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We live in Florida now and have decided to leave, it's not a good place to live anymore, wife is from Florida.
I work out of the house so can live anywhere, wife is a healthcare professional and can work anywhere there are significant medical facilities.
We would like to live on a nice sized lake or river where we can use our 26' power boat and enjoy a laid back way of life.
We can pay up to $1M for a place to live (we are forutnate and know it). We don't want to be in a snobby place or sub division with a lot of silly rules.
We have done a lot of research on moving to North Carolina and that looks interesting to us.
The four seasons around Charlotte look good to us climate wise. Are there any places in Tennessee that have a comprable climate?
Can anyone comment on the general differences between living in Tennessee and North Carolina?
Can anyone here suggest places in Tennessee that we might consider?
Thank you.
Asheville, NC is ultra liberal, non-traditional, artsy and it is full of transplants from major northern US cities. I found it to be superficial (look at me, look at me, kind of place). It also has a summer tourist/snowbird population and all of the traffic/parking/crowding problems associated with anyplace that has a seasonal tourist population. I wouldn't lump Asheville in with other parts of North Carolina. I think even the natives of North Carolina would say Asheville is not like the rest of the state.
I'm thinking living in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, for example, is different than living in the rest of Tennessee, too.
You might want to check registered voter party affiliation before you pick a town as that may impact your quality of life preferences. That information is available online.
Since parts of every state are different, it's hard to compare 2 states. You didn't say where you were from before Florida but North Carolina has a lot more Florida/NY retiree transplants than Tennessee (where NY or NJ aren't even in the Top 5 of sending states). I don't know if that's true for the under 60 crowd but if I had to guess, I would guess the pattern is similar. I'm telling you this in case you want to live with people with the same geographical roots.
See this from a previous post:
I'm a numbers junkie and I'm reading this book about retirement migration in America and of the 100% of people that retired (60 and over) to Tennessee 1995 - 2000, these 5 states sent 39.5% of that 100% of 60+ (age) retirees to Tennessee :
Florida
Michigan
Georgia
Illinois
Ohio
But, I had visited North Carolina to check it out and heard (accents) of different retirees so I checked out that state in the book, too. Of the 100% of people that retired (60 and over) to North Carolina 1995 - 2000, these 5 states sent a whopping 53.0% of that 100% of 60+ retirees to North Carolina:
Florida
New York
Virginia
South Carolina
New Jersey
Now, I'm thinking a lot of people who leave Florida probably come from NY and NJ originally but I must say that North Carolina's slice of retiree aged Floridians (16.2%) is a lot bigger than Tennessee's slice (12.6%). And the Number 2 state in Tennessee (Michigan) at 7.8% doesn't come close to the Number 2 state in North Carolina (New York) at 14.7%.
I don't really know that much about North Carolina, but I did do some research on the homes in Brentwood/Franklin Tennessee area. It seems like a good investment if your planning on living there for a while. As far as property taxes goes, every area seemed very inexpensive when compared to Florida. It didn't even matter if Belle Meade was a little more than Franklin...either way you look at it...it's a huge difference in price when compare it to anything in S. Florida.
Generally, if I was looking into an area, I would want to live in an area where the value of the homes will go up! I don't think Antioch, Tennessee is a desirable area, as far as resale value goes. I would always look at the appreciation statistics first, and take that into consideration moreso than property taxes alone. If you buy a 100k home in N. Carolina and you buy a 100k home in Tenn...and the area in Tenn actually appreciates more...it usually makes more sense to purchase in the area where the homes typically go up in value. (Unless the property taxes are just outta control as in some states I can think of.)
I think Belle Meade, Brentwood and Franklin seems the safest in terms of knowing the home values are going to go up. Obviously I would check out each sub-division as well. A home is always going to be a huge investment. Nobody wants to purchase a home in a city where a home doesn't appreciate very much. I also heard that Tenn. doesn't have a state tax, which is great if you are still working.
