Visiting Knoxville is great fun but relocating to Knoxville and East Tennessee is even better. Living here gives you more time to attend all the great sporting events at the University of Tennessee, bask in excellent theatre and art, listen to tremendous music from every genre, and indulge in exquisite, locally-sourced food and locally brewed beer. Knoxville’s downtown is growing so fast that the city’s infrastructure is working hard to keep up with improvements. Many new retail shops, unique restaurants and entertainment venues have popped up in Market Square, The Old City, and along Gay Street. Knoxville has a long history of great music, art and food and it just gets more diverse and better every year. Not only are there fun activities and recreation, but this city also has a thriving economy and a very healthy work environment. Knoxville has been listed in the top 10 Best Places to Retire and Happiest Cities to Work Right Now. In 2017, Magnify Money ranked Knoxville as the #1 Place to Retire Early; this ranking was due to cost of living and quality of life.
You will love the four seasons, the lakes, and the mountains. Knoxville has always been an outdoor wonderland with the lakes of the Tennessee Valley and numerous state forests, parks, and wildlife management areas. The #1 visited National Park, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a playground of 520,000 acres open for endless activities. In the spring and summer, all eyes and boats turn toward the sparkling blue of the Great Lakes of the South. Boat, ski, fish and swim in our seven TVA lakes. As the Holston and French Broad Rivers flow toward Knoxville, they form the Tennessee River. You can fish, swim, boat or sail or explore world-class whitewater venues. There are other options for water viewing activities include camping, hiking, biking, wildflower scouting, bird watching and history or educational opportunities. East Tennessee’s precious cool lakes are certainly most inviting in the heat of the summer. So, boating and swimming are at the top of everyone’s agenda. Take your pick – Norris Lake, Melton Hill, Douglas, Cherokee, Fort Loudoun, Tellico or Watts Bar Lake.
Knoxville has over its history been a quietly growing city. However, within the last five years it has become one of the ten fastest growing US cities, with a population gain of near 1% per year. Knoxville population inside the city is at 186,000 but the Metropolitan Statistical Area is over 868,000. The overview is that not only retirees like this city; young professionals are really comfortable with the laid-back atmosphere here too. Knoxville’s population median age is 33 with almost 45% of the total population between 20 and 40 years old.
The interstate system has helped to guide a lot of people through the valley. The city is conveniently located off I40 and I75 and is within one day’s drive of half the population of the continental US. Residents of Knoxville can use the convenient interstate system to take quick trips to Nashville, Asheville and Charlotte, NC and Charleston, SC. This makes for easy, short vacations and beach trips.
Relaxation is a very individual element but Knoxville certainly has a multitude of relaxing activities surrounding it on all sides. Golf, hiking, biking, fishing, boating, skiing and swimming are just a few of the outdoor activities that everyone enjoys in East Tennessee. Various gyms and yoga and wellness studios help to keep everyone healthy. Of course, if art, theater, music and food are what bring you the most relaxation, you will enjoy the lively entertainment that Knoxville is known to encourage in every area of the city. To really decompress, a lot of folks make a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains a part of their routine. Sitting among those tall trees always seems to make breathing a lot easier.
Knoxville’s relaxed atmosphere seems to make everyone happier, and more likely to not only visit – but to decide to live in this city with lovely mountain views. Those of us who live here certainly understand the increased interest in the area. It is nestled in a valley with the shield of the Cumberland Plateau to the northwest and The Great Smoky Mountains to the southeast. This makes for a really gentle weather pattern and protection from the uncomfortable extremes. Knoxville is quite unique in that it enjoys all four seasons but has very little extreme cold weather, and less heat and humidity than most southern cities. Summer average highs are in the upper 80s and lows in the upper 60s. Winter average highs are in the upper 40s and lows in the low 30s.
We invite you to explore the many benefits of living in East Tennessee. Call our office at 800-747-0713 for immediate answers to all of your questions.