT Medical Center last year. A personal friend of mine was diagnosed with some sort of weird "behind the eye" cancer was sent to Emory in Atlanta. My ex-girlfriend also has lupus and had issues with her hip and had to have a hip replacement done at Vanderbilt. It goes on and on like that. I don't know anyone who has been sent to Asheville for treatment.
Thank you
What about the local culture in towns like black mountain, Waynesville, Bryson City, etc..
I'm not looking to move to a closed off town where I will be shunned. I want to be a good member of the community and enjoy a small town feel.
What about the local culture in towns like black mountain, Waynesville, Bryson City, etc..
I'm not looking to move to a closed off town where I will be shunned. I want to be a good member of the community and enjoy a small town feel.
The small towns in WNC tend to be a good bit less insular than TN because they do have a fairly significant number of transplants. Even places fairly far removed like Blowing Rock have an artsy scene that keeps things fresh.
Love this thread because I am looking for much of the same. I'm not interested with the politics except for what that does to taxes and such. Living in CA I am used to swimming in a pond of extreme left wing. The one difference I can see between what I want and the OP is that I want to be at a high enough elevation where summer highs are more like 80 than 90 or above, but not so high that winter is too intense. Loved parts of SW VA, but the places I liked best were too far removed from any metro area. Northern GA is similar in that sense. The whole area around Asheville is pretty idyllic as far as climate and such, but way too many people have discovered that and it has developed into an area that doesn't seem to fit my desires. I am hopeful that our next trip will include both Brevard NC and Jonesborough TN (and several places between them). I like the sound of both of those.
The more "urban" areas we have really liked:
Blacksburg VA
Chattanooga TN
Knoxville TN
Smaller areas we have really liked:
Boone NC
Gainesville GA
Henderson NC
Black Mountain NC
Lexington VA
Very small areas we really liked:
Floyd VA
Fancy Gap VA
Meadow of Dan VA
Damascus VA
All over N. GA (Helen, Dahlonega, Suches, etc.
If we had to choose right now, wife says it would be Boone, Blowing Rock area. I would not count out Blacksburg VA, But I have a feeling I am going to like Brevard a lot, and I really want to explore the areas
East of Johnson City at a little higher elevation. I really wish Meadows of Dan, VA were a little closer to some of the urban things that become necessities as we age.
Love this thread because I am looking for much of the same. I'm not interested with the politics except for what that does to taxes and such. Living in CA I am used to swimming in a pond of extreme left wing. The one difference I can see between what I want and the OP is that I want to be at a high enough elevation where summer highs are more like 80 than 90 or above, but not so high that winter is too intense. Loved parts of SW VA, but the places I liked best were too far removed from any metro area. Northern GA is similar in that sense. The whole area around Asheville is pretty idyllic as far as climate and such, but way too many people have discovered that and it has developed into an area that doesn't seem to fit my desires. I am hopeful that our next trip will include both Brevard NC and Jonesborough TN (and several places between them). I like the sound of both of those.
The more "urban" areas we have really liked:
Blacksburg VA
Chattanooga TN
Knoxville TN
Smaller areas we have really liked:
Boone NC
Gainesville GA
Henderson NC
Black Mountain NC
Lexington VA
Very small areas we really liked:
Floyd VA
Fancy Gap VA
Meadow of Dan VA
Damascus VA
All over N. GA (Helen, Dahlonega, Suches, etc.
If we had to choose right now, wife says it would be Boone, Blowing Rock area. I would not count out Blacksburg VA, But I have a feeling I am going to like Brevard a lot, and I really want to explore the areas
East of Johnson City at a little higher elevation. I really wish Meadows of Dan, VA were a little closer to some of the urban things that become necessities as we age.
I do a lot of hiking around Damascus in the warmer months. Keep in mind Damascus is about 2000' and there are homes going into the national forest that are higher elevations. However, Damascus only has a couple of eateries, a single grocery store, and is basically a tourist/outdoor town for the warmer months. Things reallly slow down in the winter. Damascus is about fifteen minutes from a Walmart, hospital, and some other dining/shopping in Abingdon. More shopping and dining is available in nearby Bristol.
Fancy Gap and Hillsville are beautiful, but like you said, they're pretty far removed from anything.
I'm not a big fan of Boone. It's comparatively expensive and the area is very congested between the university and tourist traffic. I liked Blowing Rock when I stopped there back in October.
Knoxville is actually in a valley and will be considerably hotter in the summer. Officially, Knoxville is at about 900' elevation and Fancy Gap is 2800'. That's what I meant when people think somewhere like Knoxville is "in" the mountains, but those smaller areas in VA are pretty much off the radar.
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