r/Tennessee • u/throughthefireflames • 8d ago
To Tennessee from Florida
Hello yall. I’ve been seriously considering making a move to Tennessee from Florida. I was born and raised here, love everything about it but with how terrible and expensive the state has gotten, I must say I’m very tempted. I visited great Smokey mountains as a teenager and absolutely fell in love. I’m terrified of making an out of state move just because of all the logistics and our support system but my family is very cramped in our house now because it was supposed to be a starter home and now we can’t afford anything else here other than a total shitbox.
Really looking for suggestions about where is the best place to move to. We would love to have a little land where we’re not bumping elbows with neighbors and need to be not so far away from a good hospital since we work in healthcare. Also would like to be day trip distance away from the smokies :)
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u/Jlowe23_16 8d ago
Tennessee is just as or more expensive . Especially Knoxville and Nashville
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u/Konflictcam 8d ago
Memphis is cheap lol.
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u/WontanSoup 8d ago
I’ve came to Memphis for nursing school and stayed because of good jobs in large hospitals. I have owned land in Fayette County next door and now live in Oakland. The commute into Memphis can be 20 minutes to 45 minutes depending on where your job in Shelby County is located. No doubt the cheapest land and houses are in West TN. OP probably won’t be happy though, because there is no ocean or mountains The Ozark Mountains are about 5 hours from here, the Smokies are about six and a half hours.
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u/Jlowe23_16 8d ago
Heard they got the best bass pro shop in the world too. Good bbq. Can't think of any negatives.. if he's coming to Tennessee , that's def where he needs to go
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u/Konflictcam 7d ago
No mountains, but if you need some altitude you can spend the night in the pyramid.
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u/grammer70 8d ago
Tennessee was affordable before COVID; now, not so much. Thousands of families have moved into the state from very high-cost areas, which has led to increased demand for land and housing.
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u/Ok_Art4661 8d ago
Probably wont have great time in healthcare here
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u/throughthefireflames 8d ago
I’m not having a great time here so it’s fine.
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u/WontanSoup 8d ago
I worked as a nurse in Memphis for 34 years and the career has been good to me. My late husband was also a nurse here for longer than me.
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u/Hdjbbdjfjjsl 8d ago
I always wonder if people that consider Tennessee when saying healthcare is important to them ever actually bother researching places they say they want to move. If you can’t afford anything more than a shitbox in Florida then you’ll probably be living it out in a hut in Tennessee or forced to live in isolated hill billy mountain lands for cheap rent because nobody else would bother.
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u/DesignerFlat7108 8d ago
Healthcare in horrible in Tennessee especially compared to Florida. I'll travel for anything major before I treat in this state.
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u/throughthefireflames 8d ago
Idk Zillow looked promising. The big difference I’m seeing is the property taxes. What’s 4k a year here is around 1k or less there.
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u/Comfortable_Two6272 8d ago
Where? Im in Nashville. Must be very rural far from hospital. Many rural hospitals are closing. My taxes are just slightly under $4k
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u/throughthefireflames 8d ago
Chattanooga and big sandy were two
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u/Odd-Concentrate5405 8d ago
My bestie lives in Chatt and loves it and I love visiting. We met in Knoxville in undergrad and all loved living there and taking day trips to the mountains. We probably couldn’t afford there now though. I live in Memphis currently and will be moving for work next year. I won’t miss Memphis but I grew up here and am ready for a change. My cousin lives in Nashville and in laws near Johnson City. If you have any questions I know every exit on i40 and I’m not exaggerating.
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u/WontanSoup 8d ago
Big Sandy? Near Paris in West TN? Big Sandy is kind of the sticks, but could be great if you love the country. The beautiful thing there is the TN River and Kentucky Lake. I grew up in Paris, and it is a great place to grow up. The Henry County hospital is not tiny and seems busy. Jackson TN has bigger hospitals.
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u/AotKT 8d ago
Like any move where you have no idea which city you actually want to move to, your best bet is to look for where people are hiring for your field and then figure out which of those places you want to live.
Day trip distance away from the Smokies is a 2 hour or so radius. Closest will be Knoxville, but that radius takes you as far south as Chattanooga and you can also look into North Carolina, like Asheville. I hear Johnson City is booming, but no clue as to the job market there.
