Finding the Best Places to Retire Since 2006!
Sewanee, Tennessee
Home to the University of the South, Cozy, Leafy Sewanee Sits Atop the Cumberland Plateau in Pretty South Central Tennessee
Home to the University of the South (1,800 students), cozy Sewanee is nestled atop the beautiful Cumberland Plateau in lush south central Tennessee. The university, also known as Sewanee, is an Episcopal liberal arts college and the heart and soul of Sewanee.
The college's 13,000-acre campus, known as the "Domain," is lush, covered in lakes, caves and forests. The school hosts frequent public lectures, exhibitions and concerts, including Friday Nights in the Park, and Theatre/Sewanee mounts three to four major productions per year. Summer on campus brings the annual orchestral music festival and the well-known writers' conference. All readings at the conference are open to the public. Although downtown Sewanee is tiny, it has a lively collection of dining and shopping establishments. Neighborhoods are leafy, with everything from ranch ramblers and plantation styles to Cape Cods. The Village on Sewanee Creek is a self-sustaining, eco-friendly community.
The Sewanee Golf and Tennis Club has nine holes and is set amid unusual sandstone outcroppings. Natural Bridge and the Mr. and Mrs. Larry Lee Carter Natural Area both have amazing views, and the nearby South Cumberland State Park features some of state's best hiking trails.
Population: 3,000 (city proper)
Age 45 or Better: 22%
Cost of Living: 16% above the national average.
Median Home Price: $500,000
Climate: Summer temperatures are in the 80s and 90s, and winter temperatures are in the 30s and 40s. The area receives 60 inches of rain and five inches of snow per year on average.
At Least One Hospital Accepts Medicare Patients? Yes
At Least One Accredited by Joint Commission? Yes
Public Transit: No
Crime Rate: Well below the national average
Public Library: Yes
Political Leanings: Conservative
College Educated: 75%
Is Tennessee Considered Tax Friendly for Retirement? Somewhat
Cons: The tornado risk is 175% higher than the national average.
Notes: The University of the South is not known as a party school, but the parties that do happen are at the frat houses. The town has grown 13% within the last decade. Home prices have increased 3% since a year ago.
Recommended as a Retirement Spot? Yes
Tennessee:
The state's nickname was born in the War of 1812 when a contingent of volunteer soldiers fought valiantly at the Battle of New Orleans. The Volunteer State was the 16th to enter the Union on June 1, 1796. Today, it may be best known as the home of blues and country music. Its largest cities, Memphis and Nashville, have hosted the best in both genres from Muddy Waters and B. B. King to Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton.
Tennessee is only 112 miles wide, but its longitudinal borders stretch from the Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi River. It contains 41,200 square miles of land and 926 square miles of water. Main land regions include the Blue Ridge, the Appalachian Ridge, the Cumberland Plateau, the Nashville Basin, and the Gulf Coastal Plain. Clingman's Dome, the state's highest point, is in the Blue Ridge. Weather throughout is generally mild. Winter and spring are the rainiest seasons. Hazardous storms are rare.
Farmland spreads over 44% of the state. Beef cattle and calves are top agricultural products. Tennessee's manufacturing industry produces processed foods, transportation equipment, and chemicals. Tourism is also a driving force.
Nashville's Grand Ole Opry began in 1925 as the WSM Barn Dance. It's one of the state's most popular attractions and remains on the record books as the longest running radio show in the U.S. Named after a city in Egypt, Memphis is home to Sun Studio and Elvis Presley's Graceland.
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