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Living in Oak Ridge ~ Quality of Life

Oak Ridge founders remember that the city had a symphony before it had sidewalks. Diverse cultural and recreational opportunities make Oak Ridge a great place to live - all at one of the lowest costs of living in America.

Housing costs are 89% of the national average, while Money magazine lists East Tennessee as having the nation's lowest overall tax burden. Healthcare, transportation and utilities are very affordable and rank among the best in the country.

Recreation

Oak Ridge boasts a variety of indoor and outdoor sports activities including golf, rowing, swimming, tennis, soccer and racquetball, to name a few.

• Oak Ridge is less than an hour from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the nation's most-visited park, with miles of hiking trails and trout streams.
• Melton Hill Lake is a top course for world-class rowing events. The Oak Ridge Rowing Association promotes the sport, and teams from around the world use the course for Olympic training.
• With 16 city Parks, two golf courses, 55 miles of greenway trails, Haw Ridge Park and three sides of the city bordered by waterways, outdoor activities are unlimited.
• The University of Tennessee Arboretum is a 260-acre outdoor laboratory with 800 species of plants in their natural habitat.
• Just 30 miles north is the less crowded Big South Fork National Recreation Area. And 60 miles south is the Ocoee River with its world-class white-water rafting and kayaking course used in the 1996 Olympic Games.

Arts & Leisure

• The Oak Ridge Civic Ballet, Oak Ridge Symphony and Oak Ridge Art Center showcase the talents of area professionals and rising young stars.
• Historic Jackson Square is a popular spot with unique shops, antiques, restaurants and the acclaimed Oak Ridge Community Playhouse.
• The American Museum of Science and Energy lets visitors discover firsthand why Oak Ridge was built and the technologies it has produced. The Children's Museum offers dozens of engaging interactive exhibits.

Healthcare

Methodist Medical Center
Methodist Medical Center is a 301-bed, nonprofit, regional medical facility serving Anderson and four adjacent counties. Its medical staff of more than 175 physicians represents 30 medical and surgical specialties. As the first hospital to receive the coveted Tennessee Quality Governor's Award, Methodist is fully accredited and has received scores of other quality care awards.

Behavioral health services in the area include Ridgeview, a private, not-for-profit community mental health center. The range of programs and services provides individualized care of adults, youth and children.

Housing

Oak Ridge has a wide selection of homes to meet your needs, whatever your stage of life.  

For complete information regarding housing in Oak Ridge, click here.