Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Tennessee

You think about living in Tennessee but want to get additional information about overall quality of life, income prospects, job market, safety, housing situation, living costs, cultural diversity and much more before making your final decision regarding this important topic?

Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of living in Tennessee in the following chapters.

Living in Tennessee – Overview

Advantages of Living in Tennessee

1. Rents are still affordable in many rural parts of Tennessee
2. Property prices are not as high as in many other states
3. Housing shortage is not a big problem outside of the big cities of Tennessee
4. Many people moving to Tennessee find a decent place to stay rather quickly
5. Many people in Tennessee don’t have to spend a big fraction of their income on housing yet
6. Rather low living costs in Tennessee
7. Rather low financial pressure for many people living in Tennessee
8. You don’t have to make a fortune to afford a decent lifestyle
9. People in Tennessee may not have to work many extra hours
10. It’s not all about the money in Tennessee
11. You can meet many genuine and honest people in Tennessee
12. Many people in Tennessee are pretty helpful
13. Tennessee is a rather tolerant state
14. People in Tennessee may not be as career-focused as in many other states
15. Rather easy to socialize in many parts of Tennessee
16. You may be able to make friends for a lifetime
17. You can meet many interesting people in Tennessee
18. You can experience high levels of cultural diversity in the big cities
19. You may be able to experience alternative ways of life
20. Tennessee offers lots of beautiful nature
21. You can do many nice things outdoors
22. Living in Tennessee may keep you fit
23. People in Tennessee are often in a pretty good mood
24. Many free things you can do in Tennessee
25. Decent air quality in many parts of Tennessee
26. Decent bars and clubs in the big cities of Tennessee
27. Decent schools and colleges in the major cities
28. Tennessee offers a good mix of big city life and nature
29. Tennessee is not the most crowded state
30. You will have more than enough space for yourself in public
31. Traffic is not a serious problem outside of the major cities
32. Rather easy to find a parking lot in Tennessee
33. Tennessee is a rather quiet state
34. Moving to Tennessee may help you relax
35. Tennessee may be an interesting place to retire
36. You can make many nice day trips in Tennessee
37. Tennessee is still a rather secret tip
38. Tennessee is not flooded by tourists yet
39. Decent public infrastructure in the big cities of Tennessee
40. Easy to get to the major cities of Tennessee
41. You may discover many new hobbies in Tennessee
42. Moving to Tennessee may help you find your inner self
43. Many recreational spaces in Tennessee
44. Interesting climatic conditions in Tennessee
45. Tennessee may be a solid place to raise your kids

Rents are still affordable in many rural parts of Tennessee

One advantage of moving to Tennessee is that rents are still pretty low in many regions outside of the big cities and if you don’t want to move to one of the major cities but rather want to live a quiet life in smaller towns or villages, you may not have to spend as much money on rent as people moving to San José or other much more expensive regions and may have more money left for other important stuff.

Property prices are not as high as in many other states

Not only rents are rather low but also property prices are still reasonable in many regions of Tennessee and you may therefore not have to spend a fortune for buying a home and may also have to pay back rather low mortgage rates.

Housing shortage is not a big problem outside of the big cities of Tennessee

Since housing shortage is not a big problem apart from the biggest and most popular cities in Tennessee, you will also find more than enough housing options no matter whether you search for a place to stay for a big family or are single right now and just need a small flat.

Many people moving to Tennessee find a decent place to stay rather quickly

Since housing shortage is not a big problem in many regions of Tennessee, you will also find a decent place to stay rather quickly in most cases while people moving to San Francisco or other much more popular places may have to search for many weeks or even months in this regard.

Many people in Tennessee don’t have to spend a big fraction of their income on housing yet

Since many people in Tennessee don’t have to spend a high fraction of their income on housing, they may have more money to save and invest for retirement or also for some fun stuff other people in more expensive regions may no longer be able to afford.

Rather low living costs in Tennessee

Another upside to moving to Tennessee is that also living costs are rather low and you may therefore be able to afford much more for the same budget compared to people living in NYC or other much more expensive regions where most things will be far more costly.

Rather low financial pressure for many people living in Tennessee

Thanks to reasonably low living and housing costs, also overall financial pressure for people moving to Tennessee is often rather low and people in Tennessee may therefore not have to worry as much about money and financial problems as people moving to much more expensive states and may be better able to enjoy their lives.

