Tennessee National vs Lake Tansi Village: How Do They Compare?

Search for a lake and golf community in Tennessee and these two names can land on the same list. Tennessee National is on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, about 30 minutes from Knoxville. Lake Tansi Village is near Crossville, in Cumberland County.

They share a label and not much else. The two big differences are where they are and what kind of water they sit on. This page sticks to what we know for certain: the facts about Tennessee National, and where Lake Tansi Village is. For its fees, rules and amenities, ask Lake Tansi Village directly.

How is Tennessee National different from Lake Tansi Village?

The biggest differences are location and the lake itself. Tennessee National is near Knoxville, on a large TVA reservoir. Lake Tansi Village is near Crossville, built around Lake Tansi.

Where is each one?

Tennessee National is in Loudon, about 30 minutes from Knoxville, and Lake Tansi Village is near Crossville. Start with a map, because this one choice decides most of your errands, appointments and flights.

From the gate at Tennessee National:

• Loudon is about 5 minutes away, and Lenoir City is about 15.
• I-75 is about 10 minutes.
• Farragut and the Turkey Creek shopping area are about 20 minutes.
• Knoxville is about 30 minutes, and McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) is about 35.
• The Great Smoky Mountains are about an hour. Chattanooga is about an hour and a quarter.

Crossville is on I-40, between Knoxville and Nashville. For Lake Tansi Village, map the drive to the hospital, the airport and the stores you would really use, and visit in more than one season.

What kind of water do you get?

Tennessee National is on a big river reservoir, and Lake Tansi Village is built around Lake Tansi, a community lake. Those are two different kinds of lake life.

Watts Bar Lake is a TVA reservoir on the Tennessee River, and it is big: more than 39,000 acres of water and 722 miles of shoreline. It is a 72-mile navigable reservoir, and locks connect it to the rest of the Tennessee River system. That means room to travel. You can run for miles, and the river keeps going past the dam.

TVA holds the summer pool at about 740 to 741 feet, with a winter minimum of 735 feet. That is a seasonal change of about 5 to 6 feet. TVA's lake level page has current readings.

Tennessee National has a full-service marina with 140+ boat slips on that water. Life on the lake there looks like pontoon cruises, kayaks and sunset runs. If a private dock matters to you, ask what is possible on a specific waterfront homesite and what TVA requires. See marina and lake life.

Lake Tansi is the lake the community is built around. A community lake is a different experience from a TVA reservoir, and for some plans it is the better fit. Ask Lake Tansi Village what boats are allowed, how lake access works for owners and who looks after the lake.

What is inside the gates at Tennessee National?

A golf course, a marina, a clubhouse and a full calendar. Here is the list we can stand behind:

• One Greg Norman Signature golf course. 18 holes, 7,393 yards, par 72. See golf.
• A full-service marina with 140+ boat slips.
• A clubhouse with Kendall's restaurant.
• A pool, a fitness center, pickleball, tennis and walking trails.
• A lakefront boardwalk in the Marina District.
• 22 social clubs and 180+ events a year, from trivia and live music to wine tastings and holiday parties.

It is a golf cart community, and it is not age restricted. The amenities page shows the rest.

For Lake Tansi Village, ask the community for its current list. We will not describe another community's amenities for it.

What drives the cost at each?

At Tennessee National, cost depends on which of the five ways to own you choose: The Timbers (wooded homesites), lake homesites, waterfront homesites, Land & Home packages, or townhomes. Homes are custom built, so the house you design matters as much as the land. There is no deadline to build after you buy a homesite. Pricing is in the info pack. Get the info pack.

At Lake Tansi Village, ask the community and a local agent for current prices and dues.

Then compare the same lines at both: purchase price, association dues, golf or club costs, boat costs, insurance and property tax. Tennessee has no state income tax, so that line is the same at both. Property tax is set locally. Ask the Loudon County and Cumberland County offices how each one works.

Who should look at which?

Look at Lake Tansi Village if:

• You want to be based near Crossville.
• A community centered on Lake Tansi sounds right to you.
• The people and places you visit most are closer to Crossville than to Knoxville.

Look at Tennessee National if:

• You want Knoxville, an airport and I-75 close by.
• You want a big river lake and a full-service marina.
• You want a Greg Norman Signature course and a full social calendar inside one gate.
• You want to build a custom home with no deadline to start.

If you are also looking at Fairfield Glade, another community near Crossville, we cover that one in Tennessee National vs Fairfield Glade.

What should you check in person?

See both on the same trip, and run the same checks at each.

1. Drive to each one from the airport you would use. Time it.
2. Get on the water. A river reservoir and a community lake feel different from a boat.
3. Ask for the documents: dues, rules and design standards. Read them before you pick a lot or a house.
4. See what is open at each one, and ask what a normal week looks like.
5. Ask about golf membership and where your boat would live, and get the answers in writing.
6. Come back in a different season.

Our guide on how to vet a master-planned community has a longer checklist that works for either place.

Details change. Confirm current fees, rules and amenities with Lake Tansi Village and its property owners association before you decide.

The honest trade-off

Tennessee National is not the fit if you want to be based near Crossville, or if a community lake is your idea of lake life. It also comes with one set of standards, and homes go through design review.

We are the wrong people to tell you what Lake Tansi Village costs or includes. Ask them. Then put both lists side by side and see which one matches the way you plan to live.

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.