Sequatchie, Rhea counties attracting newcomers

The same scenic beauty, friendly atmosphere and cozy burgs that attract tourists to Southeast Tennessee draw people who want to make their homes here, real estate agents say.

Rural counties are becoming popular for people who are looking for a home and a little acreage, according to Kathy Tucker, of the Multiple Listing Service of the Chattanooga Association of Realtors.

The Sequatchie Valley is a prime example of an area with broad appeal, she said.

"It's gorgeous over there. You have all the mountain scenery and country-type living," she said. "People are moving to that area -- especially people who are retiring -- because it seems to be a good place to move for the value of what you can buy."

The Sequatchie Valley, a sliver wedged between the Cumberland Plateau and Walden's Ridge, has seen more population growth than any other part of Tennessee's lower right corner, records show.

Of the three counties that make up the valley -- Bledsoe, Marion and Sequatchie -- U.S. Census Bureau records show Sequatchie outstripped every county in Southeast Tennessee since 2000 with almost 20 percent population growth.

Howard Hatcher, executive director of the Sequatchie County-Dunlap Chamber of Commerce, said people coming to Sequatchie County are seeking its beauty, low cost of living and good schools.

"The thing that people mention more than anything else is the beauty of the valley," Mr. Hatcher said. "They like the small-town atmosphere."

He said the convenience of state Highway 111 -- a connector between the Sequatchie Valley and Chattanooga that opened in 1994 -- put the valley on the map for many people.

New residents Tom and Diane Egleston told the Chattanooga Times Free Press in March they moved to Sequatchie County because "property taxes, insurance and even gasoline are cheaper here, and the people are a lot more friendly."

The Eglestons, originally residents of New York and New Jersey, are typical of Northerners who move to Southeast Tennessee after first moving to Florida, according to officials in Rhea County. Native Tennesseans and the incoming residents themselves have dubbed newcomers "halfbacks" because they move halfway back to the North, said Rhea County Mayor Billy Ray Patton.

Rhea County grew by 8.4 percent in the past decade, census records show. Unlike Sequatchie, Rhea has the Tennessee River as one of its boundaries and attractions, Mr. Patton said.

"We've got the mountains; we've got the river. We've got waterfront property here; that's a big draw," Mr. Patton said. "They come down here on vacation year after year. Then when they retire, they move here."

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