Poor Health May Be Driving a Need to Move

Phil 1:21

Phil 1:21

New Member
New here. I looked for this issue, but didn't find it. If I just missed the correct thread, please advise.

My wife's health has been faltering the last three years. Doctors are now suggesting we may need to move to a lower altitude. (What's wrong with living at 7,400 ft? Our air is too thin.) I'm particularly interested in *outside* Chattanooga ... inland in South Carolina ... inland in North Florida.

After days of online searching I am frustrated. It's easy to find specific organizations that promote their own brand of communities, several "senior communities," and corporate-owned groups of residences. But I don't know what I'm doing.

Any suggestions?
 
Phil 1:21 said:
New here. I looked for this issue, but didn't find it. If I just missed the correct thread, please advise.

My wife's health has been faltering the last three years. Doctors are now suggesting we may need to move to a lower altitude. (What's wrong with living at 7,400 ft? Our air is too thin.) I'm particularly interested in *outside* Chattanooga ... inland in South Carolina ... inland in North Florida.

After days of online searching I am frustrated. It's easy to find specific organizations that promote their own brand of communities, several "senior communities," and corporate-owned groups of residences. But I don't know what I'm doing.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Check with your doctor. Moving from high altitude where the air is thin to where the humidity is high may be a factor in how breathing is affected.

Most Humid States 2026
 
Hello and welcome @Phil 1:21 .

1. Humidity can be obnoxious June thru early October in any of the three states you mention.

2. Tennessee (Chattanooga) is the least expensive to live of any of the three states you mention, but there are places that have experienced huge growth in popularity, therefore so has the COLA in those areas.

2.1. Anywhere on the Cumberland Plateau might work as they tend to have more of the four seasons than those of us in The Basin. My vet calls The Basin allergy purgatory.

2.2 Somewhere in the Knoxville area might be of interest. I say this because of access to hospitals and doctors.

2.2.1. Chattanooga’s hospital is Erlanger but I know next to nothing about the quality of care, or the surrounding areas.

There are some nice gated communities in and around Norris Lake, on the Cumberland Plateau.

3. For sure there are counties in TN you want to avoid. Roane and Cocke for starters.

3.1. If living in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant is not your thing:

“Tennessee has four nuclear power plants: Sequoyah 1 and 2 and Watts Bar 1 and 2. These plants are operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority which also operates two more plants in northern Alabama.”


4. Now that I’ve said all that, I will risk getting my hands slapped by the forum mods and suggest you visit City Data‘s forum. They have all the states segregated, so any questions can be asked and you generally will receive a thoughtful reply.

Google ”city data forum”. The first link that pops up is their relocation, moving, etc. link. It is probably the most comprehensive site on the Net for this type of information.

It goes without saying to do your due diligence regarding anything anyone says.

I retired to Middle Tennessee from the OH/PA border in 2003. I still have horses so I am outside a lot. I knew in my 40’s I would not be able to tolerate the bone chilling/damp/cold winters of home, so I moved down here and brought my horses with me. I live very rural where the allergies are rampant, but I keep them under control without any medications. I have zero regrets but I also live on an old farm road with mostly beef cattle for neighbors🤠🤠

I hope this helps you with your search🤠🤠
 
You might check out the Huntsville, Alabama area also, @Phil 1:21 . I moved here from north Idaho many years ago, and they have excellent doctors and hospitals here.
The humidity is about the same as in any of the other places you mentioned, but the cost of living is good here, it is a mid-sized city that has everything, but is still easy enough to get around in .
Because we have Redstone Arsenal, NASA, Military Defense, and other things like that, there are a lot of retired military, so there are great doctors and hospitals here, in case your wife needs treatment.
Most of the bad storms and tornadoes seem to miss Huntsville, too, but not the other areas you are looking at.
 
Phil 1:21 said:
Doctors are now suggesting we may need to move to a lower altitude. (What's wrong with living at 7,400 ft? Our air is too thin.)
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My mother's house is at 7200 ft. When she died, it was sold to a nice couple. After just a few months, he caught Covid, had a massive heart attack while in the hospital, and thereafter, had to use oxygen at home. They were forced to sell, I bought it; they moved to Florida. They loved this place. I have kept in touch with them.

