By Jason & Ivette FieldsHome insurance.
TennesseeHome insurance in Florida averages about $6,000 a year. In East Tennessee, about $3,000. Your quote depends on your home.
And the hurricane deductible: even at 2%, that’s $8,000 out of pocket on a $400,000 home before insurance pays. In Tennessee there’s no hurricane deductible, because there are no hurricanes.
Every June, you stop watching the cone on the news. You pay less and you sleep better.
Condos.
TennesseeAfter the Surfside collapse in 2021, Florida changed the rules. Many older buildings now need major safety inspections and much bigger repair reserves. For many owners that meant surprise bills in the tens of thousands. Some over $100,000.
Tennessee doesn’t have a statewide rule like that, and most people moving here buy a house, not a condo.
Our tip. Anywhere there’s an HOA, ask two questions: how much have you saved for repairs, and have you ever sent owners a surprise bill? If they can’t answer both, keep looking.
Groceries.
FloridaFlorida doesn’t tax most groceries. Tennessee does: about 4% state, plus local tax. On $800 a month of food, that’s about $600 a year.
Sales tax overall is about 9.25% in Knoxville and 9.75% in Maryville. Furnishing a new home for $10,000 in Knoxville means about $925 in sales tax. Build it into your moving budget.
One thing Florida can’t match: registering your car here costs about $29, and you’re in and out in five minutes.
Storms.
TennesseeEast Tennessee doesn’t have hurricane season. No evacuation, no plywood on the windows. Jason’s “I’m done” moment was Katrina. Most people forget it hit Florida first.
We’ll never tell you we don’t have weather. Hurricane Helene flooded part of Northeast Tennessee in 2024. But here, a big storm happens once in a long while. It isn’t something you plan your whole summer around.
Our tip. Before you offer, look up the flood map for the address on FEMA’s website. Regular homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding.
The seasons.
TennesseeIn Florida, it’s summer most of the year. Here, July gets warm and humid, upper 80s. Then you get a real fall, a mild winter with about 4 to 5 inches of snow a year, and a beautiful spring.
Four real seasons is the one people leaving Florida never expect to love so much.
Our tip. Visit twice before you move: once in July, once in January. Then you’ll know.
The beach vs. the mountains.
TieFlorida has the ocean. We have lakes everywhere: Fort Loudoun, Norris and Douglas, all within an hour of Knoxville. And the Great Smoky Mountains about 30 minutes from Maryville.
Is the beach your everyday life, or your weekend life? If it’s your weekend, a lake day and a mountain trail might be everything you need.
Miss the sand? Nonstop flights from Knoxville go to Fort Lauderdale, Sarasota and Destin, and the airport is small enough that security can take 10 to 15 minutes. We go back to Florida every year. We just didn’t want eight or nine months of summer anymore.
