Tennessee National vs Lake Anna, Virginia: How Do They Compare?

If you live in Northern Virginia, Richmond or the D.C. suburbs, Lake Anna is the lake you already know. Tennessee National is what shows up when you widen the search: a private, gated lake and golf community on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, Tennessee, about 30 minutes from Knoxville.

One is a lake you can drive to on a Friday. The other is a place you would move to. That is the decision.

What is the difference between Lake Anna and Tennessee National?

Lake Anna is a Virginia lake with homes and neighborhoods spread around it, and Tennessee National is one gated community with golf, a marina and a social calendar inside. Around Lake Anna you choose a house and a neighborhood. At Tennessee National you choose a homesite or a home, and the rest is already there.

Details about Lake Anna change. Confirm current rules, access and listings with Dominion Energy, the county and a local agent before you decide.

How would you get to each one?

You would drive to Lake Anna and you would travel to Tennessee National. That changes how you use each place.

Lake Anna is within reach of the D.C. and Richmond areas by car. That is what makes it work as a weekend lake.

Tennessee National is most of a day's drive from Northern Virginia. Or you fly into McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS), which is about 35 minutes from the gate. So Tennessee National is a place for long stays, a split year or a full move. It is not a place for most weekends if your home is still in Virginia.

Our guide for D.C. area buyers covers the trip, and the guide to flying into McGhee Tyson covers the airport.

How do the two lakes compare?

They have different owners and different rules. Lake Anna was built by the power company that is now Dominion Energy, and Dominion still owns it. Before you ask anything else about a property there, ask Dominion Energy and a local agent how lake access and dock rules work for that exact address.

Watts Bar Lake is a TVA reservoir on the Tennessee River, with more than 39,000 acres of water and 722 miles of shoreline. Locks connect the 72-mile navigable reservoir to the rest of the Tennessee River system.

The level on Watts Bar changes about 5 to 6 feet between summer and winter. TVA posts current levels on its lake level page. See the shoreline in winter before you choose a waterfront homesite. If a private dock matters to you, ask what is possible on that specific homesite and what TVA requires.

What about golf and neighbors?

The course at Tennessee National is a Greg Norman Signature design inside the gates: 18 holes, 7,393 yards, par 72. There is one course, and Tennessee National is a golf cart community. Golf membership questions go to the club, and the golf page is the place to start.

The part buyers underrate is the calendar. Tennessee National has 22 social clubs and 180+ events a year. If you are moving somewhere you do not know anyone, that is how you meet people. See social life.

Around Lake Anna, golf and social life depend on the neighborhood. Ask each one what it includes and who is there in the off-season.

What drives the cost at each?

On an open lake, price follows the water, the dock and the house, plus how close it is to the cities people drive from. A local agent can show you how those price out around Lake Anna today.

At Tennessee National, you choose one of five ways to own, and that choice drives the cost: a wooded homesite in The Timbers, a lake homesite, a waterfront homesite, a Land & Home package or a townhome. Homes are custom built and go through design review. There is no deadline to build after you buy a homesite, so you can buy the land now and design the house later. Pricing is in the info pack.

Taxes are a question for a professional. Tennessee has no state income tax. Virginia's rules are different. If you plan to change your home state, the residency steps matter as much as the address, so ask a CPA. Our guide to Tennessee's lack of a state income tax explains the basics.

Who should look at Lake Anna?

Look at Lake Anna if your plan keeps you in Virginia. For example:

• You will keep working in the D.C. or Richmond area.
• Your relatives are in Virginia and you want to stay a short drive away.
• You want a lake you can use on short notice.
• You want Virginia to stay your home state.

Who should look at Tennessee National?

Look at Tennessee National if you are ready to move, or to split your year. For example:

• You are retiring or working remotely and want a full-time home at the lake.
• Golf is part of the plan.
• You want a marina, clubs and events inside the gates.
• You want a city and an airport close. Knoxville is about 30 minutes away.

What should you check in person?

Check what a listing cannot show you.

1. At Lake Anna, ask how lake access works for the property and what the dock rules are.
2. For Tennessee National, fly into TYS or make the drive, and time it honestly.
3. Visit both in winter, on a weekday.
4. Ask what each neighborhood includes and what you would drive to.
5. Get the costs in writing: price, HOA or club fees, dock or slip costs, property tax and insurance.

The honest trade-off

The trade-off is distance. If everyone you love is within a short drive of Lake Anna, a move to Tennessee puts a long drive or a flight between you. No golf course fixes that. Be honest about how often you want to see them and how often they would come.

If the distance works, Tennessee National is a different kind of place: 1,492 gated acres with a course, a marina and 180+ events a year. Give it two days on the property before you decide.

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.