Tennessee National vs Lake Wylie: How Do They Compare?

If you live around Charlotte and want a lake home, Lake Wylie is the obvious first look. It is close. You can be on the water without leaving the metro area.

Tennessee National is the less obvious second look. It is a private, gated lake and golf community on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, Tennessee, about 30 minutes from Knoxville. The two answer different questions. Lake Wylie answers "how do I add a lake to my Charlotte life?" Tennessee National answers "where do I want to live next?"

What is the main difference between Tennessee National and Lake Wylie?

Lake Wylie is a metro lake with many separate neighborhoods in two states, and Tennessee National is one gated community in one state. At Lake Wylie you choose a state, a county, a neighborhood and a house, then find a club and a place for the boat. At Tennessee National the golf course, the marina and the social calendar are inside one gate.

Where is each one?

Lake Wylie is southwest of Charlotte, and Tennessee National is in Loudon, Tennessee, about 30 minutes from Knoxville. They are several hours apart by road.

Lake Wylie touches both Carolinas. Tega Cay and the community of Lake Wylie are on the South Carolina side. The Steele Creek area of Charlotte is on the North Carolina side. Rock Hill and Fort Mill are close by, and so are Charlotte and its airport.

Tennessee National is in Loudon County, East Tennessee. I-75 is about 10 minutes from the gate. Farragut and the Turkey Creek shopping area are about 20 minutes. Knoxville is about 30, McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) is about 35, and the Great Smoky Mountains are about an hour. Our Charlotte to Tennessee National guide covers the trip between the two.

Why does the state line matter at Lake Wylie?

It matters because the side you buy on decides which state's rules apply to you. Lake Wylie sits on the North Carolina and South Carolina line. Two houses with the same view can answer to different states, different counties and different tax offices.

We will not quote either state's figures. Ask a CPA how each side would treat your income, and ask each county how it handles property tax. Do it before you fall for a house.

At Tennessee National there is one answer. The community is in Loudon County, Tennessee, and Tennessee has no state income tax. Which state taxes your income still depends on where you legally live, so a CPA is the right first call there too.

How does the water compare?

Both are freshwater reservoirs where someone other than the homeowner sets the level and the dock rules. At Lake Wylie that is Duke Energy. At Watts Bar Lake it is TVA.

Lake Wylie is on the Catawba River. Ask Duke Energy how the level moves through the year and what a dock permit involves for the property you like.

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

At Tennessee National the marina is full service, with 140+ boat slips. Ask about slip availability. If a private dock matters to you, ask what is possible on a specific homesite and what TVA requires.

What about golf and neighbors?

Tennessee National puts both inside the gate. There is one Greg Norman Signature course: 18 holes, 7,393 yards, par 72. It is a golf cart community. Golf membership questions go to the club. See golf at Tennessee National.

The neighbors are the other half. Tennessee National has 22 social clubs and 180+ events a year, things like trivia, live music, wine tastings and holiday parties. You do not have to build a social life from nothing.

Around Lake Wylie, golf and social life depend on the neighborhood and the club you choose. A big metro gives you plenty of options. Ask each neighborhood what is on site and what is a drive away.

What drives the cost on each side?

On a metro lake, cost follows the city and the water. How close is the house to town? Is it on the lake? How old is it, and what do the neighborhood and the club charge? A local agent can show you the current range on each side of Lake Wylie.

Tennessee National has five ways to own, and cost depends on which you choose: The Timbers (wooded homesites), lake homesites, waterfront homesites, Land & Home packages, or townhomes. Homes are custom built and go through design review. There is no deadline to build after you buy a homesite, so you can hold the land and build when you are ready to leave Charlotte. Ask about association dues, club membership and slip fees. Pricing is in the info pack. Get the info pack.

Who should look at which?

Look at Lake Wylie if:

• You work in Charlotte or need the city every week.
• You want a big airport a short drive away.
• You want to pick from many neighborhoods, each with its own character and rules.

Look at Tennessee National if:

• Your work no longer ties you to Charlotte, or soon will not.
• You want golf, a marina, a clubhouse and neighbors inside one gate.
• You want to build a custom home on your own schedule.
• You plan to make Tennessee your home state.

If Lake Norman is on your list too, see Tennessee National vs Lake Norman.

What should you check in person?

Compare a weekend on each, and keep the list the same.

• See both sides of Lake Wylie. Drive the North Carolina side and the South Carolina side. Ask an agent what changes at the line.
• Go out on a summer Saturday. Be on each lake at the hour you would really use it.
• Time the weekday drives. At Tennessee National, clock the gate to Knoxville and to the airport on a workday.
• Ask about a meal at Kendall's. It is the clubhouse restaurant at Tennessee National. Talk to whoever is at the next table.
• Ask about docks. Duke Energy for Lake Wylie. TVA for Watts Bar Lake.
• Read the rules. At Tennessee National, homes go through design review. Around Lake Wylie, rules change by neighborhood.

Details change. Confirm current lake levels, dock rules, taxes and neighborhood details with Duke Energy, the county on your side of the line and the community you are considering.

The honest trade-off

Leaving a metro you know means rebuilding your list: doctors, a dentist, a mechanic, friends. Tennessee National's clubs and events help with the friends. The rest takes time, and Knoxville is a smaller city than Charlotte.

If you still need Charlotte every week, Lake Wylie is the practical choice and Tennessee National is a long way off. If Charlotte has become optional, come see what 1,492 gated acres on Watts Bar Lake feel like on an ordinary weekday.

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.