Here is a perfect example of what I am talking about:
My grandmother insisted that her and my grandfather move to a certain area in Upstate NY. My Grandfather begged my Grandmother not to move. He was right, but she didn't want to listen. I checked the value of our old home in NYC. They sold it for 130k in 1983. 25 yrs. later the home is valued at over 1.1 million. My grandmother moved to upstate NY and she paid 130k for her last home that my grandfather begged her not to buy...but the resale value I believe is possibly at 500k? (I think it might even be a little lower) right now. I don't have the heart to tell my Grandmother this, but my Grandfather was right. They should have stayed in NYC.
I'm with your grandmother on this---I lived in NYC, too, which can be hell on earth, depending on where in the city you live, of course. But selling the house at 500,000 is not bad at all. Some people would much prefer a more relaxed, country setting to all the crime, noise, pollution, rudeness, etc., of a big city and not care a whit about whether the house price rose to $1 million.
I moved to Eastern NC last year after living in south Florida for the last 20 years. Eastern NC is definitely cheaper than south Florida, however I’m disabled and live on a very small stipend. Right now the cost of living here is beginning to get out of control. I’ve got to find someplace cheaper. I have no family and can live anywhere as long as I’m near decent doctors for my illnesses. Is there a part of Tennessee that doesn’t get bad winters and/or tornadoes?
I'd def consider Chatt. It is absolutely beautiful and a really cool city. I love Memphis but def realize it ain't for everyone! I thought University of Tennessee's med school was in Memphis? I'm sure Knoxville has got good facilities though. You won't get the kind of weather y'all get in south Florida anywhere in Tennessee tbh. Maybe Memphis is kinda close in heat and humidity to northern Florida but that's about it. Most of TN is not super expensive, aside from Nashville.
As a state, both NC and TN are relatively similar. To get a better idea about day-to-day living, comparing similar areas will give you more of an idea of what you might want.
Charlotte/Nashville/Raleigh-Durham: All 3 are both super-hot areas right now, with no end in sight anytime soon. All 3 have great economies and have high qualities of life. All have excellent health care, but RDU/Nashville have the edge. Charlotte has the advantage of more unique recreational assets (RDU's weakness), noticeably better Buying Power (cost of living vs. average annual income) than Nashville or RDU, and more lake/river living opportunities (Lake Norman, Mountain Island Lake, and Lake Wylie).
Knoxville/Chattanooga/Asheville: Asheville is noticeably more expensive than KNX and CHATT and has fewer job opportunities. BUT Asheville does have a good number of health care facilities (especially of its size), as does Knoxville. All 3 are very beautiful and have really good outdoor recreational assets. CHATT, IMO, is a very underrated metro from a national point of view. A real gem.
NC/TN: NC has a wider collection of top rated metros, retirement areas, and small towns spread out more evenly across the state. TN isn't far behind. On the whole, TN has better Buying Power. Climatically, western NC and eastern TN are alike. You have incredible beaches and coastline in NC and TN is landlocked. People in both states are really nice and have always had great experiences in both.
I like North Carolina and Tennessee a lot, so it just depends on what specific place resonates the most with you guys. Good luck in your search.
I would throw The Triad in with the Knoxville comparison. That often gets overlooked in NC.
I like Knoxville, but it seems to sort of punch below its weight in terms of amenities and such. Asheville has nationally known dining, beer, and tourism opportunities.
NC is going to have far more buildable areas at elevation than TN will. TN will have a more favorable tax environment.
I'm actually very familiar with both states, especially the mountain region you mention, so I can offer some more qualitative color.
North Carolina as a state has things together in a lot of ways, the Triangle and the Charlotte area are both doing incredibly well, and it's by design. Nashville is also doing well, but it's because of the city itself, not the efforts of the state. There isn't really a city in North Carolina that is just struggling.
