Moving to Tennessee? Smokies, No Income Tax, Hot Chicken, and Tornado Sirens
Last Modified: January 1, 2026
Are you tired of reading Tennessee moving guides that feel more like dry geography textbooks? Who cares about census stats with no personality? Life in The Volunteer State can't be summed up with weather charts (insider tip: humidity is our default setting) or simple demographic stats (since they'd obviously miss the nuances of Dolly devotion and BBQ border wars). If you love front porch sunsets with Smoky Mountain views, live music on a random Tuesday that sounds like a record, legal moonshine that'll curl your hair, or barbecue so good it silences the table, then Tennessee might just be calling you home. Our playful and witty moving guide includes everything you need to explore Tennessee and enjoy the best each corner of the state has to offer. It will prepare you for the good (like hearing world class music in a coffee shop on a Tuesday) and the bad (pollen bursts and sudden storms). The porch conversations get better, and the sports fandom has to be experienced to be believed. When you reach the end, you'll actually know what it's REALLY like to live, work, and play in Tennessee.
Snappy Summary: Tennessee offers no state income tax, generally affordable housing, and real music and outdoor culture, but expect humid summers, storm and flood risk, high sales tax, Nashville traffic, and rising costs in hot markets like the expanding suburbs of Nashvegas and Memphis. People still move for the jobs, the Smoky Mountains, barbecue, and a friendly, slower vibe that outweighs the hassles.
Hey, I'm Mike
I am a Tennessee native who has lived, worked, or worn out tires in all three divisions of the state, from Memphis to Nashville to Johnson City, plus plenty of small towns that never make postcards. I once moved from the far northeast corner of Tennessee to the far southwest for college, stayed twenty years, then somehow boomeranged right back to Appalachia. I know the difference between mountain quiet and river loud, will defend Memphis BBQ like its a birthright, and can point you to everything from out of the way eateries to where locals actually hunt. We are not all barefoot moonshiners, but yes, some of us know where the real stuff is. At Snappy Scout I use that deep statewide mileage to refine Tennessee moving guides so theyre as real as a proper BBQ smoke ring, not some oven baked liquid smoke waste of calories.
Mike StoverTennessee Local ExpertThe Inside Scoop on Tennessee Cities
Major Cities In A Nutshell
Nashville
Nashville is perfect for: chasing creative careers with Southern side hustles. Widely recognized as the place for: neon honky tonks and healthcare empires.
Nashville in human form is: a budding songwriter CEO juggling three coffees while working a day job to get by.
Move here if you want: booming jobs, neighborhoods that feel like sitcoms, a shot at getting discovered, or just access to big city life.
Locals swear by: hot chicken arguments and backyard music writer rounds.
Your housing options here are: bungalows near bachelorettes, suburbs with bonus studios, or huge subdivisions outside the city.
Don't say we didn't warn you about: traffic with guitars, prices climbing like choruses, and yes, our own ice hockey team.
What you'll wear most often: boots with blazers, denim at board meetings, or athletic attire.
Memphis
Memphis, perfect for: big porches, bigger soulful community
Best known for: barbecue loyalty and serious grit, Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital, Mud Island, and the Memphis Tigers.
If Memphis were a person, it'd be: bluesy entrepreneur with sauce stains.
Locals live here because: family houses passed down and tight neighborhoods.
Nothing's more Memphis than: FedEx airplanes overhead, Friday catfish fries, The Memphis in May World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest, and Tigers hoops.
Housing vibe: brick bungalows and midcentury ranch clusters
The downsides are: potholes, declining neighborhoods, and summers that hug.
The dress code here is: sneakers, Grizzlies gear NOT Tennessee Vols orange), and church clothes.
Knoxville
Knoxville is perfect for: SEC Saturdays, the Vol Navy on the TN River, and creekside living.
Well known for: mountain views, leftover World Fair elements, and quiet ambition.
City as a personality: friendly engineer with an orange wardrobe.
