Moving from Miami to Tennesse (Knoxville, Chattanooga: crime rates, houses, employment)

[FCelestrin86]

Hi, my family and I are moving from Miami to Tennesse. We got to vacation in Chattanooga for a week and loved it. We are also looking to buy a home and looking at kingsport or whichever part of the tricities that has affordable homes. We don't want to be smack down in the middle of the city but more like in the quiet areas. Does anyone know what the crime rates are for Chattanooga and the tricities? For schools, which areas should I look at for good schools?

Last thing, we're first time homebuyers and would like to know how long the process takes over there? Any information would help. Thanks!

[sprintuser2014]

I'd stay out of Kingsport. We are pretty much losing everything to Bristol and JC. It's a ghost town.

[DubbleT]

Bristol is more affordable than JC, it's also more quiet with less traffic, but it also skews towards an older population and older housing stock.

Bristol is also laid out in sort of an inverted triangle with Volunteer Pkwy (11E) running down the middle of the triangle, with some business and such right off the highway, residential pockets hidden behind them. Then State St (11W) runs along the top with the Hospital and Pinnacle shopping area at one end and a small downtown area at the other end. We don't really have too much of anything residential that people traditionally think of as smack in the middle of a city, not on the TN side anyway. Most of the housing near our downtown area is postwar and older.

JC is a little more traditional in it's layout with most of the city laid out around a sort of loop with more of a mix of residential and commercial areas. Much easier to find newer, more of the 'typical suburban' type of neighborhoods. It is also bigger than Bristol and has a greater variety of shopping and dining.

Both cities are small enough that you can live in a quiet area or on the outskirts of the cities and still be within convenient driving distance of most of your needs.

I agree that Kingsport seems to be losing its appeal and I would probably not choose to move a young family there.

TN reports crimes in a different way than many other states so don't let the numbers comparing us to others scare you off. Link to a crime map so that you can get an idea of what the crime typically consist of- https://www.crimemapping.com/map/tn/bristol

Last but not least- because it's winter and we've had a couple of snowy days, I've been listening to some of my co-workers cursing their hilly driveways or neighborhood streets. Something to take into consideration if you make it to the point of looking at houses in the tri-cities!

[VinceTheExplorer]

Originally Posted by FCelestrin86

Hi, my family and I are moving from Miami to Tennesse. We got to vacation in Chattanooga for a week and loved it.

Are you aware that the two areas (Chattanooga and the Tri-Cities) are 3 to 4 hours apart depending on where you are?

If so, Johnson City schools in the Tri-Cities will have the better school system here. Honestly though it will still be a few notches below what you may be used to in FL. Most of the schools in Appalachia will be so-so as there’s a large amount of poverty in the region. Can’t comment on Chattanooga school system but hear they’re fairly descent.

It’s an adjustment that many with families come to realize when relocating here (we have three children) but do your research and see where it takes you.

We’ve managed to do well here with our son graduating in 2020 dual honors with a 4.2 GPA. He’s now at ETSU going the medical route and doing well there too, so a lot of it (to us) here is involvement.

Good luck.

[Serious Conversation]

Bristol is improving, but I still think Johnson City is the best choice for out-of-area families.

Johnson City has a younger and more transient vibe, largely due to ETSU, the VA, and Ballad HQ. Bristol is definitely more "local/townie" in feel, while Johnson City feels like a bigger city.

I agree with everything DubbleT said about the neighborhoods, expense, layout, etc. Personally, I think Johnson City is just much easier to navigate. "Bristol" stretches all the way from The Pinnacle shopping center on one end to the Speedway on the other side of town. It can easily take twenty minutes to get between them. Johnson City has better schools than Bristol. The city of JC, while not "affluent," is probably the most affluent school district in the area.

I also agree with previous posters to avoid Kingsport. Kingsport in 2021 doesn't compare well with Kingsport in 2001, much less where JC/Bristol currently are.

Per city-data's own data, Chattnooga's crime index is 593, when the national average is 274. Kingsport is 446. Johnson City is 293, Bristol 311. That's about what I expected.

Definitely secure employment (if needed) before moving. Job availability and pay are routine issues here.

[FCelestrin86]

Originally Posted by VinceTheExplorer

Are you aware that the two areas (Chattanooga and the Tri-Cities) are 3 to 4 hours apart depending on where you are?

If so, Johnson City schools in the Tri-Cities will have the better school system here. Honestly though it will still be a few notches below what you may be used to in FL. Most of the schools in Appalachia will be so-so as there’s a large amount of poverty in the region. Can’t comment on Chattanooga school system but hear they’re fairly descent.

It’s an adjustment that many with families come to realize when relocating here (we have three children) but do your research and see where it takes you.

We’ve managed to do well here with our son graduating in 2020 dual honors with a 4.2 GPA. He’s now at ETSU going the medical route and doing well there too, so a lot of it (to us) here is involvement.

Good luck.

The schools in Miami Dade County suck lol My son is doing better with the online school only because I finally stepped in once again to rescue him. Experiences here with the school aren't that great. Do you know about the schools in the outskirts of JC? I read that the schools in the county are better than the rural areas.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by FCelestrin86

The schools in Miami Dade County suck lol My son is doing better with the online school only because I finally stepped in once again to rescue him. Experiences here with the school aren't that great. Do you know about the schools in the outskirts of JC? I read that the schools in the county are better than the rural areas.

You have this backwards.

City schools here tend to be better performing and much better funded than county schools. You will want the Johnson City city school system. Washington County, TN schools are not bad. Truly rural county schools are poorly funded, with a lot of lower income kids and lower paid teachers/staff.

[FCelestrin86]

Yes, we're aware that the airports are that far apart. We're in the process of deciding which location to move to. My husband can transfer to either the Chattanooga airport or Tri-Cities.

Good to know about Kingsport! My husband read an article that says that Kingsport was an upcoming place and mentioned JC, Maryville and I can't remember where else. But he doesn't know when the article was published, so there's that.

Would anyone happen to know anything about how the outskirts of JC are? Are there good schools there? Is it affordable?

[FCelestrin86]

Thanks for the link! Definitely helps for research. The numbers are scary if we go by that.

We've done winter in Iowa and Washington state. I would say Iowa was by far the worst! We have experience with snow but not in mountain places. How bad do winters get there?

[FCelestrin86]

Okay, got it. That definitely helps to know.

Would you happen to know about the school system on the outskirts of Knoxville? For example, Maryville or Oak Ridge?