That said, I think @march2 sums it up pretty well about the big cities. Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham and Nashville are where you go to make money, get ahead and be in a faster paced, booming environment. Knoxville, Asheville and Chattanooga are cool, smaller cities that most people who work in big corporate offices can't really just up and move to and find a job -- it sounds like your situation is unique and they would work for you, but for most, there aren't a ton of job opportunities compared to the bigger cities. That said, all 3 are very hip and you'll find cool restaurants, music and breweries in all of them -- with Asheville as the clear leader in the cool factor if that matters to you at all. (Based on your post, I'm guessing it doesn't, but when I say it here, Asheville is going to feel the least strip-mall, suburban sprawly of the three if that matters).
Several posters have mentioned that Tennessee is cheaper, I think it comes down to how the states are run. Tennessee really is a bit wild west compared to NC in some ways (exaggeration I know, but it definitely feels that way). Schools in NC are better, the state University system is incredible, infrastructure is better etc. In Tennessee, there are fireworks shops everywhere along the highway, zoning is mostly non-existent and cities kind of fend for themselves when it comes to marketing, reinventing themselves, attracting jobs etc., which can be a plus or a minus depending on your point of view. Nashville has done great for itself, Memphis hasn't.
Personally, I'd choose NC over TN but as a Tarheel, I may be biased. I've been to TN several times and it just seems more - hickish. Charlotte is a wonderful city but the crime rate is pretty high, and it's more expensive than the Triad area where I currently live. Clemmons, Kernersville, and Advance are nice smaller towns near Winston-Salem, my hometown.
As a state, both NC and TN are relatively similar. To get a better idea about day-to-day living, comparing similar areas will give you more of an idea of what you might want.
Charlotte/Nashville/Raleigh-Durham: All 3 are both super-hot areas right now, with no end in sight anytime soon. All 3 have great economies and have high qualities of life. All have excellent health care, but RDU/Nashville have the edge. Charlotte has the advantage of more unique recreational assets (RDU's weakness), noticeably better Buying Power (cost of living vs. average annual income) than Nashville or RDU, and more lake/river living opportunities (Lake Norman, Mountain Island Lake, and Lake Wylie).
Knoxville/Chattanooga/Asheville: Asheville is noticeably more expensive than KNX and CHATT and has fewer job opportunities. BUT Asheville does have a good number of health care facilities (especially of its size), as does Knoxville. All 3 are very beautiful and have really good outdoor recreational assets. CHATT, IMO, is a very underrated metro from a national point of view. A real gem.
NC/TN: NC has a wider collection of top rated metros, retirement areas, and small towns spread out more evenly across the state. TN isn't far behind. On the whole, TN has better Buying Power. Climatically, western NC and eastern TN are alike. You have incredible beaches and coastline in NC and TN is landlocked. People in both states are really nice and have always had great experiences in both.
I like North Carolina and Tennessee a lot, so it just depends on what specific place resonates the most with you guys. Good luck in your search.
Great overview and comparison. I really like both states a lot myself.
Being originally from Tennessee, but living out west and in the northeast for the past 20 years, my return here part-time now has reminded me how incredibly geographically beautiful this state is.
North Carolina is incredible as well.
In my opinion, these 2 states have the most stunning mountain vistas and terrain in all of the eastern US. Geographically, North Carolina definitely edges Tennessee due to its majestic coastline, though.
Economically, both states have a few booming metros, as you mentioned. Nashville and Charlotte/Raleigh are continuing their economic growth booms and I imagine will remain in this mode for decades to come.
Asheville is such an incredible smaller city that has a super high quality of life vibe. The big negatives in Asheville though are the high cost of real estate and the lack of abundant jobs. Knoxville and Chattanooga on the TN side are comparable but lower cost, bigger and have more career and job availability.
Memphis is a wild card in Tennessee. It has remained largely stagnant since the 80s, although there are signs that its development and gentrification efforts are picking up some major steam the past 2 years or so. I think it is a true gem of a city though, and if it can get a handle on its crime and continue cleaning up and developing its neighborhoods, it could easily be a sleeper "next 'it' city" in the next decade.
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There may have been other factors