Move here for: stable jobs and low key neighborhoods, big city life with a small-town vibe.
Locals know best: porch pickin and Vols chatter at Calhoun's On the River.
Home sweet home in Knoxville is like: Craftsman streets and new cul de sacs.
Don't be surprised. We warned you that: pollen tsunamis every spring and everything stops when the Vols are playing in Neyland Stadium.
Local fashion forecast: orange everything, even weddings.
Chattanooga
Chattanooga is perfect for: outdoorsy techies and porch beers
Widely recognized as the place for: startups with mountain backdrops, the birthplace of Moon Pies, and the first Coca-Cola bottling franchise.
Chattanooga in human form is: rock climber CEO with a kayak.
Move here if you want: gig internet and paycheck sanity, but small-town hospitality.
Locals swear by: riverwalk sunsets, Lookouts games, and Lodge Cast Iron skillets.
Your housing options here are: mill lofts, ridge homes, and quiet suburbs.
Be prepared for: tourists on weekends, traffic by tunnels, and out-of-towners stopping on their way to Atlanta.
What you'll wear most often: trail shoes and startup hoodies with UT Chattanooga colors.
Tri-Cities
The Tri-Cities (Johnson City, Kingsport, and Bristol) is perfect for: porch quiet with sneaky growth and little-known amenities.
Best known for: race weeks and mountain office commutes.
If Tri-Cities were a person, it'd be: a thrifty nurse with trail shoes, wearing ETSU Bucs ID tags.
Locals live here because: affordable homes, large healthcare access, East Tennessee State University, and hometown manners.
Locals know best: Pal's chedder round runs (don't forget the shakes) and ETSU tailgates.
Home sweet home in Tri-Cities is like: brick ranches and timber cabins.
The downside to Tri-Cities is: limited nightlife past nine.
The dress code here is: camo hats, Carhartt, and casual-comfy.
Clarksville
Clarksville, perfect for: military families, veterans, and Nashville commuters.
Well known for: Fort Campbell neighbors, Austin Peay State University, and booming subdivisions.
City as a personality: a disciplined neighbor with a smoker and bbq grill.
Move here if you want: new builds and backyard space.
Locals swear by: Riverfest, the Leaf-Chronicle, oldest newspaper in Tennessee, and Friday traffic at the gate to Fort Campbell.
Your housing options here are: starter homes and cul de sac sprawl.
Don't be surprised. We warned you that: helicopters rattle picture frames and are heard at random times of day or night.
Local fashion forecast: camo jackets and gym shorts.
Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro is perfect for: families craving space and MTSU energy.
Best known for: subdivisions, traffic, and marching band dominance.
Murfreesboro in human form is: an overachieving parent with a day-planner wearing MTSU Blue Raider colors.
Move here for: newer schools, workable mortgages, mall errands
Locals know best: baseball at Starplex and Toots wings.
Housing vibe: brick boxes and tidy yards.
The downsides are: commute roulette and sirens from students.
What you'll wear most often: school colors and athleisure.
Eat Like a Local
Locals from Memphis to Roan Mountain know that REAL barbeque comes wet, sweet, and sticky. Vinegar is a cleaning agent, not an ingredient in BBQ.
Mike StoverTennessee Local Expert
Fun Facts
Fun Facts You Might Not Have Known About Tennessee
Think you really know Tennessee? It's a state with Dollywood coasters that could snatch your wig, hot chicken that you'll have to cry through to appreciate, and synchronized fireflies that are tiny disco divas. Plus, more unique and strange festivals that celebrate everything from food to trees! Let's run through the facts, stats, and banjo calculus that showcase what makes Tennessee's authentic twang irresistible.
- Common nicknames for Tennessee: The Volunteer State; The Big Bend State, The Butternut State, The Hog & Hominy State, The Birthplace of Country Music.
- Local Reality Check: All country twang? Also healthcare hubs, booming tech, global flavors, four authentic seasons, and over 120 languages spoken just in the Nashville Metro area.
