Quality of Life

A mild climate with beautiful seasons, mountain and lake views, a low cost of living, state-of-the-art medical facilities, a thriving retail market, and a wide variety of recreational and cultural arts activities combine to offer residents of Morristown and Hamblen County a desirable way of life.

Cost of Living

Morristown and Hamblen County have consistently maintained a lower cost of living average compared to the nation.  While the overall 2023 index for Morristown is 85.3 (compared to the U.S. average of 100), most notable is the cost of housing index of 67.4, which makes the initial capital needs for a move to Morristown much more feasible for a potential resident.

Source:  Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index (COLI), 2023 Annual Averages

Recreation

• The City of Morristown maintains 17 facilities that include recreation centers, sporting fields, a BMX track, horse barn, walking trails, greenway,  splash pad, playgrounds, picnic areas and shelters that are maintained year round for public use.  The Parks & Recreation Department offers not only league sporting activities but also events and classes for every age.
• Opened in 2023, Morristown Landing is a multi-purpose community recreation and events center dedicated to providing residents with premier amenities to play, gather, & maintain a healthy lifestyle.  This 115,000 square foot facility houses a 10-lane competition pool, family aquatics center, fitness center & walking track, hardwood basketball, volleyball & pickelball courts, climbing walls, outside splash pad as well as meeting & event spaces.  Memberships and day passes are available.
•  Cherokee Park, a 178 acre park maintained by Hamblen County, offers camping, hiking, pavilions, an amphitheater, a splash pad, play areas and boat launch along the shoreline of Cherokee Lake.
• Panther Creek State Park overlooks Cherokee Lake and offers a swimming pool, campground, boat launch ramp, playground, tennis courts, hiking trails, picnic areas and fields for sports.
•  Cherokee Lake and Douglas Lake offer year-round fishing.
• The Great Smoky Mountains Expo Center is host to a number of events including horse shows, sportsman shows, car shows and agricultural events.
• AMC College Square 12 offers a state-of-the-art movie theater with 12 screens
• 2 golf courses – 1 18-hole (private) and 1 9-hole (public)
• Family Fun Zone provides affordable entertainment in the Morristown area.  Providing fun for all ages, attractions include an arcade, laser tag, bumper cars, axe throwing, trampolines, escape rooms, duck pin bowling, ice skating, smash rooms, virtual realty and a bounce house.  Food & drinks also available as well as party rooms.
• The Morristown-Hamblen Library houses a large variety of books, videos and audiotapes for circulation and provides 17 computers with internet access.

Cultural and Performing Arts

•  Encore Theatrical Company is the Lakeway Area’s newest performing arts company.  Founded in 2006, Encore provides an exciting mainstage season of live performances of new and traditional musicals and plays, plus a wide variery of educational and outreach programs, including the Young Stars Series, Masterworks Series, Lakeway Children’s Choir, Broadway E.T.C, and more.
• Morristown Art Association is an organization dedicated to the support of visual artists and their work.  MAA meets monthly at the Rose Center and offers many activities throughout the year, including an annual juried art show and Arts in the Park.
• Morristown School of Dance Arts offers classes in classical ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, modern, lyrical, creative movement, and tumbling.   The Morristown School of Dance Arts offers three performance opportunities each year to students.
• Dance Elite is a full service dance center offering classes in ballet, pointe, lyrical/contemporary, jazz, Hip Hop, tap, musical theater, creative movement as well as combo & fitness classes.  An annual recital performance is held in the spring.
• Niswonger Performing Arts Center is just a short drive from Morristown.  Located in Greeneville, NPAC features performing arts for all age levels, from traveling troupes, orchestra performances, Broadway touring companies, and other major concerts.
• Rose Center Council for the Arts is a cultural arts center featuring concerts, art, music & dance classes, a local history museum, as well as an art gallery.  Housed in a 19th century Victorian schoolhouse, the Rose Center is also home to Morristown’s largest festival each fall, Mountain Makins, a celebration of Appalachian culture and folk life.
• The Theater Guild has been entertaining Lakeway audiences with live community theatre for more than 75 years and is one of the oldest community theatres in the state.
• Walters State Community College has a vibrant array of performing arts opportunities through their Music and Theatre Deparments.  Offerings include numerous concerts and theatrical productions throughout the year.  The Music Department offers opportunities for students and community members to perform in the Concert Choir, Sensations, Women’s and Men’s Choral Ensembles, Community Band, Community Jazz Band, and Community Chorale.