Any reasons NOT to live in E. Tenn? (Maryville, Greeneville: insurance, crime rate)

[Mrs.Bewitched]

I have been reading many reasons to do so. Despite lower pay in many counties than what I make now, the price of insurance, housing and taxes make the lower pay work. So now we have affordable housing, beautiful scenery, not too high of a chance of tornados when you are living around the mountains nor chance of hurricanes, mild weather (correct? Not FREEZING winter, or SCORCHING summers)...but there has to be some reason NOT to live there?

I am looking into different cities near the mountains. Basically, it would be wherever my husband and I could find work, and then we would live there or in the vicinity if the work was in a city, because I really do want to be a little more rural. I don't want to leave a city for a city!I have looked at: Maryville, Sevierville, Elizabethton, Greeneville, Johnson CIty, Unico(Sp.), Signal Mountain, Mount Carmel, Mount Pleasant, and probably anything in the vicinty of those areas.

I have not looked into the school grades yet. I have not looked into the air or water quality. I have not looked into flooding, though if I am living on "high grounds", I would not think there would be too much chance of flooding. Crime in some is higher than I liked; I was actually suprised by checking on City-Data about how high the crime is in sooo many cities!! If the average US city crime rate is 322, many small cities have 400 and over, some even as high as 600. Then I hear the stuff about gangs...

So, can anyone disclose any reason NOT to move to any of the areas that I had mentioned, or near any of the areas? Is there something I do not know-like they all have poor schools? Or indeed the crime rate is accurate and it is a problem; or some of those areas are gang central; or the water quality is like the water quality they made a movie out of from a city in Jersey; any reason at all?

I am highly considering a move to Tenn for my family (2 children- would be highschool and elementary by that time). I would like this to be the last move of my life. While I know that no place is perfect, I like to be able to have everything disclosed, and then I can way my options regarding what I would prioritize.
Thanks for all of your help!

[mbmouse]

Wow! I have to be honest, that is a tough one. I have lived in East TN for 10 years, I also have 2 children, one in High school, one in middle and we love it!
I have been trying to think of situations I have come across that have irritated me or was not happy with and have come up with a few. When we first got here, we lived in a VERY rural area of Jefferson County and the people would ask me "what church do you go to, do you want to come to ours?" I would politely say we are catholic, thank you we have a church" Some people would look at us like we had 3 heads as the majority of the population there is Baptist, some would even make a comment about us being involved with the "wrong" religion. That kinda irked me as I believe every American has the right to choose. The other is that there seems to be a larger number of the population here that draws disability checks from the government, and they seem proud of it as they will tell anyone that will listen. Now don't get me wrong, some really need and deserve that, but a lot here will find away to live off the system for a hang nail. So I guess my answer to you would be, in very rural areas there is a larger number of uneducated, ignorant people who feel it necessary to voice that fact. But there are people like that everywhere so I don't know if that will help you make you decision?

[heathersmom]

Well, seeing that we are on our way there this would seem like a hypocritical post (for me) but I do have to comment on the crime stats. First off, TN is nearly the center of the whole East Coast, so naturally lots of road ways pass through or around that area...lots and lots of travelers and truckers. I have no problem with truckers as my brother is one...just another group of hard working people...so...anyways...as my good "post" friend Kerry says- many of the crimes that are being toted in a certain area are from stops that happen on the Interstate and Main Roads...if someone gets caught with drugs or guns or whatever---and is on E TN road then E TN town gets the data for that arrest--which skews the crime stat results...also I have to believe that with warmer weather there is a tendancie for more violence--people are out and about more, high temps make some people grumpy and edgy--so the crime stats are higher in the South and other warmer areas then the North. One last thing is how rural E TN is- even here in NY I will see the Sheriff's helicopter go over every once in awhile, they are looking for marjuanna (spelling?) crops that are hidden in all of our Upstate corn, wheat and hay fields...NY can be rural but not nearly as much as TN--thats what everyone likes about it...so there you go that is my take on East TN- I just have to have faith that what I am doing is going to be okay- You know the old ...you only have one life -- take a chance saga--I'd rather try and fail then to sit 10 years from now and say "I should of tried that..." Good Luck with your endevors...keep this site in your favorites as it will help you alot (for the most part )