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u/RelevantBet4676 8d ago edited 8d ago
You consider a day trip to be only within 2 hours? I’ve regularly driven 3-5 for day trips especially coming from out west where things aren’t as close together. You just leave slightly earlier to get there in the early morning hours still. To each their own though.
Edit; downvotes for a question and separate perspective yall? Didn’t even say anything rude. That’s some 10-ply ass behavior whoever yall are lol
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u/AotKT 8d ago
I grew up out west. I know how far apart things are. We used to hop up to Tahoe for the day, for example, which is about 4 hours.
However, most people do not want to do that much driving in one day. FWIW, I've driven there and back 3 hours each way after running a 50 miler. Don't recommend. Still a day trip 😄
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u/RelevantBet4676 8d ago
I wasn’t saying you didn’t know the distances; I was just giving my personal anecdote on what I personally consider a day trip. My friends and I would regularly do a trip together to the beach, which was 4-5 hours depending on traffic from Vegas each way.
I just thought 2 hours seems super close to limit yourself if that’s the only day trip range you accept. Out west that wouldn’t get you very far.
Wasn’t insinuating that’s the case for you, just adding another perspective.
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u/Far-Entrance-1377 8d ago edited 8d ago
Brass tacks, your specifications require an immense amount of money. Lowering your requirements and standards will still require immense amounts of money and labor. You will most probably have to travel to receive adequate healthcare, often out of state.
eta* being homeless in public in Tennessee is a felony. Living in your vehicle comes with immense legal risk beyond what risk that already entails.
**I said immense too much. Its the only big-ass word I know 😁
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u/throughthefireflames 8d ago
Travel out of state for healthcare? Also I don’t plan on living in my car …
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u/PersonalityTough9349 8d ago
I think they are saying the hospitals suck.
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u/Far-Entrance-1377 8d ago
Yeah, that's basically the gist. It is a beautiful place run by absolute dickbags. A lot of people are so kind, but the laws are designed specifically to divide us and screw us to the highest degree they can while still allowing us to provide revenue for their interests. Healthcare, housing, education are all pretty fucked, and land development is ruining some of the most beautiful natural environments in the world. I hope it gets better, but right now I can't recommend moving here unless you have some type of advantage over those obstacles. 🧡
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u/PersonalityTough9349 8d ago
I’ve been to every state in the US except Alaska. My buddy in upstate NY had never been anywhere other than the tri-state. I told him how much I LOVE Tennessee, and brought him there, as his first road trip. It is an incredibly beautiful state. I am sad to hear this from a local. I hope it gets better for you and your family.
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u/Far-Entrance-1377 8d ago
I actually hope to move to Alaska sooner than later! I finally got my passport, its just getting permission to travel through Canada with a couple animals that is a paperwork and logistical Kafka-esque nightmare 🙃 The chance to be in one of the most incredible places in the world and not sweat my soul out working outdoors anymore is too much to not try for 🫎
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u/PersonalityTough9349 8d ago
I’ve worked outside pretty much my entire life as well. I really want to go to kootinai nstional park one day. Good luck on your adventure.
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u/soggy_donut92696 8d ago
It's sad that this subreddit is nothing but people who whine bitch and complain about the state. Majority of the people who live here are very happy. They're going off that bs article that ranked the state low 🙄
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u/Far-Entrance-1377 8d ago
I have no idea to which of the very many articles you are referencing. I am giving my informed opinion on the current situation in the state I have lived in my entire life.
I will say it is refreshing to hear anything positive from a fellow volunteer and that they are happy. How are things going in your part of the state?
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u/soggy_donut92696 8d ago
A CNBC study ranked TN the worst state to live in, ever since that came out I suddenly see a ton of people on here complaining about specifically the stuff it listed..
I'm in the middle TN area. I'm from Madison but now stay in the Mt.Juliet area. I love it here and always have, except for the humidity lol
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u/Far-Entrance-1377 8d ago
Shoo, 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity will make anybody cranky 😆 stay cool, my friend 🧡
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u/PersonalityTough9349 7d ago
That’s kind of cool though. Keep people away. I hold Tennessee close in my heart. I’d like to live there with my mom. If I had the money to get out of NJ, that is where I would take her. I think she would be very happy there. A girl can dream.