You don’t have to make a fortune to afford a decent lifestyle

Since many things in Tennessee are rather cheap, you also don’t have to make really good money from your job to afford a decent lifestyle which may also take away some pressure from you since you will not always have to strive for the next career step and may rather be able to enjoy your leisure.

People in Tennessee may not have to work many extra hours

Since you don’t have to make as much money as people in many other states to afford a decent lifestyle, this also means you don’t have to work as many extra hours and may have more time left to spend on your favorite hobbies or with your loved ones so you may be able to see your kids grow up in a proper manner.

It’s not all about the money in Tennessee

In general, while people in many other states often just care about your social standing and how much money you make, many people in Tennessee still care about inner values and about what you do instead of what you have and you can therefore meet and hang out with many great people even if you don’t have a great job.

You can meet many genuine and honest people in Tennessee

Another benefit of moving to Tennessee is that you can also meet many honest people in this state and while their level of honesty may be uncomfortable at first, it still gives you real feedback which can help you work on yourself and become a much stronger character in the long run.

Many people in Tennessee are pretty helpful

You will also be able to meet many helpful people in Tennessee and this can be great, especially during your first days or weeks at your new home when everything may still look unfamiliar to you and you may need some support to get important paperwork done or to get connected to locals so you may be able to become a valued member of society rather quickly.

Tennessee is a rather tolerant state

You should also know that Tennessee is a pretty tolerant state where you will be welcome no matter where you come from and what your background is and you will also be able to hang out with many interesting people in general.

People in Tennessee may not be as career-focused as in many other states

Since many people in Tennessee don’t care about their careers and about money as much as in many other regions, they will also have more time to help you out and get in touch with you compared to regions where people are just in a rush and have to get from one meeting to the other on a regular basis which may prevent them from spending enough time on their social life.

Rather easy to socialize in many parts of Tennessee

Since you will be able to meet many interesting and open people, you will also have a rather easy time making new friends and social connections in Tennessee rather quickly so you will not have to worry about getting socially isolated.

You may be able to make friends for a lifetime

Since you will be able to meet many genuine people in Tennessee, you will also learn to really rely on those people and some of those people will also become friends for a lifetime whom you can share all the things that are going on in your life with and may also be able to get important advice on how to handle certain topics in a proper manner.

You can meet many interesting people in Tennessee

You should also know that many interesting people move to Tennessee and by talking to all those people, you will likely learn quite a lot about life and will also get different opinions on certain topics so you will be better able to figure out what’s going on in the world right now.

You can experience high levels of cultural diversity in the big cities

Another advantage of living in Tennessee is that you will also be able to experience high levels of cultural diversity since the big cities of Tennessee are a melting pot of different cultural influences and this can make your life just much more interesting and entertaining in the long run.

You may be able to experience alternative ways of life

You will also be able to meet many people who just don’t live the mainstream way of life but rather aspire to live alternative lifestyles and while this may look weird to you at first, you may still be able to learn quite a lot from those people for your own life and may also be able to grow in character and become more tolerant.

Tennessee offers lots of beautiful nature

People living in Tennessee are also able to enjoy many nice nature reserves and national parks where they can hang out in peaceful environments and are able to relax and reload their batteries while they can still have a great time with their family by doing those nature excursions.

You can do many nice things outdoors

Not only will you be able to spend your time near nice rivers, lakes and forests, but you can also do some really nice activities in this region, including fishing, hunting, swimming, hiking and so on so you will be able to learn quite a lot about nature and may also be able to be productive at the same time.

Living in Tennessee may keep you fit

Since you can engage in many natural activities, you may also be able to burn lots of calories and stay fit and vital in the long run while you may also not need to go to the gym and may therefore have more time to spend on other nicer things instead.

People in Tennessee are often in a pretty good mood

Since you can spend lots of time outdoors, you can also get lots of oxygen which can help your body and your brain work properly and you may also get into a pretty good mood in general.

Many free things you can do in Tennessee

Another upside to living in Tennessee is that there are also many free things to do in natural environments and you may therefore not need lots of money during your leisure and may be able to have lots of fun even with a rather limited budget.

Decent air quality in many parts of Tennessee

You should also know that many regions in Tennessee have pretty good air quality and this can be great since spending time in those rather clean environments may help you stay fit and may also reduce the risk of suffering from serious pulmonary problems later on.

Decent bars and clubs in the big cities of Tennessee

As long as you move to one of the biggest cities of Tennessee, you may also be able to experience decent nightlife and will also be able to meet many great people during partying who may also become really good friends of yours in the long run.

