what is it like to live in knoxville tn
Knoxville is the third-largest metropolis in Tennessee with 190K residents and is located about the country'due south eastern border with North Carolina. This 104-foursquare mile city sits on the Tennessee River, in the center of the Tennessee Valley department of the Appalachians.
Knoxville has a history of economic ups and downs depending on local wars, the state of the American economy, and the rise and autumn of transportation technology such every bit the railroad. But each time Knoxville has been knocked down, information technology has managed to redefine itself and rebuild.
In this commodity, we volition examine what Knoxville is like in modern times, and what the pros and cons are of calling the metropolis dwelling.
11 Benefits of Living in Knoxville, Tennessee – Pros
Offset, we'll look at the positive aspects of Knoxville which might make you consider a move to this city.
1. Depression Cost of Living/Housing
One of the most bonny reasons to live in Knoxville is that it has an overall cost of living that is 15% lower than national averages. In fact, the city has a lower cost for every major price category. The most of import depression price is that of housing, with Knoxville having a median home cost of $257K versus the national average of $291K.
It must be noted, however, that salaries in Knoxville are also lower than the national average ($23K in Knoxville versus $28K in the United states).
2. Decent Schools
The Knoxville school arrangement is in the Top 80% of school districts in Tennessee. The downtown schools have average performance, but there are many tiptop-ranked schools to the w and north of downtown. Information technology may also exist worth noting that the able-bodied programs within Knoxville schools are considered to be in the Top five% of the state. If yous are looking for alternatives to public schools, then Knoxville has 45 individual schools to cull from.
3. No Traffic
It is very rare to exist able to list traffic in the Pros category for a city, simply Knoxville deserves this recognition. The city ranks commencement in the world for existence the least congested city. When the Knoxville roads get congested, the traffic adds just 7% more to a driver's trip. And then on a xxx-minute bulldoze across boondocks, a driver will be delayed just 2 minutes past city traffic. Given this fact, it is trivial wonder that Knoxville residents spend an average of just xix minutes on their commute, below the national average of 26 minutes.
4. The Mountains
Knoxville is called "The Gateway to the Smoky Mountains" as the urban center is only 34 miles from the 500K acre national park that protects nearly of the Smokies. This is the nearly visited national park in the state, attracting over 12 million visitors each year.
Visitors come to hike the park'due south 850 miles of trails, including seventy miles of the famous Appalachian Trail. Others visit for camping and tin choose between both formal or archaic campsites. After hiking and camping, the next most popular activity is fly fishing for the native trout.
If you are interested in less crowded park options, Knoxville is near at least 5 land parks. Activities include birdwatching at Seven Islands, fishing and paddling at Norris Dam, and hiking at Big Ridge (3K acres), Cherokee (650K acres), and Cumberland Gap (21K acres)
Finally, as if the to a higher place woods land isn't plenty, residents of Knoxville have access to an impressive 92 parks inside its city limits, totaling over 2,200 acres of protected lands. In these parks, you will find a little bit of every wood and water activeness imaginable.
5. The Water
Knoxville is most commonly associated with mountains, simply one shouldn't forget that the city is in a valley; a valley that has been carved into the mountains by running water. Knoxville sits a the point where the French Broad River and the Holston River merge to form the Tennessee River. From here, the Tennessee river travels 652 miles until it reaches the Ohio River.
Along the path of the Tennessee River, mankind has placed 9 dams to control flooding, provide electricity, and make the Tennessee River navigatable to barges. At each dam, a lake or reservoir is formed. Knoxville has four dams/reservoirs nearby (Douglas, Cherokee, Fort Loudoun, and Norris).
These waters provide Knoxville residents with opportunities to engage in a multifariousness of water sports, including paddling, pond, fishing, boating, and water skiing. Some unique opportunities besides include birdwatching, sightseeing historic homes, and stopping at restaurants right on the river banks.