- You're most likely moving from: California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and nearby Alabama, Georgia, and Kentucky.
- Strangely large concentration of: bachelorette party tractors, hot chicken spots, dollar stores, fireworks warehouses, dairy and beef cattle farms, churches of all faiths, and Civil War sites.
- Music scene: Nashville country, Memphis blues and soul, Knoxville indie, and Bristol, the Birthplace of Country Music.
- You'll have to see it to believe it: Synchronous fireflies in Elkmont, the Rhododendron Festival in Roan Mountain, The Tiptonville Catfish Festival, The National Banana Pudding Festival in Centerville, and The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the United States..
- Unique Geography: Appalachians to Mississippi Delta, Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee River valleys, karst caves, and an underwater lake, called the Lost Sea, in Craighead Caverns, located in Sweetwater.
- Tennessee is home to: Graceland, Elvis' home, The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the home of the world's first atom bomb, Dollywood, and the Jack Daniels distillery. Tennessee is also home of the world's longest running radio show, The Grand Ole Opry.
- Well known for its: Hot chicken, Memphis barbecue, Tennessee whiskey, live music, rabid college football fans, scenic drives, old barns, being the birthplace of Mountain Dew, Moon Pies, and cotton candy.
- Fun history fact: Tennessee has the most caves of any state in the U.S.
- Celebrity sightings: Dolly Parton in Sevier County, Justin Timberlake in Memphis, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill outside Nashville, and Peyton Manning at every football game Knoxville.
- Noteworthy Census stat: More than 7.2 million residents per 2024 Census estimates.
- Most interesting sub-culture within Tennessee: Honky tonk songwriter rounds and pedal steel obsessives.
- Population: 15th by population, 36th by land size
- Tennessee is roughly the same geographic size as: Cuba
Locals Know Best
Only East Tennessee locals know that the state extends past Knoxville. Out-of-towners are often surprised that the interstate continues past I-40 and runs clear into Virginia.
Mike StoverTennessee Local ExpertMost Likely Personalities to Love (or Hate) Tennessee
Is Tennessee right for me? If you're an adventure junkie, foodie, or craft beer fan, you'll thrive on Smokies trails, hot chicken, BBQ, and honky tonks. Beach bums will enjoy the state's many picturesque lakes, and Wall Street types will be impressed with Tennessee's large cities. Other southern states just tease, Tennessee delivers.
Personality Fit Guide
| Personality | % | Recommended Cities | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adventure Junkie | 95% | Elizabethton, Gatlinburg, Chattanooga, Wartburg | The Appalachian Trail, Great Smoky Mountains, Ocoee Rapids, Obed climbs |
| Foodie | 93% | Nashville, Memphis | Memphis ribs at Central BBQ, Nashville hot chicken |
| Craft Beer Fan | 90% | Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis, Jonesborough, Johnson City, Bristol | Yazoo, Bearded Iris, Knoxville Ale Trail weekends, Tennessee Hills Brewstillery, Johnson City Brewing, Michael Waltrip Brewing Company |
| College Student | 88% | Knoxville, Nashville, Murfreesboro, Memphis | UT Vols Saturdays, Vandy coffee runs, Belmont shows, U of Memphis football |
| Hipster | 87% | East Nashville, Cooper Young, South Main | East Nashville vintage, Cooper Young murals, Third Man Records |
| Coffee Snob | 86% | Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Johnson City | Barista Parlor espresso, Crema roastery, Memphis City & State, Don Gatos Coffee Bar |