Decent schools and colleges in the major cities

There are also some decent schools and colleges in the major metropolitan regions where your kids can get proper education so they will have solid chances of finding decent jobs later on.

Tennessee offers a good mix of big city life and nature

Since you will have some really big cities while you will also have many nice natural habitats to hang out, you will be able to enjoy a decent mix of big city life and nature so you may be able to push your career but may also have enough opportunities to relax so you may be able to stay emotionally balanced.

Tennessee is not the most crowded state

You should also know that Tennessee is not the most crowded state and you will therefore not run into large groups of people on a regular basis but will rather be able to get around in an efficient manner in most regions of Tennessee.

You will have more than enough space for yourself in public

Also during times you just don’t like having company and don’t want to get distracted by others, you will also find many quiet spaces where you can hang out by yourself so you can think about problems that need to be solved in an efficient manner.

Traffic is not a serious problem outside of the major cities

While traffic jams may be pretty common in the major cities of Tennessee, people living in the rural parts of Tennessee still don’t have to worry about traffic problems yet and will be able to get around in a pretty efficient manner.

Rather easy to find a parking lot in Tennessee

Since traffic is not a big deal in most regions, you may also be able to find a parking lot rather quickly and don’t have to spend as much time and money in this regard as in many other more crowded places.

Tennessee is a rather quiet state

You should also know that Tennessee is a rather quiet place in most parts outside of the big cities and moving to Tennessee may therefore make sense for you in case you just no longer want to spend your life in a hectic atmosphere but rather want to enjoy nature and the nice things that come along with it.

Moving to Tennessee may help you relax

Another benefit of living in Tennessee is that it is also a rather laid-back place where people often take the time to get in touch with you and will not be in the same rush of progressing in their careers as in many other states so life may just be a little bit slower and more relaxed and people may also focus more on things that really matter in the long run.

Tennessee may be an interesting place to retire

Since there are so many free things you can do in Tennessee and most parts of life are not as expensive as in many other states, retiring in Tennessee may also be a great idea in case you love nature and also want to afford a decent lifestyle even if you don’t receive a high pension.

You can make many nice day trips in Tennessee

Since there are so many nice natural habitats and also some really big cities, you will also have more than enough opportunities to make nice day trips with your loved ones and even in case you may get bored at home, you will likely find many nice things to do in other parts of Tennessee.

Tennessee is still a rather secret tip

Since Tennessee is not the most popular state yet, it may still rather be a secret tip and by moving to Tennessee right now, you may be able to experience many nice things at a rather low price tag.

Tennessee is not flooded by tourists yet

You should also know that most regions of Tennessee are not flooded by tourists yet and this can be great for you since you will have more public space for yourself and may also be able to live your life in a more efficient manner compared to regions where you would be asked by tourists to help them out on a regular basis.

Decent public infrastructure in the big cities of Tennessee

You will also find pretty decent public infrastructure and most things you need pretty close to your home in the major cities of Tennessee and also don’t have to worry about running out of important material goods anytime soon.

Easy to get to the major cities of Tennessee

Since there are some big airports in Tennessee, you will also have a rather easy time getting to the major cities of Tennessee and your loved ones from other states will have a rather easy time visiting you.

You may discover many new hobbies in Tennessee

Since there are so many interesting things to do in nature, you may also discover many new hobbies and may be surprised by how interesting fishing or other things are so you can adopt those activities into your life and may become really happy with the Tennessee lifestyle in the long run.

Moving to Tennessee may help you find your inner self

Since you will find many quiet spaces in Tennessee where you can just be on your own, this will also help you focus on yourself so you may be able to find your inner self and your true character and may be better able to really figure out what’s important to you in life.

Many recreational spaces in Tennessee

You will also find more than enough parks and other green spaces in the big cities of Tennessee so you can just sit down on a bench in a rather quiet atmosphere during lunch break or after work so you can reload your batteries and may also be able to stay emotionally balanced with your private and professional life.

Interesting climatic conditions in Tennessee

Since climatic conditions are different in various parts of the state, you will also be able to experience many different climatic states and you may also be able to enjoy pretty warm summers and cold winters so you may be able to do many different things throughout the year and may not get bored with climatic conditions in the long run.

Tennessee may be a solid place to raise your kids

Since there are so many nice things you can do in nature, Tennessee may also be a great state to raise your kids since they can have lots of fun but you can also teach them quite a lot about nature and why it is important to protect our planet as best as possible so they can turn into responsible grownups and may spread the news of preserving our environment as well so you and your family can have a big positive impact in this regard in the long run.

