Are you thinking about moving to Tennessee? If not, maybe you should! Read on to learn the 10 best things about moving to Tennessee.
1–Cost of living
One of the best things about moving to Tennessee is its low cost of living. According to the World Population Review, Tennessee is the 6th cheapest state in the US. It falls well below the national average in all categories they rank (housing, groceries, transportation, utilities and other). On average, it has a ranking of 88.7, where the US average is 100. This means that it is 11.3% cheaper than the US average.
In terms of housing, which is the largest component of the average person’s spending, it ranks 80.2 which means that, on average, Tennessee housing is 20% cheaper than the US average. The low cost of housing is the primary driver behind the state’s low cost of living. If you take out pricey Nashville, the cost of living in Tennessee is even cheaper.
Are you looking for affordable Tennessee housing in a beautiful, natural setting? If so, checkout the floor plans of some of our beautiful homes at The River Club.
2–No income taxes
Another delightful fact about Tennessee is that it has no income tax on wages or earnings. Investment income is taxed (income from stocks, bonds and notes), but at the very low rate of 6%. Moreover, the first $1,250 earned in investment income is exempt from taxation.
3–Mild weather
If you are from someplace like Chicago, with its freezing, windy winters, you are in for a delightful surprise when you come to Tennessee. The city of Crossville, which is only a half an hour from The River Club, has an average temperature of 84º in July, the hottest month of the year. The coldest month of the year in Tennessee is January, where the average temperature is still 44º.
The above chart is from US Climate Data.
4–Beautiful scenery
Tennessee has some of the most beautiful scenery in the country. The obvious is Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which the most visited National Park in the US.
However, there are many other beautiful natural wonders. Fall Creek Falls is Tennessee’s most visited State Park. It is filled with waterfalls spread over more than 26,000 acres. The 256 feet tall Fall Creek Falls is the tallest (and one of the highest east of the Rocky Mountains), followed closely by the 250 feet tall Coon Creek Falls. The park is excellent for hiking, swimming, picnicking and bird watching. It has camping facilities, private camping and even a golf course.
But these two parks are just the beginning. Tennessee is also home to the country’s largest underground lake in the US (and the second largest in the world), magical caverns, Instagram perfect fields of wildflowers and some of the most beautiful fall foliage in the country.
The River Club itself is nested in the middle of rolling hills covered with bluegrass and surrounded by tall oak trees. There is even a small stream where you can walk and enjoy nature.
5–Golf
Beautiful scenery, mild weather and its affordable cost of living also make Tennessee the perfect state for golfing. And the courses certainly don’t disappoint. Home to ten championship golf courses, Crossville (a half an hour drive from The River Club) is known as the Golf Capital of Tennessee. In fact, the Jack Nicklaus designed, Bear Trace course at the Cumberland Mountain State Park was recently named the #1 course in Tennessee by Golf Week Magazine.
In fact, according to the National Golf Federation, Tennessee is the fifth cheapest state in the country to play golf, with average greens fees of $37.40. If you ever get tired of golfing in Crossville, there are ample courses in the state to choose from- you can play on all the best if you get a Tennessee Golf Trail Annual Pass. It’s only $2,000 per year ($1,800 for Seniors) and includes greens fees, cart fees and a basket of practice balls.
6–Music
Tennessee is synonymous with great music. You can visit Nashville to hear the best country music at The Grand Ole Opry- the weekly stage show that “Made Country Music Famous.” The longest running radio broadcast in US history, membership in the Opry remains one of country music’s crowning achievements. Legends such as Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, the Carter Family and Bill Monroe all played at the Grand Ole Opry.
If you like the Blues, head over to Memphis. Beale Street, famous since the 1920’s, has some of the best live music venues in the world. You can also visit Sun Studios, where legendary music producer Sam Phillips auditioned Elvis.
The River Club’s hometown of Sparta is where bluegrass originated. Bluegrass legend Lester Flatt was actually a Sparta resident. Every year Sparta holds a Lester Flatt celebration in Liberty Square. And if you can’t wait until autumn, there are live music events around Sparta year round.
7–Charming people
Although technically a border state, one of the best things about moving to Tennessee is experiencing the state’s wonderful Southern Hospitality. The magazine Country Living did a survey of the top Southern quality for each state. People had the following to choose from: home cooking, politeness, helpfulness and charming people. Sure enough, Tennessee ranked the highest on charm!
In fact, Tennessee outranked many states in the deep south on its level of Southern Hospitality. It was ranked higher than states like Mississippi and Virginia.
8–Food
Tennessee is home to some of the best fried chicken in the world. Think hot sauce brined and double battered like you find at Nashville’s famous Arnold’s. Or you can try The Public House in Chattanooga, where they brine the chicken in sweet tea. The sweet tea adds a bit of sweetness and acidity to the meat, and brining always makes poultry more tender.
If barbecue is your thing, many people think Tennessee has the best. It also has some of the greatest variety, varying depending upon where in the state you go. Towards the Carolina side of Tennessee you’ll find tomato and vinegar based sauces in the mountains. In western Tennessee you’re going to have the wet or dry ribs debate. And in Nashville, you will find all types.
If you have the good fortune of moving to Tennessee, you can leisurely eat your way across the state by following Tennessee’s Barbecue Trail.
9–Jack Daniels
Kentucky has the bourbon but forget about that: Tennessee has Jack Daniels and Tennessee whiskey- cue the Chris Stapleton song!
All whiskey produced in Tennessee is required to use the Lincoln County Process. This involves filtering it through charcoal chips before it is aged, which gives it a unique flavor. Lincoln County is where Jack Daniels was originally located. Interestingly enough, Lincoln County is now home to the only distiller in Tennessee that doesn’t use the Lincoln County method. Benjamin Prichard’s was made exempt from legally having to use the Lincoln County Process under a law enacted in 2013. Another interesting Tennessee whiskey fact: Jack Daniels is located in a dry county.
If you want try the different types of Tennessee whiskey, you can follow The Tennessee Whiskey Trail. (Yes, Tennessee has a lot of trails!)
10–The River Club
If you are moving to Tennessee, you should consider one of Tennessee’s best kept secrets: The River Club. Located in beautiful Sparta, there are four floor plans you can choose from. The Nashville is excellent for those that like to entertain. Then there is the spacious 1,820 square foot Oakridge, the smaller Jackson or the warm and cozy Townsend.