Retirement Lists

Knoxville, Tennessee vs Greenville, South Carolina for retirement

Budget scenario

Selected scenario: Traveler

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At a glance

Knoxville

Best fit

More favorable property-crime rating

Consider

Primary care access

Greenville

Best fit

Stronger primary care access

Consider

Property-crime context

Monthly cost

MeasureKnoxvilleGreenville
Estimated Monthly Budget (Traveler)

$4,145

Data details

Evidence: Hybrid

Reason: Model Limited

Basis: Estimated

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Data period: 2024 ACS 5-year; 2024 Consumer Expenditure Survey; 2023-2024 Consumer Expenditure Survey

How measured: Model-limited traveler budget: reconciled renter costs plus disclosed short-term housing, dining, mobility, and coworking adjustments. Added utilities are $0 in the budget breakdown to avoid double-counting because ACS gross rent already includes tenant-paid utilities. No hidden buffer is included.

$4,449

Data details

Evidence: Hybrid

Reason: Model Limited

Basis: Estimated

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Data period: 2024 ACS 5-year; 2024 Consumer Expenditure Survey; 2023-2024 Consumer Expenditure Survey

How measured: Model-limited traveler budget: reconciled renter costs plus disclosed short-term housing, dining, mobility, and coworking adjustments. Added utilities are $0 in the budget breakdown to avoid double-counting because ACS gross rent already includes tenant-paid utilities. No hidden buffer is included.

Estimated 1BR rent

$996

Data details

Evidence: Derived

Basis: City-level

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Data period: 2024 ACS 5-year

How measured: ACS B25031_003E median gross rent for occupied rental units with 1 bedroom at Census place grain.

$1,189

Data details

Evidence: Derived

Basis: City-level

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Data period: 2024 ACS 5-year

How measured: ACS B25031_003E median gross rent for occupied rental units with 1 bedroom at Census place grain.

Healthcare

MeasureKnoxvilleGreenville
Healthcare access

Very Good

Planning estimate

Planning details

Use: Planning estimate; not used to determine comparison winners.

Evidence: Modeled

Basis: City-level

Source: OpenStreetMap healthcare amenities static probe

How measured: OpenStreetMap healthcare amenities within the city radius are mapped to fixed access bands. Sparse mapped amenities should be read as limited local evidence, not a clinical quality rating.

Excellent

Planning estimate

Planning details

Use: Planning estimate; not used to determine comparison winners.

Evidence: Modeled

Basis: City-level

Source: OpenStreetMap healthcare amenities static probe

How measured: OpenStreetMap healthcare amenities within the city radius are mapped to fixed access bands. Sparse mapped amenities should be read as limited local evidence, not a clinical quality rating.

Primary care access

Very Good

Lower published rating
Data details

Evidence: Derived

Basis: City-level

Source: OpenStreetMap healthcare amenities static probe

How measured: OpenStreetMap healthcare amenities within the city radius are mapped to fixed access bands. Sparse mapped amenities should be read as limited local evidence, not a clinical quality rating.

Excellent

Clear rating edge
Data details

Evidence: Derived

Basis: City-level

Source: OpenStreetMap healthcare amenities static probe

How measured: OpenStreetMap healthcare amenities within the city radius are mapped to fixed access bands. Sparse mapped amenities should be read as limited local evidence, not a clinical quality rating.

Pharmacy convenience

Very Good

Planning estimate

Planning details

Use: Planning estimate; not used to determine comparison winners.

Evidence: Modeled

Reason: Modeled Requires Reviewed Decision

Basis: Modeled

Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services NPPES NPI Registry

Observed: 2026-07-19T06:51:38.851Z

How measured: Count of unique active location addresses among organization NPIs with Community/Retail Pharmacy taxonomy matching Knoxville, TN in the CMS/NPPES NPI Registry. Multi-page results are unioned by NPI until stable. This is exact city/state registry coverage, not a drive-time or radius-weighted count.

Excellent

Planning estimate

Planning details

Use: Planning estimate; not used to determine comparison winners.

Evidence: Modeled

Reason: Modeled Requires Reviewed Decision

Basis: Modeled

Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services NPPES NPI Registry

Observed: 2026-07-19T06:51:38.851Z

How measured: Count of unique active location addresses among organization NPIs with Community/Retail Pharmacy taxonomy matching Greenville, SC in the CMS/NPPES NPI Registry. Multi-page results are unioned by NPI until stable. This is exact city/state registry coverage, not a drive-time or radius-weighted count.

Safety

MeasureKnoxvilleGreenville
Violent crime level

Moderate

Lower published rating
Data details

Evidence: Derived

Basis: City-level

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer

Observed: 2024-12-31T23:59:59.000Z

How measured: 2024 annual rate calculated from all 12 FBI Crime Data Explorer monthly offense-rate observations for Knoxville Police Department (TN0470100).

Moderate

Clear rating edge
Data details

Evidence: Derived

Basis: City-level

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer

Observed: 2024-12-31T23:59:59.000Z

How measured: 2024 annual rate calculated from all 12 FBI Crime Data Explorer monthly offense-rate observations for Greenville Police Department (SC0230200).

Property crime level

Good

Clear rating edge
Data details

Evidence: Derived

Basis: City-level

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer

Observed: 2024-12-31T23:59:59.000Z

How measured: 2024 annual rate calculated from all 12 FBI Crime Data Explorer monthly offense-rate observations for Knoxville Police Department (TN0470100).

Moderate

Lower published rating
Data details

Evidence: Derived

Basis: City-level

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer

Observed: 2024-12-31T23:59:59.000Z

How measured: 2024 annual rate calculated from all 12 FBI Crime Data Explorer monthly offense-rate observations for Greenville Police Department (SC0230200).