6. Golfing
The Appalachian Mountains are not exactly known every bit a golfing paradise, but Knoxville has done quite well in regards to developing a reputation as a golf destination. The city has 14 golf game courses with another 11 courses within xx miles. Of these 25 nearby courses, 7 are municipal, 9 are public, and the remaining 9 are individual. This variety of courses ensures there is an option for every budget and skillet.
7. Sports Crazy
If you beloved sports, then the Knoxville area is probably a expert fit for yous. The city ranked #2 in the nation for being the Best College Sports boondocks. Its residents are obsessed with the University of Tennessee sports programs, specially football.
Knoxville is also one of the few sports towns that get crazy over women's college sports, which is understandable seeing the UT women's basketball team regularly competes for the national title.
Gameday is a party before, during, and after the big games. Potential residents had improve enjoy, or at to the lowest degree tolerate, big crowds of neon orangish.
8. Jobs
Knoxville has been ranked 11th on the country'southward Best Cities for Jobs list with the city scoring well due to its robust task opportunities and employment growth.
Top employers in the city include state agencies, federal agencies, education, healthcare, tech, banks, aluminum manufacturing, defense contractors, retail, tourism, and many more than.
9. Art and Culture
Knoxville has a variety of cultural institutions located in or almost the downtown surface area. These include museums related to the history of the local people, fine art, natural history, and the railroad. There is too a children'due south museum and several old historic houses to tour. You volition also observe a half dozen professional, community, and children'due south theatres, forth with an opera and a symphony. The Knoxville Zoo is ever a hit with the family and its Asian exhibit has been rated one of the best in the state.
10. Exciting Nightlife
1 of the perks of living in a major college town is that yous frequently take an exciting nightlife, if you want it. The Downtown and West neighborhoods take over 60 confined, a one-half dozen dance clubs, and several live music venues. This same area has over 250 restaurants and two dozen breweries, most of which are locally endemic.
xi. Events and Festivals
Knoxville is a festive city and there are usually multiple events taking place every weekend throughout the year. The most popular festivals focus on Dragon Boat racing, arts, Mediterranean culture, beer, live music, Hispanic culture, Asian civilization, film, Pride, farmers, flowers, the environment, and much more than.
vi Drawbacks of Living in Knoxville, Tennessee – Cons
Living in a major college town tin can create some unique challenges that should exist considered prior to making the big movement.
12. Crime
A major college town full of drunk sports fans is going to have challenges with offense. Knoxville has been ranked equally the almost offense-ridden city in Tennessee, behind fifty-fifty Nashville and Memphis. In 2019, Knoxville had over 10K reported crimes. It is considered more than dangerous than 96% of cities of like size. Violent crime rates are double the national averages (45 Knoxville versus 22 Us) and holding law-breaking is more than than double the national averages (81 Knoxville versus 35 United states)
While the to a higher place statistics are scary, please note that most zero online reviews of the city listed offense equally i of the downsides of living in Knoxville. Crime maps show that crime is full-bodied in the University-Downtown area, while most of the town's adult residents live in the much safer areas in the northside and westside of the metropolis.
13. Game Days at Academy of Tennessee
Participating in huge celebrations every game day is a lot of fun when you are a 20-year old college kid. Only what happens when you are 40 and just need to get your kid to a soccer game, or simply demand to grab a few things at the Walmart? The novelty of orange craziness probably wears off quickly for Knoxville residents. As one online review nicely stated, "Home football game days are ugly if you lot live in [Knoxville], so information technology's best but to stay indoors when the drunken orangish masses invade the surface area."
14. Lack of Public Transportation
The city of Knoxville operates a bus service that has about a dozen routes. The most popular routes are from the college campus to the downtown area. Nearly students survive fine using the jitney for their downtown travel needs.
Yet, working adults who commonly alive outside the college-downtown corridor find using the motorbus to exist a struggle. Bus stops can be likewise far away in some areas, pickups occur too infrequently, routes are too long, some routes don't run on weekends, connections are often required, etc. Fifty-fifty the lack of sidewalks in some neighborhoods can make the walking trek to the bus end a chance.
If yous want to alive in Knoxville, y'all will need a car.