| Dog Momma | 85% | Memphis, Nashville, Johnson City | Shelby Farms off leash, Centennial Dog Park hangouts, Johnson City Dog Park at Willow Springs |
| Farmer's Market Regular | 84% | Nashville, Knoxville, Jonesborough, Johnson City, Erwin, Elizabethton | Nashville Farmers' Market, Knoxville Market Square, local peaches, Jonesborough Farmer's Market and Boone Street Market, Johnson City Farmer's Market, Erwin Farmer's Market, Farmer John's Produce |
| DIYer | 83% | Knoxville, Chattanooga, Franklin | Knoxville's HGTV roots, Chattanooga Maker Day vibes |
| Vintage Thrifter | 82% | 12South, Five Points, Broad Avenue, Greenbrier, Hwy. 127 | 12South finds, Five Points picks, Memphis Broad Avenue fleas, Hwy. 41 Flea Market, annual 690-mile yard sale along highway 127 |
| Retired Military | 80% | Clarksville, Murfreesboro, Johnson City | Clarksville near Fort Campbell, VA care in Murfreesboro, Mountain Home VA Medical Center in Johnson City |
| CrossFit Regular | 79% | Nashville, Knoxville, Elizabethton | Nashville WOD scene, Knoxville throwdowns at World's Fair Park, RidgeRunner Crossfit |
| PTA President | 78% | Brentwood, Franklin, Collierville | Williamson County schools, Brentwood fields, Collierville Friday nights |
| Garden Club Lifetime Member | 77% | Nashville, Memphis | Cheekwood blooms, Memphis Botanic Garden strolls |
| Stay at Home Mom | 76% | Murfreesboro, Franklin, Germantown | Murfreesboro playdates, Memphis Zoo memberships, Nashville library storytime |
| Homesteader | 75% | Cumberland Plateau, Cookeville, Greeneville | Cumberland Plateau acreage, farm coops, Tractor Supply everywhere |
| Tech Bro | 73% | Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville | Chattanooga gig internet, Oracle's Nashville campus, Oak Ridge brains |
| Retired Snowbird | 71% | Tellico Village, Knoxville | Tellico Village lakes, low taxes, sunny porch seasons |
| Gamer | 68% | Nashville, Memphis, Kingsport | Nashville's Game Terminal, Memphis conventions at Crosstown Concourse, gamer conventions at Meadowview Conference Center |
| Yoga Instructor | 66% | 12South, Chattanooga, Jonesborough | 12South yoga studios, Chattanooga riverfront sun salutations, Real Hot Yoga & Yoga in the Park |
| Cowboy | 64% | Franklin, Murfreesboro | Franklin horse farms, PBR's Nashville Stampede at Bridgestone Arena |
| Binge Shopper | 62% | Opry Mills, Sevierville, Bristol | Opry Mills marathons, Tanger Sevierville runs, wallet cries happy, the Pinnacle |
| Minimalist | 50% | The Gulch, Downtown Knoxville | The Gulch microlofts fit, but suburban sprawl and I-24 overwhelm |
| Beach Bum | 38% | Norris Lake, Percy Priest Lake | Norris Lake shores and Percy Priest are not Gulf waves |
| Wall Street Exec | 36% | Nashville | Nashville finance growing, but no NYSE buzz or subways |
| Surfer Dude | 32% | Old Hickory Lake | Wake surf Old Hickory Lake, but Beale Street lacks breaks |
What Makes Tennessee Feel Like Home
Not many Tennesseeans grow tobacco anymore, but old tobacco barns still stand everywhere. The sight and smell of them take me back to early Saturday mornings heading to the field, loading wagons, and pulling into the barn to hang tobacco stalks for drying. It was hard work, but Tennesseeans neve shy away from challenges. That's why we are the Volunteer State.
Mike StoverTennessee Local Expert
Things To Do
Fun Things to Do Around Tennessee
Curious about what you'll do when you live in Tennessee? If you like the idea of hiking through the Smokies or The Appalachian Trail, spending time floating on lazy rivers, enjoying great sport fishing, and checking out dancing in honky tonks, Tennessee is calling you home! This list of fun things to do will take you from Smoky sunrises to neon nights and give you a taste of Tennessee's natural beauty and musical heritage.
