Valley Quality of Life

The natural beauty of the Tennessee Valley provides a vivid backdrop to its thriving economy. Bounded on one end by the 500,000-acre Great Smoky Mountains National Park and on the other by the mighty Mississippi, the Valley is home to a variety of lively urban places and wide-open spaces, with lots of scenic room to roam.

The cost of living is as low as the quality of life is high. The climate is moderate, with a temperate climate that has four distinct seasons. TVA lakes provide excellent recreation opportunities that can be enjoyed for much of the year. The fine arts thrive alongside regional crafts, and sports share the spotlight with great musical attractions. Major medical centers, college and universities, and active civic organizations enhance TVA’s many hometowns.

Arts and music

Nashville ranks with New York and LA in popular music performance and recording. Western North Carolina is one of the country's premier locations for arts and crafts studios. Museums, galleries, orchestras, dance groups, and theater companies abound.

Parks

You can enjoy the great outdoors from one end of the Valley to the other. The Appalachian Trail winds along the ancient slopes of the Great Smoky Mountains to the east, and to the west lies the 170,000-acre Land Between the Lakes recreation area.

Attractions

The U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Grand Ole Opry, Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Tennessee Aquarium, and Memphis’s Beale Street are just a few of the exciting weekend destinations.

Sports

From the NFL’s Tennessee Titans to great college teams like Tennessee’s Big Orange and Alabama’s Crimson Tide, Valley residents are passionate about the pigskin. But if golf, basketball, or baseball is your game, the Valley has it too.

Recreation

The TVA reservoir system is known for its record-breaking bass and catfish. But fishing isn’t the only activity to enjoy on the water. There’s also world-class kayaking, rafting, water skiing, and more.

Cost of living

A little bit of your money will go a long way in the Tennessee Valley, where the cost of living is low and quality of life is high. The TVA service area covers a geographically diverse seven-state region, and cost of living index figures for some Valley locations compared with other U.S. cities are shown below.

 

Cost of Living Index
In the Tennessee Valley
Huntsville, AL	90.9
Bowling Green, KY	92.8
Tupelo, MS	86.9
Chattanooga, TN	91.9
Kingsport, TN	85.2
Knoxville, TN	87.9
Memphis, TN	91.4
Nashville, TN	92.4
Outside the Tennessee Valley
Miami, FL	116.3
Atlanta, GA	97.3
Charlotte, NC	93.1
Columbus, OH	102.7
ACCRA Cost of Living Index, 2nd quarter 2005