15. Mix of Politics
Beingness a higher town, the city of Knoxville is liberal. However, it is surrounded on all sides past the conservative areas of rural Tennessee. About every online review of Knoxville mentioned the political tensions that occur past having a blue city surrounded past a ocean of blood-red. Neither group can accomplish everything they want because of opposition and interference from the other group.
16. Air Pollution and Allergies
The Knoxville expanse has been plagued with bad air for decades, likely acquired by the nearby coal power plant and other industries creating smog that then got stuck in the valley.
However, the city has been making a steady investment to amend the quality of its power plant and industry. In 2017, the city finally met Federal air quality standards for the get-go fourth dimension. Today, the urban center is ranked 25th worst in the country for air pollution. Residents should continue to see improvements to air quality because the nearby coal ability institute is scheduled to exist turned off in 2023.
Even after the manmade air quality issues are fixed, the natural pollen issues will ever remain. Knoxville ranks 10th for cities with the worst allergies.
17. Water Pollution
The Smoky Mountain surface area is known for its pristine streams filled with native trout, and those waters do indeed exist up in the protected areas of the mountains. Still, the water in and around the valley is not and so pristine.
The Tennessee River is ranked in the top 20 of the nearly polluted rivers in America. A 2018 report establish the river had one of the worst levels of microplastics of any river in the world. Knox County ranked in the top 10% of most polluted counties. Nearly 30% of the state's streams are unable to support salubrious fish populations and forty% of its streams are non safe for homo recreation.
The largest culprits of water pollution in the valley are from farm and sewage run-off, as well equally plastic pocketbook litter.
Is Knoxville a Good Identify to Alive?
Knoxville is habitation to a major university with a popular sports program. Living in a college town has perks such as having admission to a robust Downtown area, plenty of nightlife, lots of cultural and art activities, and events happening in the city every weekend.
The question is whether the novelty of college town life will wear off past the time you lot hit 30 and y'all only want to be able to have the kids to soccer and visit Walmart without having to navigate drunk, neon-orange-wearing sports fans.
If you lot beloved the college sports scene, then Knoxville should be at the height of your list. If you just want a habitation near the mountains, so mayhap i of Knoxville's neighboring cities is a amend match for you.
What Does it Cost to Live in Knoxville?
1 of the virtually attractive reasons to live in Knoxville is that it has an overall toll of living that is 15% lower than national averages. In fact, the city has a lower cost for every major price category. The well-nigh of import low cost is that of housing, with Knoxville having a median home cost of $257K versus the national average of $291K.
What is the ZIP lawmaking for Knoxville, TN?
Knoxville has 16 nada codes: 37849, 37871, 37902, 37909, 37912, 37914, 37915, 37916, 37917, 37918, 37919, 37920, 37921, 37922, 37923, 37931
Is Knoxville a Safe Metropolis?
A major college town full of boozer sports fans is going to have challenges with crime. Knoxville has been ranked as the most crime-ridden city in Tennessee, behind even Nashville and Memphis. In 2019, Knoxville had over 10K reported crimes. Information technology is considered more unsafe than 96% of cities of similar size. Vehement criminal offence rates are double the national averages (45 Knoxville versus 22 US) and property law-breaking is more than than double the national averages (81 Knoxville versus 35 US)
While the above statistics are scary, please note that almost zero online reviews of the metropolis listed law-breaking as one of the downsides of living in Knoxville. Crime maps testify that offense is concentrated in the Academy-Downtown area, while virtually of the boondocks'due south adult residents live in the much safer areas in the northside and westside of the city.
What Canton is Knoxville, TN In?
Knoxville is in Knox Canton, Tennessee.
What is the Coldest Month in Knoxville?
The coldest month in Knoxville is Jan with average lows around 30 degrees. Note, the city averages just 5 days of the twelvemonth where temperatures stay below freezing for the entire day.
Related: 25 Pros and Cons of Living in Tennessee
Source: https://retirepedia.com/17-pros-and-cons-of-living-in-knoxville-tennessee.html
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