Moving to Tennessee From Mississippi: What Changes?

The first thing you notice coming up from Mississippi is the ground. It is not flat. You keep the South, the SEC and the manners. You trade Delta and piney woods for ridges, coves and a big TVA lake.

Tennessee National is a private, gated lake and golf community on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, Tennessee, about 30 minutes from Knoxville. Here is what comes up most from Mississippi: how far it is, how the lake compares, what happens with taxes, and where the move costs you something.

How far is Tennessee National from Mississippi?

A long day's drive from Jackson and most of a day from the Memphis suburbs. From most of the state it is a real day in the car.

From the Memphis side, you never leave Tennessee once you cross the line. I-40 carries you most of the way. From Jackson and the Coast, Chattanooga is the last big stop, about an hour and a quarter from the gate.

Tennessee National is about 10 minutes from I-75, so the final stretch is simple. East Tennessee is on Eastern time, so you lose an hour on the way up.

When family would rather fly, McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) is about 35 minutes from the gate. Check current routes from your airport. You may need a connection. The drive times and location guide has more on getting here.

Map your own route before you plan around it.

How does Watts Bar Lake compare with Mississippi lakes?

It is a river lake in the hills. If you have spent a weekend on Pickwick, up in the corner where Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee meet, you have been on this same river. Watts Bar Lake is far upstream, in the ridges of East Tennessee.

TVA puts Watts Bar at more than 39,000 acres of water and 722 miles of shoreline. It is freshwater, and the navigable reservoir runs 72 miles, with locks that connect to the rest of the Tennessee River system.

Ross Barnett near Jackson, and Sardis, Enid, Grenada and Arkabutla in north Mississippi, are lakes you may already know. Confirm the details for any of them with the agency that runs it.

On Watts Bar, summer pool runs about 740 to 741 feet and the winter minimum is 735 feet. That is a seasonal change of about 5 to 6 feet. Our guide to Watts Bar lake levels explains what that means when you choose a homesite.

Inside Tennessee National, the lake works through a full-service marina with 140+ boat slips. The boat can live in a slip instead of on a trailer. Ask the marina what is open. See marina and lake life.

What changes on taxes when you move from Mississippi?

Maybe less than the headline suggests, so check your own return first. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Pull out your most recent Mississippi return and find the state income tax line. If it is already small, do not expect a big swing. Either way, ask a CPA what a move would do to it and when.

The plain way to say it: people move here for the lake, the golf, the terrain and Knoxville. How much the tax rule matters differs from one household to the next. Know where you stand before you budget.

Property tax is local. Get current figures from the Loudon County offices, and compare your own bills line by line. If you do move, establishing Tennessee residency covers the steps.

What do the terrain and weather change to?

Ridges, hardwoods and four seasons with mild winters. The Great Smoky Mountains are about an hour from Tennessee National.

Coming from the Coast or the Delta, expect a real fall and a winter that shows up for a while. Summers are still Southern summers. You will not need to learn that part.

Knoxville is a University of Tennessee town, so Saturdays in the fall will feel familiar. The colors will not.

What is inside the gates?

1,492 gated acres, built around the water, the course and the people who live there.

• A Greg Norman Signature golf course. 18 holes, 7,393 yards, par 72.
• The marina, with pontoon cruises, kayaks and sunset runs on the lake.
• 22 social clubs and 180+ events a year. See social life.
• A clubhouse with Kendall's restaurant, a pool, a fitness center, pickleball, tennis and walking trails.

It is a golf cart community. Tennessee National is not age restricted and is open to buyers of any age.

Can you buy first and sell in Mississippi later?

Yes. There is no deadline to build after you buy a homesite, and that helps on a long-distance move. You can buy first, sell in Mississippi on your own schedule, and build when you are ready.

There are five ways to own: The Timbers (wooded homesites), lake homesites, waterfront homesites, Land & Home packages, and townhomes. Homes are custom built. Pricing is in the info pack.

The honest trade-offs

This is a real move, not a move across the county line.

• A day's drive is too far for every weekend. If you need to be at a family table in Mississippi most Sundays, this will wear on you.
• The clock changes. Calls home and kickoffs shift by an hour.
• The tax story may be small for you. Check your return before you count on it.
• The land is different. If you love a long flat horizon, ridges and trees can feel close at first.

Make the drive once before you decide. Pick a long weekend, stay in Farragut about 20 minutes away, and spend a full day inside the gates.

Facts about Tennessee National come from the community. Lake facts come from TVA. Rules, taxes, loans and insurance change, so confirm anything that affects a purchase with the right office or professional before you buy.