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Regional Profile ~ Quality of Life

The superior amenities Knoxville-Oak Ridge offers your company are matched only by the quality of lifestyle you will find here.

The beauty and diversity of our land and culture make East Tennessee an extraordinary place to live, raise a family and do business.

At a Glance

• Cost of living more than 12% below national average

• Cited by Money Magazine as having one of the lowest overall tax burdens in the U.S.

• Violent crime rate below the national average
• The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

- The most-visited national park in the country

- Over 500,000 acres of rugged mountains, lush valleys and breathtaking vistas, miles of hiking trails, dozens of campsites

• Seven Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) managed lakes covering 266 square miles and nearly 3,500 miles of shoreline

• Ocoee River Olympic White Water Course
• The Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

- Obed Wild and Scenic River

- One of the wildest places left in the eastern United States

• One national forest, nine state parks, numerous hiking trails, a ski resort and three whitewater rafting rivers

Cultural Opportunities

• Knoxville's nationally acclaimed Dogwood Arts Festival is one of the longest-running and largest civic celebrations in North America, hosting over 350 events including shows, concerts and sporting events for three weeks annually in April

• Two active symphonies: the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and the Oak Ridge Symphony

• Home to an opera company, two ballet companies and an internationally recognized professional children's dance ensemble

• The Knoxville Museum of Art hosts some of the most prominent collections in the world

• The new Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies is one of the most-visited in America

• Oak Ridge's American Museum of Science and Energy is one of the world's largest energy-related exhibitions

• The Knoxville Zoological Park is recognized as one of the top zoos in the nation

• The Museum of Appalachia is a permanent showplace for area arts, crafts and Appalachian history

• The Oak Ridge Children's Museum, a nationally known interactive museum

Health Care

• Costs 10.5% below the national average*
• Seven regional medical centers
• 10 hospitals
• University of Tennessee teaching hospital

*ACCRA Cost of Living Index, First Quarter 2003

Sports

• 104,079-seat Neyland Stadium, one of the largest in the country, is home to The University of Tennessee football team

• Thompson-Boling Arena, with 25,000 seats, is home to the Vols and Lady Vols basketball teams

• The Smokies, a AA baseball team, play in a new stadium in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

• Home to minor league hockey team, the Knoxville Ice Bears

• Host to the National Junior Olympics

Recreational Resources

Parks 200+

Golf Courses 75+

Swimming Pools 60+

Country Clubs 25+

Movie Theaters 45+

Hotels/Motels 700+

Restaurants 1,100+

 Climate

• Moderate climate with four distinct seasons
• Extended periods of extremely hot or cold weather is rare

• Annual Average Temperatures

January      July

High  49°            86°

Low   28°             69°

• Annual rainfall: 48.2 inches
• Annual snowfall: 10 inches