[swampbuck]

The job situation is going to be the number one factor. We bought out farm about 3 years ago. We are in west central TN. I have been looking for work for about a year in this area. Btw We still live in the Atlanta area. Need to find work before we move . And if your looking in rual areas POT is not the drug problem. METH is, I think TN is the METH capital of the southeast. Anyway we made many many weekend trips to differant areas of the state before we bought where we did. Cost of land was the #1 factor. We wanted at least a 100ac so east TN was out. I'm glad everyone else wants to move to east TN. That will keep our area less crowded for a while anyway. Good luck.

[TNLove]

Meth is not the problem they are making it out to be. I've lived all over this state and I don't even know anyone who uses it.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by mrshvo

I
ICrime in some is higher than I liked; I was actually suprised by checking on City-Data about how high the crime is in sooo many cities!! If the average US city crime rate is 322, many small cities have 400 and over, some even as high as 600. Then I hear the stuff about gangs...

Tourist towns suffer with crime stats because the formula to come up with the score is only based on the full time population. Some of those small tourist towns/snow bird havens double their population in some seasons but while all the criminal acts are counted, the acts are only divided into the permanent population number so the tourist towns look like hotbeds of criminal activity. I guess they can't come up with a better way to calculate crime by town.

[chester's]

Is Antioch one of these towns?I don't know it as a tourist town.It's not E.TN,but...

[robivi3]

I would not put alot of faith in the crime stats. They refer to the Metro area only and not outlying areas. In small town Tennesse crime is different than we in Florida's major cities are accustomed to. I recieve the Crossville Chronicle evereyday. What they report as a crime would not even warrant a report where I live (Sunrise, Ft. Lauderdale). Second, in a small town one or two people committing three or four burglaries or passing bad checks (a joke here, the cops won't even make a report) can make the crime stats which are per 100,000 soar. Put very little store by the stats except as a point for reference, you have to keep them in perspective. East TN does have it's sins but my eyes and my senses are not subjected to the daily dose of depravity i recieve just by looking at billboards here. Judge what you don't see also. As a Tennessean, transplanted thirty five years ago (I make really good money here) and as an East Tennessee land owner who has family there and spends ALOT of time there I can tell you that for a person who is looking for a family atmosphere and who rightly considers Miami/Ft. Lauderdale a rathole (was lovely thirty years ago) East TN is a lovely, friendly, family area.

[mbmouse]

Well put! I totally agree with Robivi3 on that one. I too am from Fl. I live in the middle of the Tri-Cities, If I look out my back window, between two trees, I can see the tops of the cars on I26.......I still go to the window and look if I hear a siren because it is not a normal sound. In Fl, I tuned them out and didn't even think to turn my head. Agreed, we have crime here, everywhere does, face it this is 2006, the entire world has it's crime, drug and gang issues, many countries citizens have to worry about getting bombed or shot on there way to work to make money to feed their family. It is a true, validated fear when they walk out of their house that they may never seen there family again. Some days I feel almost guilty for having such a safe life, but then again, that is why I am as patriotic as I am (VERY). I thank a solider when I see one.
I don't see gangs, don't hear gun shots (well, I did when I lived in a rural area but I knew it was the hunters in the woods.) I have NEVER heard of a drive by shooting in East TN, and the words, rape and murder are rare words used on local news broadcasts. THOSE are stats I trust. Naive and to trusting? Maybe I am, but I choose to live life, not be in fear.
Just my little ol opinion on the subject.

[CarolynB]

That was put perfectly mbmouse, like you I am very patriotic and PROUD to be an American, I have never heard of as many drive-by shooting as I do in Florida, this is a very diverse state with many cultures and I think it has hightened the crime rate because of it!!! Everyday the news reports more violence, killings, rapes and domestic violence than I ever heard of or saw back in NY, which has a reputation of such...I can't wait to move to Tennessee and have my children and grandchildren experience a safe and wonderful life,, without coming home from school and telling me the cops were there again, or who beat up who!!! And where people will be speaking our language English!!!!