I am sorry this is happening to your wife and wish you the best in whatever you decide.
 
You are a wealth of information. Thanks!

Imogene said:
Hello and welcome @Phil 1:21 .

1. Humidity can be obnoxious June thru early October in any of the three states you mention.
Click to expand...
I know. I'm from N. Alabama. My wife is from very-hot-and-humid-in-the-summer Northern N. Dakota. (It's a big part of why we like it way up here!)

Imogene said:
2. Tennessee (Chattanooga) is the least expensive to live of any of the three states you mention, but there are places that have experienced huge growth in popularity, therefore so has the COLA in those areas.
Click to expand...
Check.

Imogene said:
2.1. Anywhere on the Cumberland Plateau might work as they tend to have more of the four seasons than those of us in The Basin. My vet calls The Basin allergy purgatory.

2.2 Somewhere in the Knoxville area might be of interest. I say this because of access to hospitals and doctors.

2.2.1. Chattanooga’s hospital is Erlanger but I know next to nothing about the quality of care, or the surrounding areas.

There are some nice gated communities in and around Norris Lake, on the Cumberland Plateau.
Click to expand...
Great! I have some homework to do....

Imogene said:
3. For sure there are counties in TN you want to avoid. Roane and Cocke for starters.
Click to expand...
Do you care to tell me why to avoid those two counties?

Imogene said:
3.1. If living in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant is not your thing:

“Tennessee has four nuclear power plants: Sequoyah 1 and 2 and Watts Bar 1 and 2. These plants are operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority which also operates two more plants in northern Alabama.”
Click to expand...
I sold computer solutions specifically TO the power utilities. People love to run around like their hair is on fire about nuke plants, but the only two so-called "disasters" in the USA ... were not disasters. The fail-safes actually did their job. Nuke plants do not scare me. Besides ... refer to my screen name.

Imogene said:
4. ... suggest you visit City Data‘s forum.
Click to expand...
City-Data is a super resource. I've been using it a BUNCH!

Imogene said:
It goes without saying to do your due diligence regarding anything anyone says.
Click to expand...
Check.

Imogene said:
I retired to Middle Tennessee from the OH/PA border in 2003. I still have horses so I am outside a lot. I knew in my 40’s I would not be able to tolerate the bone chilling/damp/cold winters of home, so I moved down here and brought my horses with me. I live very rural where the allergies are rampant, but I keep them under control without any medications. I have zero regrets but I also live on an old farm road with mostly beef cattle for neighbors🤠🤠
Click to expand...
Very few ranchers way up here. Our "livestock" consists of deer, pronghorn, elk, (1) moose, bear, turkeys galore, etc.

Imogene said:
I hope this helps you with your search🤠🤠
Click to expand...
Very helpful. Thanks!
 
Happyflowerlady said:
You might check out the Huntsville, Alabama area also, @Phil 1:21 . I moved here from north Idaho many years ago, and they have excellent doctors and hospitals here.
Click to expand...
Huntspatch is my hometown! Loved growing-up there!

Happyflowerlady said:
The humidity is about the same as in any of the other places you mentioned, but the cost of living is good here, it is a mid-sized city that has everything, but is still easy enough to get around in .
Because we have Redstone Arsenal, NASA, Military Defense, and other things like that, there are a lot of retired military, so there are great doctors and hospitals here, in case your wife needs treatment.
Click to expand...
Check.

Happyflowerlady said:
Most of the bad storms and tornadoes seem to miss Huntsville, too, but not the other areas you are looking at.
Click to expand...
Got it.
 
@Phil 1:21. <I caught the reference but had to look it up🫣

Roane County: “
On December 22, 2008, a dike failure at the
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston Fossil Plant in Roane County, TN, released 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash, causing the largest industrial spill of its kind in U.S. history. The toxic slurry covered 300 acres, destroying homes and contaminating the Emory River. Over 50 cleanup workers have died from illnesses linked to exposure, sparking lawsuits.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (.gov)U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (.gov) +3”


I would never lIve there because I would not subject my horses to eating/drinking in that environment; oe even after all these years.
Also the Manhattan Project, even though mostly in Anderson County spilled into Roane County.

