Move! Tennessee! (Memphis, Knoxville, Johnson City: apartment, for rent, insurance)

[Slb7212012]

Me and my husband are thinking about moving to TN. I was wondering what is the safest neighborhood, being that I have 3 kids. Also would like to find somewhere that doesn’t have a lot of tornadoes. Help! Please and thank you to those who answer.

[BirdieBelle]

Originally Posted by Slb7212012

Me and my husband are thinking about moving to TN. I was wondering what is the safest neighborhood, being that I have 3 kids. Also would like to find somewhere that doesn’t have a lot of tornadoes. Help! Please and thank you to those who answer.

Cool!

Tennessee has about 42,000 square miles, with three major "divisions" that are very different.

What kind of place do you want to live?

How did you pick TN as a possibility?

What kind of rental/housing budget do you have?

What jobs will you have?

[Slb7212012]

Not sure about a budget yet, being that it won’t be until next year if we decide to move. But would like to stay around 600/800 for rent. His job will be landscaping, mine will be more reception/custodial work. We’ve only visited pigeon forge and around there and just love the environment and scenery, it’s just beautiful around there. Would rather be in a area that’s not in the city, safe for kids and little to no possibility for tornados.

[JOinGA]

Here is the National Weather Service map showing tornados in Tennessee. https://www.weather.gov/ohx/middletntornadoes.

[Serious Conversation]

Metro Nashville is basically going to be off-budget if you can't afford anymore than that.

Cheap rent and a good job market often don't go hand-in-hand. Towns with cheaper rent are often less desirable, with fewer amenities, jobs, etc.

For that budget, I'd check outside Knoxville. That gets you proximity to a decent job market at a reasonable cost of living, but not the overwhelming city traffic and such of Nashville.

[Slb7212012]

Thank you

[Geneyus]

The nicer suburbs and neighborhoods around Memphis are going to be a "no" for $600-800/month, unless you want an apartment. You can find it inside the city limits, but you mentioned you want a safer area.

[KathiOH1]

So many people ask about tornadoes in Tennessee. Why is that? I found this article about the worst states for tornadoes and Tennessee isn't on it, so why do so many people ask about it? I'm puzzled.

[rossn2]

Look at the storms that just went thru west and central TN about a week ago. Some tornadoes and some straight line winds that tore stuff up. There were 7 semi's flipped on I-40 from the storms.

[An Einnseanair]

Because people tend to think of individual states as homogeneous masses, where all parts are the same. This may apply to smaller northeastern or midwestern states, but nowhere else and definitely not TN.

Since parts of southwestern TN are within the tornado "Dixie Alley", the entirety of TN is associated with Dixie Alley. On this same path, it reads like the OP thinks Tennessee = Pigeon Forge = Mountains. So in their mind TN is a mountain state with a huge tornado problem.

In reality, the majority of TN is rolling hills... just like the Piedmont area of NC where the OP appears to be located now (based on their profile). The only parts of TN that are similar to the scenery of Pigeon Forge are in the far eastern portion, or maybe the Cumberland Plateau region west of Knoxville. Look around Johnson City/Elizabethton, for the largest cities in this geography, or farther south-west for smaller towns and communities.

But if they want the culture of Pigeon Forge (ENTERTAIN ME! BEARS! FLAPJACKS! TAKE MY MONEY!), then literally the only place to find that is Pigeon Forge itself. Or maybe Branson, Missouri.