- Go Outside & Hike: Trek Alum Cave Trail to Inspiration Point in Great Smokies, or jump on The Appalachian Trail in Elizabethton.
- Spend Time on the Water cooling off: Where to cool off? Raft the Ocoee near Copperhill or water ski on Wautauga Lake.
- For the Sports Fans: Cheer the Vols at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville or root for the TN Titans or Nashville Predators in Nashville.
- This is the Iconic Road Trip to take: Cruise Natchez Trace Parkway from Nashville to Meriwether Lewis Site.
- This is the scenic ride for you: US 129 is a curvy legend at Tail of the Dragon.
- Underground Adventure: Sweetwater, boat the Lost Sea underground lake, or explore Bristol Caverns in Sullivan County.
- Maybe you should go chasing waterfalls: Hike Fall Creek Falls State Park overlooks near Spencer, or swim in the Blue Hole near Elizabethton.
- This is what locals do on the weekends: Dance to live honky tonk at Robert's Western World, downtown Nashville, enjoy a comedy show or day at Dollywood in Pigeon forge, or take in the curiosities of a local festival.
- During the short days of Winter: Nashville, wander Gaylord Opryland Christmas lights and indoor gardens
- It's Fall: Drive Foothills Parkway for leaf peeping near Townsend
Hidden Gem Spotlight
Some of the best barbeque in Tennessee is found almost as far from Memphis as you can get and still be in the Volunteer State. Ridgewood Barbeque in Bluff City, just outside Bristol, is famous for piled-high barbeque sandwiches, amazing baked beans, hand cut fries, and blue cheese dip with crackers that are slap-your-momma delicious!
Mike StoverTennessee Local ExpertTaxes, Politics & People
The Essential Tennessee Trifecta
State Income Tax: No tax on wages, Hall tax on dividends repealed 2021
Property Taxes: Lower statewide, higher in Shelby and Davidson, Knox and Hamilton moderate, rural low
Tennessee politics are: Solid Republican statewide, Nashville and Memphis blue, Chattanooga and Knoxville cores competitive
Tennesseans are: Polite, Volunteer State helpful, porch chat friendly, bless your heart energy
The religious breakdown is: Predominantly Christian, strong evangelical Baptist, growing unaffiliated, Muslim and Hindu communities in Nashville
Weather
Tennessee Weather: All the Facts, None of the Stats
Is it going to thunderstorm, flood, or maybe something worse? The summers are BBQ smoker humid and the winters mild until ice ambushes. Here's what else is going on around Tennessee that will impact the time you spend outside.
- Summer temps be like: sweet tea sauna vibes (Memphis bakes, Nashville steams, Smokies cool off at dusk). The lowlands are just plain hot; the mountains are where you want to be.
- Winter lows are: light jacket roulette (Nashville slush, Memphis rain, Gatlinburg steals the snow). Natives say if you don't like Tennessee weather, wait a while; it'll change.
- The humidity makes me: grow gills and frizz simultaneously.
- Unique weather patterns: Dixie Alley tornadoes, Smokies microclimates, Tennessee Valley fog, 4 pm thunder pops.
- Local weather fashion tip: boots for mud, poncho for Neyland, towel for the car seat, and watch your weather app - the forecast changes hourly.
- Bugs be like: mosquitoes with pilot licenses, cicadas on stadium volume, couch invading stink bugs, chiggers in tall grass, and bee nests in the dangdest places.
- You're stuck indoors again today because: tornado watch marathon or sneaky ice glaze
- Green thumb enthusiasts love: tomatoes like a church picnic, blackberry cobbler starters along the side of a country road, hydrangeas showing off, spring ephemerals in the Smokies, and a farmer's market in every town.
- Your friend with allergies is always saying: I just sneezed a bale of hay!
My Favorite Thing About Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall in Tennessee
Fall mornings in Tennessee combine mild but pleasant temperatures with an explosion of natural color. You don't go far to find cascading leaves and peaceful vibes.
Mike StoverTennessee Local Expert