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Retirement Living In Knoxville - Tennessee


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Area Description

Full of history and culture, Knoxville’s Appalachian roots are obvious from the music you can hear at one of our historic theaters or the scenery you’ll enjoy floating along the Tennessee River on one of more than five major lake ways in the region. If you prefer dry land, a hike in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is just 30 miles from downtown Knoxville. As you might imagine, that rugged history played a huge role in Knoxville’s past and continues to help shape the region today.

Combine the area’s picturesque beauty with the low cost of living and it is easy to see how people quickly fall in love with this region. The state of Tennessee does not collect income tax and Knoxville’s cost of living index is 15 percent lower than the U.S. average. The median home sales price was $315,000 (as of October 2022).

Knoxville is a college town, home to the state’s flagship university, the University of Tennessee. UT’s campus offers East Tennessee everything you’d expect from the state’s flagship university including academic opportunities and top-tier intercollegiate athletics.

A short walk from campus, downtown Knoxville has emerged as a thriving hub for socialization. A hot spot for happy hour, dinner, or even Sunday brunch, downtown’s Market Square offers free parking on nights and weekends as well as a number of shops and restaurants. Next to Market Square, Gay Street features the Tennessee and Bijou Theaters. Both facilities offer well-known musical acts, stage productions, and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra calls the Tennessee Theater home.

Includes Cities/Towns: Alcoa, Andersonville, Briceville, Clinton, Corryton, Dandridge, Friendsville, Gatlinburg, Greenback, Harriman, Heiskell, Jefferson City, Kingston, Knoxville, Kodak, Lake City, Lenoir City, Loudon, Louisville, Luttrell, Madisonville, Maryville, Mascot, Maynardville, New Market, Norris, Oak Ridge, Philadelphia, Pigeon Forge, Powell, Rockford, Rockwood, Sevierville, Seymour, Strawberry Plains, Sweetwater, Tellico Plains, Townsend, Vonore, Walland, White Pine.

Region Characteristics





Area Amenities

Things to Do, Recreation & Fitness
   There are plenty of greenway trails, rivers, lakes, and streams in Knoxville, and the country's most visited national park is a short distance away.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a hotspot for nature enthusiasts. In autumn, the changing colors draw thousands to East Tennessee and throughout the year hiking trails, whitewater rivers, camping, fishing, and other outdoor activities draw visitors.

Knoxville also offers the Knoxville Ice Bears, professional hockey at the Civic Coliseum, and the Tennessee Smokies Baseball Club, the Chicago Cubs ‘AA’ minor league affiliate just a short drive away.

Cultural Activities
Knoxville has a wide array of cultural offerings including the Dogwood Arts, Appalachian Ballet Company, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Opera Company, several museums, Zoo Knoxville, live music events, and several festivals throughout the year.

The Tennessee Theater and Bijou Theater offer well-known musical acts and stage productions.

Public transportation
Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) operates the city's buses, trolleys and paratransit service. Seniors (aged 65+) can ride buses at a discounted fare with a valid Medicare or KAT I.D. card. All downtown trolleys are free for everyone.

McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) is served by five major airlines that offer direct nonstop flights to 30 domestic destinations including the major hub cities of Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington DC.

Medical Facilities


There are 11 general hospitals in the region including a children's hospital and a major regional trauma center with Lifestar helicopters.


What Will The Climate And Weather Be Like If I Retire In Knoxville, Tennessee?

The Knoxville region experiences all four seasons without major extremes. Summers are generally hot and humid though not quite as hot as areas to the south and west due to the area's higher elevations. Winters are generally cool with occasional light amounts of snow. Fall and Spring are both generally comfortable seasons that have very similar transitional temperature variations.

Monthly Temperature Ranges

 Month  Low  Avg  High
 Jan  27 F°  37 F°  47 F°
 Feb  30 F°  41 F°  52 F°
 Mar  37 F°  49 F°  61 F°
 Apr  44 F°  57 F°  70 F°
 May  54 F°  66 F°  78 F°
 Jun  63 F°  74 F°  85 F°
 Jul  67 F°  77 F°  88 F°
 Aug  66 F°  77 F°  88 F°
 Sep  58 F°  70 F°  82 F°
 Oct  46 F°  59 F°  71 F°
 Nov  37 F°  49 F°  60 F°
 Dec  30 F°  40 F°  50 F°

Monthly Average # of Hot and Cold Days

 Month  Days Greater Than 90 F°  Days Less Than 32 F°  Days Less Than 0 F°
 Jan  0  21  0
 Feb  0  17  0
 Mar  0  11  0
 Apr  0  3  0
 May  0  0  0
 Jun  5  0  0
 Jul  10  0  0
 Aug  9  0  0
 Sep  3  0  0
 Oct  0  2  0
 Nov  0  10  0
 Dec  0  19  0

Rain & Humidity

 Month  Rainfall  Rainy Days  Humidity
 Jan  5 "  11  29 %
 Feb  5 "  11  31 %
 Mar  5 "  12  37 %
 Apr  4 "  11  44 %
 May  5 "  12  56 %
 Jun  4 "  11  64 %
 Jul  5 "  12  68 %
 Aug  4 "  9  67 %
 Sep  4 "  8  61 %
 Oct  3 "  8  50 %
 Nov  4 "  10  40 %
 Dec  5 "  11  32 %

Snow

 Month  Snowfall  Snow On Ground Days  Snowy Days
 Jan  2 "  2  1
 Feb  2 "  1  1
 Mar  1 "  0  0
 Apr  0 "  0  0
 May  0 "  0  0
 Jun  0 "  0  0
 Jul  0 "  0  0
 Aug  0 "  0  0
 Sep  0 "  0  0
 Oct  0 "  0  0
 Nov  0 "  0  0
 Dec  1 "  0  1


Natural Disaster Areas

Cost of Living for Knoxville, TN

Knoxville, Tennessee cost of living for Housing, Healthcare, Transportation, Taxes, Utilities, etc.:

 Cost of Living

Demographics

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Age

Senior Housing Options





 The Knoxville region has a wide variety of housing options with several family friendly neighborhoods that are within fairly easy access of greenways.

Senior Assistance in Knoxville, TN

Knoxville, Tennessee offers the following assistance for seniors:
Knoxville/Knox County Community Action Committee (CAC) Office on Aging provides a wide array of programs and services for seniors. Click on this link to learn more about senior services and resources - https://www.knoxcac.org/newweb/programs-services/office-on-aging

What Job or Volunteer Opportunities Does Knoxville Offer For Retirees?

There are ample opportunities for volunteer work in the Knoxville area at hospitals, nursing homes, churches, and schools. There are also several civic and social assistance organizations in the region that utilize volunteers to carry out their missions. To find volunteer opportunities in the Knoxville area, click on this link - https://www.volunteeretn.org/

Additional Information

Visitor Information

Relocation Information


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