”Overview
it may also interest you to know that our current governor, Bill Lee, is planning on building another nuclear site in Oak Ridge. He announced it in January of this year:

”Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced in January 2026 that LIS Technologies will invest over $1.38 billion to build a new commercial laser uranium enrichment facility at the former K-25 site in Oak Ridge
. This project aims to establish a domestic nuclear fuel supply chain and create over 200 high-quality jobs.
TN.govTN.gov +4. “

However, I am not sure if he is going to run for governor again, and I know for fact, one of the current senators, Marsha Blackburn, also a republican, is throwing her hat in the ring and making a run for governor. I won’t give my opinion of her, except to say I am pretty sure she has huge money behind her, so she may very well stand a chance of winning if Governor Lee does not run,
whether she deserves to or not. I say that because I don’t know what the outcome of this new nuclear site would mean if she would get in office.

Map of Oak Ridge city, Tennessee - Thong Thai Real
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is primarily located in Anderson County, with a portion of the city extending into Roane County. Situated about 25 miles west of Knoxville, it is famously known as a "City Behind the Fence" and the——-“

But you likely already know all this.😇😇



COCKE COUNTY is a different critter altogether. It is a low population county and a poor county in East Tennessee that seems to have a high crime rate in terms of drugs, theft, vandalism. I could be wrong, it I have always got the sense that it’s one of those counties where you only fit in annd are accepted if you’re from there. It’s not a place I would want to move to.

Even though I am considered middle class blue-collar, I feel like the people in that area would think I was rich and perhaps some of those who don’t live by the law might want to encroach on my property and take what I have, which wouldn’t happen without a fight. I don’t want to do that so I am happy to live in the good old agricultural County of Bedford County.


What @Happyflowerlady says about Huntsville Alabama is true. However, just across the border in Ardmore Tennessee is a tornado path and you really wouldn’t want to live in the Ardmore area.

Coffee County Tennessee has Arnold Air Force Base and is privy to a very nice built-up area around Tim’s Ford lake, which takes in part of Winchester Tennessee, an old timey type town.

Tullahoma, the heart of Coffe County, has Harton Memorial Hospital, which is now under the umbrella of Vanderbilt in Nashville. Since Vanderbilt took them over, they have a helipad, built especially for Vanderbilt. They fly over my place frequently.

My county borders coffee County on the south east end. Our local hospital was also purchased by Vanderbilt in Nashville, and also built a helipad for Vandy’s helicopter. I got to see it in action when my husband had his heart attack in 2012. It was one of the worst experiences of my life, standing beside my car in the parking lot, watching that helicopter lift off to Vanderbilt, knowing my husband was in there and not knowing what the end result would be. Thankfully, he came home, but was taken 12 years later by prostate cancer.

Anyway, Bedford County and Coffee County‘s real estate are still reasonably priced and have reasonably good access to medical care for your wife. Bedford County borders, Rutherford County, which has the St. Thomas medical system. Rutherford county borders, Davidson county on its northwest side, which has the Vanderbilt medical system, which is huge.

The downside to living in these counties is that we are considered part of The Basin, therefore the only time we get rid of our allergies is when a strong enough windstorm comes by to blow everything up over the Cumberland Plateau for a day or two, then it’s back to allergy business. A couple of my horses even developed allergies after we moved here, and I had to have them on herbal medicine for quite a while until they developed immunity.


EXITED TO ADD A P.S.

I lived a few hours hours east of Three Mile Island the year it crashed. At that time I was an engineering secretary for nuclear, mechnical, finite element, at Cooper Energy Services. I supported scheduled nuclear outages for a few years, until our facility closed. Thankfully, we did not have standby power generating equipment at three Mile Island, but only living two hours away remain a concern for many of us for a long time.
 
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