As you can see, there are many reasons for moving to Tennessee.

Yet, it is still not all sunshine and we also have to talk about the drawbacks of living in Tennessee so you will get a more realistic picture of reality and may be better able to decide for yourself whether you still want to move to Tennessee or rather want to move to Ohio or other interesting places instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Tennessee

1. Above-average unemployment rate in Tennessee
2. Low-qualified people often have a hard time finding good jobs
3. Low income level in Tennessee
4. Hard to get rich in Tennessee
5. Tennessee may not attract as many talented people as other states
6. Hard to build a strong network in Tennessee
7. Not many big corporations to work for outside the major cities
8. Tennessee is not located at the coast
9. Hard to find decent education in the rural parts of Tennessee
10. You may have to spend lots of time driving your kids to school and back
11. Public transport is not great in many parts of Tennessee
12. You may urgently need a car to stay mobile in Tennessee
13. Hard to find really good medical treatment in the rural regions of Tennessee
14. You may not get happy with nightlife outside the major cities of Tennessee
15. Not as many great museums as in many other states
16. You may miss great art scenes in Tennessee
17. Not many great sports teams outside the big cities of Tennessee
18. You may not meet as many international tourists as you may have hoped for
19. Distances in the rural parts of Tennessee can be pretty long
20. You should not expect great entertainment outside of the big cities
21. You may get bored with the Tennessee way of life in the long run
22. Many young people consider leaving the rural parts of Tennessee
23. Tennessee has to deal with many social problems
24. Tennessee may not be the most popular state
25. Natural disasters will become more common in Tennessee
26. Costs of homeowners insurance will increase significantly
27. Property prices and rents are on the way up
28. Some remote regions may not have proper internet connection
29. Questionable future outlook for Tennessee

Above-average unemployment rate in Tennessee

One problem with moving to Tennessee is that unemployment rates are pretty high and you may therefore have to worry about losing your job quite often, especially in the rural parts of Tennessee where the economy is often rather weak.

Low-qualified people often have a hard time finding good jobs

Especially if you have rather poor education, you may have serious trouble finding a solid job and may have to work multiple jobs to survive which can be really exhausting in the long run and may lower your overall quality of life quite a lot.

Low income level in Tennessee

You should also keep in mind that income levels in Tennessee are rather low and many people in this region struggle to make really good money as an employee and earn far less than people living in Washington D.C. or other regions where income levels are far higher.

Hard to get rich in Tennessee

Due to rather low income levels, it is also pretty hard to get wealthy or even rich in the Tennessee region and in case your goal is to make as much money as possible, you may be better off moving to states where you can make much more as an employee.

Tennessee may not attract as many talented people as other states

Since the Tennessee job market is not easy and economic conditions are rather difficult in many regions of the state, Tennessee may also not attract as many talented and ambitious people as many other states and you may therefore not be able to learn from the best of the best in your industry.

Hard to build a strong network in Tennessee

Since you may not be able to meet as many ambitious people as in other states, you may also have a harder time building a strong business network which may slow down your career progress quite a lot since the more influential people you know, the easier it would be for you to climb the corporate ladder.

Not many big corporations to work for outside the major cities

While you may find some big companies to work for in the big cities, you may still not find many big corporations in the rural parts of Tennessee and your career prospects may be rather poor due to that in those regions.

Tennessee is not located at the coast

Another downside to moving to Tennessee is that the state doesn’t have a coastline and you will therefore not be able to go surfing or swimming as often as people moving to Miami or other coastal regions and your overall quality of life may therefore be much lower.

Hard to find decent education in the rural parts of Tennessee

You should also know that schools and colleges are not great in many rural parts of Tennessee and you may therefore not find decent education for your kids and may want to use homeschooling or other alternative education methods instead.

You may have to spend lots of time driving your kids to school and back

Also in case you want your kids to go to school in the rural parts of Tennessee, you may still have to drive them long distances since the next good school may be far away and this may become really exhausting in the long run.

Public transport is not great in many parts of Tennessee

Another disadvantage of moving to Tennessee is that public transport is not great outside the big cities and you may therefore not be able to get around by car or train in an efficient manner.

You may urgently need a car to stay mobile in Tennessee

Since public transport is not great, you may also urgently have to rely on your car to get around and in case you are no longer able to operate a vehicle, you may just get stuck at home and may not have the same opportunities to make nice experiences as many other people out there.