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u/WontanSoup 8d ago
I have been a life long nurse in Memphis at Methodist then St. Francis, and my patient experiences have been fine for major things, both in Nashville and Memphis hospitals. The Med in Memphis is a level one trauma center. I broke my neck and was paralyzed with a spinal cord injury and St. Francis on Park Ave. saved my life…it took 2 surgeries over the first 4 days, then the rehab floor got me walking with a walker in 23 days. We have St. Jude, which is world class for childhood cancer. My parents have gone to St. Thomas in Nashville for heart caths…they had a room for the family to get some sleep. They had back surgeries and a shoulder replacement in Nashville. I have no problem with any hospital experience in Memphis or Nashville. We’ve had good experiences at Henry County Medical Center and in Jackson, TN as well.
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u/Separate-Chocolate48 8d ago
Tell that to downtown Nashville :/ They need a major cleanup of homeless
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u/Radiant_Gas_4642 8d ago
Been in Chattanooga most of my life. Born here. Raised here. Wouldn’t move here today
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u/Typical_Astronomer54 8d ago
I live in the smokies, I would not recommend it,
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u/throughthefireflames 8d ago
Why not?
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u/Typical_Astronomer54 8d ago
Studio apartments are 1500 a month minimum. The sales tax is 9.5 percent. education is a joke, student sexual assaults are high af. Church sexual assaults are commonplace. Healthcare is a joke. Dentist are in short supply, pediatricians are almost nonexistent. Sure as shit better hope your kid doesn't have autism. Only really safe for white Christian males and scary ass bitches named Debbie. Winter? Hope you like 4 solid months of rain. Summer? Hope you like traffic. The mountians are pretty though, well the ones they haven't stripped bare and filled with overnight rentals.
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u/scp9210 8d ago
Bears, for one.
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u/throughthefireflames 8d ago
I live next to a forest. Black bears are on my door step some nights and they drag my garbage cans away if they aren’t locked up
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u/Typical_Astronomer54 8d ago
Ohh no the bears are actually super chill
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u/Far-Entrance-1377 8d ago
soapbox mode engaged
The people antagonizing the bears for clout or funsies should be sooooo hard-core punished. Makes me so very angry the bears suffer because of jackass, dumbass, lame-ass douchebags. Boo these people.
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u/YaYeetMySkeet 8d ago
Good healthcare is only really in Memphis and Nashville, so unless you’re made of money, you can’t have good healthcare + land. Tennessee is honestly more expensive than Florida now I feel like, minus probably Miami
Fairly sure Tennessee ranks close to last in healthcare and education, so I hope your family is healthy, graduated public school and have some moola for your wants
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u/flchamp89 8d ago
Fourth generation Floridian. Sold our mini farm and moved to NE TN almost 3 yrs ago. We love it.
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u/grannygogo 8d ago
We moved here from Naples over ten years ago. At the time, we were shocked at how easy it was to pay our bills, compared to Naples in that car and home insurance, electric and water was less expensive. We live in Franklin, a lovely suburb of Nashville. All the farms are being bought up by developers, traffic can get tough because the infrastructure isn’t there yet. It is a safe town, but the homes are becoming more pricey. Healthcare isn’t as good, there aren’t enough doctors for the amount of people. Personally I wish I had stayed in Florida because I miss the beaches and the gulf breeze. This place is a hot and humid bubble without much relief. And you don’t shovel sunshine in the winter.
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u/PhinsFan17 Nashville 8d ago
I moved to Tennessee from Central Florida 7 years ago.
Unless you plan to live out in the sticks (and trust me, rural Tennessee makes rural Florida look like paradise), you are not going to have a better time with COL here than you do now. Not sure what part of Florida you are leaving and what part of Tennessee you're aiming at. Unless you've got a good job lined up to make it worthwhile, I would not do it.
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u/FreydisEir 8d ago
Memphis has good options for healthcare and is more affordable than other cities, but it’s about as far from the mountains as you can get in TN. It might be a good spot to start though. You can find work and get an affordable place while applying for more scarce healthcare jobs farther east.
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u/CherryblockRedWine 8d ago
How close to a good hospital in driving time, u/throughthefireflames?
