What Living In Tennessee Is Really Like

The Vibe: You Just Can’t Stop Looking At Tennessee’s Giant Mountains

The Grand Canyon and the Yellowstone might get a lot of the nature-loving attention, but one visit to Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains and you’ll have trouble catching your breath. And not just because of the altitude. Whether you’re hiking the Appalachian Trail or gliding down the Mississippi, Tennessee’s nature will never get old. And while most other states frown upon fog on the forecast, watching it roll through the peaks of Tennessee will leave you wondering if you’ve officially reached the heights of heaven. And if heaven can sing the blues and bake biscuits the way Tennessee can, then just maybe you have.

Local Flavor: From Country To Blues, No Other State Can Fill Tennessee’s Musical Shoes

Austin, Texas might claim to be the Live Music Capital of the World but everyone from Tennessee knows better. The entire state of Tennessee knows music the way no other state could ever claim—at least with a straight face, anyway. Elvis, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee and Johnny Cash changed the face of music when they found Sun Studio in Memphis. And producing basically every big name in country music from Taylor Swift to Tim McGraw, Nashville continues to make waves while tapping toes in a way that even the biggest names in rock want a part of these days. Whether you visit The Grand Ole Opry, strolling through Beale Street, discover a new band on Music Row, walk through Graceland, swing by Dollywood for a day of music-filled thrills, or catch a bluegrass jam session on a front porch in Bristol, you’ll never question where music comes from ever again. That’s the heart and soul of Tennessee.

Cuisine: Tennessee Always Keeps Something Cooking Southern Style

Southern cuisine and old-fashioned goodness are always on the menu in Tennessee. From biscuits that will blow your mind at the International Biscuit Festival in Knoxville or from the Loveless Café year-round in Nashville to a killer burger and arguably the best milkshake of your life at the oldest running restaurant and classic soda shop in Nashville, Elliston Place Soda Shop. And whiskey is the adult way to wash everything down with in Tennessee, with perfectly aged Jack Daniels straight from the oak barrels.

Nightlife: Follow The Music

You won’t find the same bright lights in Tennessee as you will in Vegas. And you definitely won’t find the kind of clubs you will in L.A. And that’s perfectly fine with everyone in Tennessee because that’s how they prefer it. What Tennessee does have is an awesome assortment of bars and pubs where you’ll find a never ending string of live bands along with a ton of music venues, honkytonks, and theaters that keep the fun going long after the sun sets. The more famous places with the larger concentrations include Music Row in Nashville and Beale Street in Memphis, but you can also find plenty of great bars that offer up good tunes and awesome brews throughout the state in places like Franklin, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Gatlinburg, Murfreesboro, and more.

Safety & Crime: Small Town U.S.A. Is What Tennessee Is All About

You may have heard some unsavory things about Nashville’s crime rate. But while no one in Nashville will be bragging about the city’s issues any time soon, the folks here will be the first to tell you that it’s all in the neighborhood you’re in, not an overall city problem. But most cities have issues with crime. And Tennessee is much more than just Nashville. Just outside of the city, Brentwood is dubbed by AreaVibes.com as the most livable city in Tennessee, with an overall high score of 87 out of 100 and a crime grade of A+, with a violent crime rate that is 91 percent lower than Tennessee’s average. You’ll find the same goes for other places throughout The Volunteer State including places like Belle Meade, Germantown, Bartlett, and Collierville to name a few. So, there are plenty of safe places to live throughout Tennessee as long as you’re willing to do a little research.

Weather: Cold Winters And Hot Summers Are The Tennessee Way

Tennessee is a land that experiences all four seasons. No matter where you are in the state, summers are hot and muggy with July highs that hover from the mid- to high-80 degree temperatures and soup-like humidity levels. Luckily Tennessee offers some great water parks to cool down at. Winters are blustery cold, with January highs only reaching the mid- to upper-40s and often dipping into single digits for the lows. Snow totals do vary, though, with Western and Central Tennessee rarely ever seeing more than five inches of snow or so a year. But areas around Eastern Tennessee can get hit harder, with Bristol and Mountain City averaging over 13 inches every winter and Gatlinburg and Greeneville averaging nine.

Commute: Tennessee Shaves Time Off Your Daily Drive

Nashville is a highly car-dependent state. Even cities like Nashville only have a Walk Score of 26 and Bike Score of 33. So, a car is a must to get around here. The good news is that the commutes are pretty tolerable. USA Today reports that the daily commute time averages 25.1 minutes each way. But in Tennessee, you can shave a few minutes off of that total, as IndexMundi.com reports that The Volunteer State’s average commute comes in at a daily average of 23.9 minutes each way. That might not seem like a lot at first, but when you add it all up, that’s a savings of 624 minutes every year, or just a little over 10 hours spent at home instead of in your car.

Cost Of Living: Smile! Tennessee Saves You Money

When you live in Tennessee, you’ll notice that your bank account starts to get just a little bit bigger. That’s because unlike many other states, Tennessee knows that your hard-earned money is precious and belongs with you. According to Sperling’s data, against a national index of 100, Tennessee’s cost of living index is an overall 87, making The Volunteer State 13 percent cheaper than the national average. Groceries are cheaper here, as are utilities and healthcare. But the affordable housing market is what will really win you over. With an index of 70, the price tag of a home in Tennessee is a whopping 30 percent less than the national average with a home median value of $119,200. That affords you the ability to get a lot more house for your money without breaking the bank and giving you some extra cash to spend around such a fun state.

Tennessee Is Ripe With History

Tennessee’s nature is inarguably a beautiful thing. And the music of the state brings a culture like no other. But perhaps one of the most important parts of Tennessee is its monumental history. With give national Civil War sites including four battlefields, the United States Congress designated the entire state of Tennessee a Civil War National Heritage area. This is a land rich with an amazing amount of history and maybe nothing quiet at moving as the National Civil Rights Museum where you can stand where Dr. Martin Luther King took his last breath and view the room in which he stayed.

No Color Matters In Tennessee More Than Orange

The Volunteer State is a land filled with college football fanatics and the Tennessee Volunteers are their royalty. And with that hierarchy, I guess that makes Peyton Manning their king, since before he moved onto the NFL and solidified a name for himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, he was throwing passes right here at UT. Win or lose, Vols loyalty runs deep and very strong. The state turns orange on game day and while you don’t have to join in on the fandom, trash talking won’t be tolerated. You’re either for Tennessee or you belong in Alabama.