Hard to find really good medical treatment in the rural regions of Tennessee

You should also know that quality of medical treatment may get worse outside of the major cities and it may also take you quite a long time to find decent doctors and hospitals in the rural parts of the state.

You may not get happy with nightlife outside the major cities of Tennessee

While you may find some decent bars and clubs in the major cities, nightlife in the rural parts of Tennessee is still not great and you may therefore get fed up in this regard in case you are a party person who needs action 24/7.

Not as many great museums as in many other states

Another downside to living in Tennessee is that you will also not find as many great museums in many parts of the state as in many other regions and you may therefore not be able to have a look at as many unique and astounding pieces of art as you may have wished for.

You may miss great art scenes in Tennessee

In general, you will often also have problems finding decent art scenes outside the major cities of Tennessee and may not find as many like-minded people to hang out with as people living in New Orleans or other parts of the US where art may play a much bigger role.

Not many great sports teams outside the big cities of Tennessee

You should also know that the number of great sports teams outside of the major metropolitan regions is rather limited and you may therefore not get happy as a sports fan who wants to watch many games live in person at the highest level.

You may not meet as many international tourists as you may have hoped for

Another disadvantage of living in Tennessee is that you will also not be able to meet as many international tourists as in many other states and you may therefore miss out on many interesting conversations which may make your life in Tennessee less interesting.

Distances in the rural parts of Tennessee can be pretty long

You should also know that distances can be pretty long in many rural parts of Tennessee and there are also some remote regions that are hard to reach so it may take you quite a long time to visit your friends in other parts of Tennessee and also road conditions may be rather poor in some rural regions.

You should not expect great entertainment outside of the big cities

Also in case you need action and adrenaline all day and night long, you may also not get happy in many parts of Tennessee since overall entertainment options in Tennessee are rather limited outside of the big cities.

You may get bored with the Tennessee way of life in the long run

Since you may just not find as many exciting things to do in Tennessee as in many other states, you may also get bored with your life in Tennessee in the long run and may consider moving to a more vibrant region instead.

Many young people consider leaving the rural parts of Tennessee

Due to high unemployment rates in the rural parts of Tennessee, many young people also consider moving to the big cities and in case you think about moving to one of those rural regions, you should know that you may just not be able to meet many young people and if you are young yourself, you may just not find as many like-minded people of your age to hang out with as you may have hoped for.

Tennessee has to deal with many social problems

Another problem of living in Tennessee is that social inequality is on the rise in many regions and this increasing gap between the poor and the rich may also lead to increasing crime rates and other social problems in the long run.

Tennessee may not be the most popular state

You should also keep in mind that Tennessee may not be the most popular state yet and your loved ones may therefore not understand your plans of moving to Tennessee and may try to convince you to move to other regions instead.

Natural disasters will become more common in Tennessee

Due to climate change, also natural disasters will likely become much more common in the future and in case one of those natural disasters hits your home, you may just lose everything you have worked for in your entire life.

Costs of homeowners insurance will increase significantly

Since natural disasters will become more common, also the cost of homeowners insurance will likely go up which will make living in Tennessee just more expensive.

Property prices and rents are on the way up

While property prices and rents are still reasonably low in many regions of Tennessee, they are still about to increase significantly and living in Tennessee may therefore no longer be affordable for many people in the future.

Some remote regions may not have proper internet connection

While most people in Tennessee have decent internet connection, there are still some remote regions where internet connection is quite poor and if you want to move to one of those regions, you should know that you may have a hard time staying in touch with the world and you may also not be able to work from home since having solid internet connection is crucial for doing those things.

Questionable future outlook for Tennessee

Due to rather high unemployment and crime rates, also the overall future outlook for Tennessee is rather questionable and overall quality of life may drop quite a lot in the long run.

Top 10 Moving To Tennessee Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Tennessee A Good Place To Live?

While living in Tennessee can be great since you can enjoy beautiful nature while you can still benefit from big city life and the convenient things that come along with it, you should still know that due to high unemployment and crime rates and rather low income levels, the overall future outlook for the state of Tennessee may be rather questionable.

In the end, it is on you to have a close look at the advantages and disadvantages of moving to Tennessee by yourself so you can make the best possible decision according to your individual preferences.

Most Popular Cities To Live In Tennessee – Comparison

Alternative States To Live

If you no longer want to move to Tennessee, you may also want to have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in South Carolina

Advantages and disadvantages of living in South Dakota

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Pennsylvania

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/TN

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.