• Population: 25,000 in Maryville, 113,000 in Blount County.
  • Cost of Living: Below average
  • Rain: 47 inches
  • Snow: 12 inches
  • January High: 47 – January Low: 10
  • July High: 87 – July Low: 68


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Experience History in Maryville

Visiting Tennessee means you aren’t just learning about Civil War history — you’re experiencing it. Battlegrounds, relics and reenactments are waiting all over the state, ready to teach you something new.  

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Maryville, Tennessee Details

This Smoky Mountains town in eastern Tennessee attracts nature-loving retirees. Located in the foothills of eastern Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains, Maryville’s greatest asset is its desirable location. One is greeted daily by gorgeous vistas of rolling, velvety slopes. A slower pace, small liberal arts college and abundance of outdoor recreation further add to the appeal of this quiet town of 25,000.

Many retirees, primarily attracted by the beauty of the mountains and lakes, live in rural planned developments outside Maryville and rely on the town for cultural, educational and social amenities

The area has a low cost of living and taxes that are among the lowest in the country.

Recreational activities are plentiful throughout Blount County. Bicycling along lightly traveled roads is such an accepted sport that the chamber of commerce offers a brochure with detailed descriptions of routes covering more than 100 miles. For hiking, there are more than 125 miles of designated trails, including Greenbelt Park’s two-mile lighted fitness trail and exercise course in the center of Maryville.

To the south there is white-water rafting on the Nantahala and Ocoee rivers, and about 40 miles to the east is the Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort. Maryville is off the major highways, preventing heavy traffic flowing through town. (From downtown Maryville, it is 17 miles to the Interstate and 22 miles to Interstate 75. This helped Maryville retain a peaceful safe atmosphere. There are housing options in Maryville for those not looking for gated, planned communities. Smaller homes in town, around 1,200 square feet, range from about $89,000 to $129,000, or $79,000 to $119,000 in the county. Five-acre tracts in the suburbs can be purchased for about $150,000 up to $675,000 for a mountain or lake-view site. Slightly smaller four-acre tracts start at $30,000 to $150,000 with most available in the $70,000s.

A pretty, short drive south of Maryville, Laurel Valley, the 1,600-acre planned residential development backs up to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are 370 home sites ranging in size from quarter-acre lots to 12-acre tracts. About 350 homes have been constructed, with prices ranging from $120,000 to $1 million. Laurel Valley offers a clubhouse, pool, restaurant and 18-hole golf course. Lakes Fort Loudoun, Tellico and Chilhowee and the Tennessee and Little Tennessee rivers form a semicircle to the west of Maryville. Sailboats, canoes, houseboats and cruisers ply these waters in search of fish, waterfowl and spectacular scenery.

Health-care needs are met by 128 medical doctors and 464 registered nurses practicing in 334-bed Blount County Memorial Hospital. The hospital is equipped for all medical emergencies except neurological and cardiac surgery. In Knoxville there are more than 2.500 practitioners of every medical specialty and subspecialty.

In the center of town stands the quiet, tree-lined campus of Maryville College. The 370-acre campus has 20 major buildings, including several listed on the National Register of Historic Places. With an enrollment of 1,150, this small college contributes to the town’s quality of life without dominating its pace and rhythms.

The college’s 1,200-seat Wilson Chapel and 400-seat Maryville College Playhouse theater offer orchestral and choral concerts and theatrical productions. Art gallery exhibits. the school’s Appalachian Ballet Company and Division III NCAA athletic events add to the mix of activities available to the community through the college. There’s also a series of non-credit courses designed for seniors.

The musically talented can play their instrument by trying out for the Maryville-Alcoa College Community Orchestra. Made up of college musicians and residents of Maryville and nearby Alcoa, the orchestra performs six concerts a year.

Festivals are among the favorite rites of spring and fall in Maryville, and promote an appreciation of the great outdoors. In April, the Appaia Wildflower Celebration features tours, bird-watching walks, wildflower hikes and wildlife programs. At the end of the month, the eight-day Smokies Spring Festival offers music and the expected beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains.

The Autumn Harvest Crafts Fair in October entertains the crowds who come to see the changing colors that ushers in the fall season. Civic organizations, many sponsored by the chamber of commerce, make impact on the social, cultural and economic life of Maryville. Beautiful Blau a group involved in beautification, recycling and litter education, Blount County Partnership, a cooperative effort of four organizations, among two dozen groups in town work toward community improve Retirees work alongside civic leaders recruit new industry, promote toll support education and develop philanthropic projects.

Videos of Maryville, Tennessee

Sales Tax

7.25% on groceries, 8.25% on other tangible personal property unless specifically exempted.
Sales tax exemptions on prescription drugs, professional services, hearing aids, prostetic devices.

Income Exemptions

Social Security benefits and private and government pensions are exempt. The first $1250 (2500 on a joint return) of taxable income is exempt, and individuals 65 or older with total annual income of $16,200 or less ($27,000 for joint filers) are exempt from the tax.

Intangibles

None.

Estate Tax

None.

Property Tax

$2.27 per $100 of assessed value in Maryville, $2.43 per $100 in Blount County, with homes assessed at 25% of market value. Early tax on a $200,000 home in the city is about $1135. Yearly tax on a $155,000 home is about $942.

Homestead Exemption

A reduced rate is available to homeowners who are 65 and older.

Religion

There are 219 Protestant and two Catholic churches in Blount County.

Education

Maryville College is a liberal arts institution offering baccalaureate degrees in over 35 majors. Pellissippi State Technical Community College has a campus in Blount County, and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville is about 30 minutes away.

Health

Blount Memorial Hospital is a 334 bed acute care facility with a trauma center equipped for all medical emergencies except neurological surgery. Eight hospitals and medical centers in Knoxville include the University of Tennessee Medical Center, a full service facility with a trauma center and complete range of specialties.