As a Realtor in Clarksville TN, I have seen a large influx of people moving here from IL. They aren’t coming here for jobs, most of the ones I’ve worked with are retired or are retiring soon. They are moving here because IL has the second-highest property taxes in the country and it will continue to rise. The state of IL has debts over $200 Billion and the interest on that is over $1 billion annually.
This exodus IL to TN has been going on for years but it’s going to grow. Forbes magazine did an article about it in 2014 and it’s not getting any better for them.
Now areas like Nashville is getting younger people from IL who are escaping the taxes and looking for jobs where they can afford a better lifestyle. Clarksville, on the other hand, is attractive to retirees that want a quiet and slower pace of life where their retirement money can go much farther.
Why are people from IL moving to TN?
Homes in Clarksville TN are much more affordable than they are in Nashville and best of all we are only 45 minutes away. This really makes Clarksville attractive to people with families or those that are retired and not looking for the night scene that Nashville offers.
If you are thinking of moving to Clarksville TN or anywhere in TN for that matter, make a trip to visit and think about what is most important to you and why you want to move. This will help you pick out the right city, town, suburb or street that you will want to live in/on.
I made this exact same choice about 15 years ago when I moved to Clarksville TN. My wife is from here and she wanted to live by her mom when we had our first child. My job at the time was restructuring and it seemed like the right time to make the move. We sold our house in VA and were able to be a much nicer house in Clarksville for less money.
The majority of people who have left Illinois have ended up in Tennessee. Like it or not, Clarksville is one of the main locations that they are migrating to and it’s not just people from Illinois that are moving to TN. I have had a lot of Californians in the past few years buy property from me here in Clarksville for the exact same reasons.
Let’s embrace our new neighbors and welcome them to our wonderful city. I’m looking forward to them bring Deep Dish Pizza and Chicago Dogs to our area although Chi-Town Hot Dogs on Riverside has been here for years and they are some of the best Chicago Dogs I have ever had and will be hard to beat.
So in conclusion, when you are asked: “Why are people from Illinois moving to Tennessee?”, tell them it’s because the future in Tennessee is bright and your money goes a long way. So why wouldn’t they be Moving to Clarksville? – Ron Dayley