Climate

MeasureKnoxvilleGreenville
Climate comfort

3.3 / 5 · Good

Data details

Evidence: Derived

Basis: Estimated

Source: NOAA/NASA source-backed climate component formula

How measured: Derived climate score formula v1: Summer Feel is scored from annual days above 90F; Winter Feel is scored from annual days below freezing; Climate Comfort averages Summer Feel, Winter Feel, and source-backed comfortable-months score.

3.2 / 5 · Good

Data details

Evidence: Derived

Basis: Estimated

Source: NOAA/NASA source-backed climate component formula

How measured: Derived climate score formula v1: Summer Feel is scored from annual days above 90F; Winter Feel is scored from annual days below freezing; Climate Comfort averages Summer Feel, Winter Feel, and source-backed comfortable-months score.

Summer comfort

4.1 / 5 · Very Good

Data details

Evidence: Derived

Basis: Estimated

Source: NOAA/NASA source-backed climate component formula

How measured: Derived climate score formula v1: Summer Feel is scored from annual days above 90F; Winter Feel is scored from annual days below freezing; Climate Comfort averages Summer Feel, Winter Feel, and source-backed comfortable-months score.

4.1 / 5 · Very Good

Data details

Evidence: Derived

Basis: Estimated

Source: NOAA/NASA source-backed climate component formula

How measured: Derived climate score formula v1: Summer Feel is scored from annual days above 90F; Winter Feel is scored from annual days below freezing; Climate Comfort averages Summer Feel, Winter Feel, and source-backed comfortable-months score.

Winter comfort

2.9 / 5 · Good

Data details

Evidence: Derived

Basis: Estimated

Source: NOAA/NASA source-backed climate component formula

How measured: Derived climate score formula v1: Summer Feel is scored from annual days above 90F; Winter Feel is scored from annual days below freezing; Climate Comfort averages Summer Feel, Winter Feel, and source-backed comfortable-months score.

2.9 / 5 · Good

Data details

Evidence: Derived

Basis: Estimated

Source: NOAA/NASA source-backed climate component formula

How measured: Derived climate score formula v1: Summer Feel is scored from annual days above 90F; Winter Feel is scored from annual days below freezing; Climate Comfort averages Summer Feel, Winter Feel, and source-backed comfortable-months score.

Air quality

4.7 / 5 · Excellent

Planning estimate

Planning details

Use: Planning estimate; not used to determine comparison winners.

Evidence: Modeled

Reason: Modeled Requires Reviewed Decision

Basis: Modeled

Source: Open-Meteo / Copernicus CAMS, checked against U.S. EPA AirData

Observed: 2026-05-18T17:35:06.466Z

How measured: Air Quality is scored from the 2021-2025 average of 43824 hourly Copernicus CAMS PM2.5 model values at the city coordinate. The modeled baseline aligns with the nearest qualifying EPA 2021-2025 monitor mean within the accepted tolerance.

4.7 / 5 · Excellent

Planning estimate

Planning details

Use: Planning estimate; not used to determine comparison winners.

Evidence: Modeled

Reason: Modeled Requires Reviewed Decision

Basis: Modeled

Source: Open-Meteo / Copernicus CAMS, checked against U.S. EPA AirData

Observed: 2026-05-18T18:10:58.633Z

How measured: Air Quality is scored from the 2021-2025 average of 43824 hourly Copernicus CAMS PM2.5 model values at the city coordinate. The modeled baseline aligns with the nearest qualifying EPA 2021-2025 monitor mean within the accepted tolerance.

Daily life

MeasureKnoxvilleGreenville
Walkability

2.9 / 5 · Good

Planning estimate

Planning details

Use: Planning estimate; not used to determine comparison winners.

Evidence: Modeled

Reason: Model Limited

Basis: Estimated

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Walkability Index

Observed: 2026-07-10T06:36:05.983Z

How measured: Population-weighted mean of EPA National Walkability Index block groups whose calculated polygon centroid falls inside the Census city-geography boundary; normalized from EPA 1-20 to 0-100 after aggregation. EPA NWI is a historical built-environment screen, not a current pedestrian audit. It does not measure every street, disability access, terrain, weather, or current transit frequency.

3.4 / 5 · Very Good

Planning estimate

Planning details

Use: Planning estimate; not used to determine comparison winners.

Evidence: Modeled

Reason: Model Limited

Basis: Estimated

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Walkability Index

Observed: 2026-07-10T06:36:05.983Z

How measured: Population-weighted mean of EPA National Walkability Index block groups whose calculated polygon centroid falls inside the Census city-geography boundary; normalized from EPA 1-20 to 0-100 after aggregation. EPA NWI is a historical built-environment screen, not a current pedestrian audit. It does not measure every street, disability access, terrain, weather, or current transit frequency.

Internet speed

416 Mbps

Data details

Evidence: Observed

Basis: City-level

Source: Speedtest by Ookla Open Data

How measured: Weighted median of fixed-broadband tile average download speeds within city radius, weighted by tests. Observation window ended 2026-03-31.

420 Mbps

Data details

Evidence: Observed

Basis: City-level

Source: Speedtest by Ookla Open Data

How measured: Weighted median of fixed-broadband tile average download speeds within city radius, weighted by tests. Observation window ended 2026-03-31.

Comparison worksheet

Knoxville

  • Monthly housing quote
  • Drive time to preferred care
  • Grocery and pharmacy route
  • Neighborhood comfort and mobility

Notes

Greenville

  • Monthly housing quote
  • Drive time to preferred care
  • Grocery and pharmacy route
  • Neighborhood comfort and mobility

Notes