Retiring in Northeast Tennessee

As baby boomers approach the time of making plans for retirement, they begin to look at where to retire. Years ago the obvious place to retire was Florida. Now days, people are moving away from Florida due to the high cost of real estate, extreme heat, hurricanes and just too crowded. Many people have started to buy land and move into the mountains of northeast Tennessee.

One place in particular that has seen an increase of retirees is Unicoi County, Tennessee. With the county population of approximately 20,000, it is one of those areas where you are known by everyone. You will never meet a stranger here. The locals treat you as if they have known you all your life. Crime rate for the county is low, which contributes to one of the many reasons why people are looking to retire here. Nicknamed "The Valley Beautiful", Unicoi County is located in the Appalachian Mountains in the Cherokee National Forest. As soon as you enter Unicoi County, you are surrounded by mountains. Everywhere you look, you see beautiful scenery. Most of the mountain land is owned by the US Government and will stay undeveloped. Situated in these mountains you will find several state parks, large waterfalls, the Appalachian Trail and Nolichucky River. The Nolichucky River is home to several white-water rafting companies and excellent trout fishing. The CSX Railroad has one of its largest changing stations located in Unicoi County.

The seat of Unicoi County is Erwin. Erwin is known for its laid-back, slow-paced lifestyle. You never have to be in a hurry while in town. Downtown Erwin has several restaurants, antique stores and shopping. While in town, you will probably spot hikers walking around as Erwin has become one of the favorite stopping places for hikers along the Appalachian Trail.

The first weekend in October each year, Erwin plays host to the Unicoi County Apple Festival. There are over 300 craft and food vendors in the streets of downtown. Over 80,000 visitors come to Unicoi County for this 2-day event.

Driving west along I-40 you can be in the Pigeon Forge/Knoxville area within a couple of hours. Drive south along I-26 and you can be in Asheville, North Carolina in less than one hour. Both of these areas are great day trips. The Bristol Motor Speedway where one of Nascars largest races is held, is a 45 minute drive north.

Northeast Tennessee enjoys all 4 seasons. In late March to early April, you can see the mountains start to green up with dots of white from wild dogwood trees blooming. In the fall, the mountains are full of orange, red, yellow and green from the leaves changing. When snow falls in January and February, you are surrounded with the beauty of white-capped mountain tops.

When you start making a list of places to retire, put northeast Tennessee and Unicoi County on that list and plan a visit. We think you will like what you see and decide to make this area your home.