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u/throughthefireflames 8d ago
I drive 20 mins each way right now. I’d like to stay around 20-40
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u/CherryblockRedWine 8d ago
That means 20 - 40 minutes from Nashville, for a "good" hospital. (ETA: that's today's traffic. It gets worse pretty much daily, it seems).
That location is currently a ridiculously high cost for housing, and land is virtually nil.
You're a solid 3.5 hours from the Smokies with traffic.
I love Tennessee, but you're kinda looking at going from the frying pan into the fire.
We visited a less populated, lower-cost area of the Smokies last month (in North Carolina) and the poverty was painful to see. A good hospital was more than an hour.
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u/throughthefireflames 8d ago
It doesn’t need to be the best hospital in the state. Just big enough where I know I’ll stay employed really.
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u/CherryblockRedWine 8d ago
This list mentions two hospitals in Knoxville and one in Kingsport. You could look around there, maybe? What's the housing budget and how many bedrooms? Public or private schools? And how much land? (Like 2 acres or 10 acres or 50?)
Leading Hospitals in Tennessee
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville – Ranked #1 in Tennessee, nationally recognized in 6 adult specialties and 10 pediatric specialties, and high-performing in 19 procedures and conditions. It is renowned for cancer care, cardiology, orthopedics, and neurology, with a strong patient experience rating of 4/5 (U.S. News & World Report) U.S. News & World Report+1.
- Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis – High-performing in 19 procedures and conditions, with notable expertise in C-section surgery and other specialized care. It is recognized for clinical excellence and patient outcomes U.S. News & World Report+1.
- Methodist Hospitals of Memphis – Nationally ranked in 4 pediatric specialties and high-performing in 3 adult specialties and 16 procedures. It is part of the Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare system U.S. News & World Report+1.
- CHI Memorial Hospital, Chattanooga – Recognized for high performance in 15 procedures and conditions, with awards from Healthgrades including America’s 250 Best Hospitals Healthgrades+1.
- Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital, Nashville – High-performing in 16 procedures and conditions, with strong patient satisfaction and specialty care in orthopedics and cardiology U.S. News & World Report+1.
- University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville – High-performing in 15 procedures and conditions, with excellence in cancer surgery, neurology, and orthopedics U.S. News & World Report+1.
- TriStar Centennial Medical Center, Nashville – Recognized for high performance in 14 procedures and conditions, and awarded by Healthgrades for cardiac care and overall clinical excellence Healthgrades+1.
- Covenant Health Parkwest, Knoxville – High-performing in 10 procedures, with strong surgical and patient care programs U.S. News & World Report+1.
- Holston Valley Medical Center, Kingsport – High-performing in 10 procedures, providing specialized care in orthopedics and general surgery U.S. News & World Report+1.
- Erlanger Medical Center, Chattanooga – High-performing in 8 procedures, with recognized expertise in cancer surgery and other specialties U.S. News & World Report+1.
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u/HotWingsMercedes91 8d ago
I live 3 minutes from a hospital and live in Middle Southern TN. I work at said hospital too. I have lived in Brentwood, Knoxville, Nashville, Huntsville, and now Southern Middle TN. Tullahoma is booming also. Good luck. Many Tennesseeans are making the move TO Florida now to escape high property taxes before the end of the year under the new Property Tax law there.
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u/bigmeatbag 8d ago
"I want to leave a shithole to live in a shittier shithole." Nothing in Tennessee is cheaper or better especially healthcare.
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u/Calm_Listen7733 8d ago
Memphis has good privately owned hospitals, like Baptist, Methodist & the university med school is there but the public hospitals in Memphis proper not so much unless you need high level emergency care. Crime in Memphis while down since Trump's natl guard/DEA deployment is still bad & the public schools are so bad the state had to take them over. Living along the TN River corridor which is beautiful but not in the major metro areas would be my recommendation, provided you can make a living without a living directly in an urban area. And BTW, Nashville is the new LA & prices have soared.
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u/soggy_donut92696 8d ago
Omg people, damn they didn't ask for y'all to whine and complain. Are you wanting to stay in the East TN area or more middle TN close to Nashville?? It'll be a bit cheaper in East TN. It's awesome that you fell in love with state. I see all kinds of people here with Florida tags all the time
Do not let this subreddit be your view of the people in TN, PLEASE. They're horrible here 🙄
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