Living in Roane
A 39,000-acre lake, four true seasons, welcoming communities and an affordable way of life — discover what it means to call Roane County home.
- 58,030
- Population
- 360.7
- Square miles
- 20%
- Below national cost of living
- 4
- True seasons
A lake, a plateau, and four seasons that actually change
Roane County is home to Watts Bar Lake, a 39,000-acre lake with more than 700 miles of shoreline, much of it undeveloped. Located in the Tennessee Valley, sheltered by the Cumberland Plateau, Roane County has four true seasons and mild winters.
With live music nearly every night and more than 450 festivals and events every year, there's always something to do here in Roane County.
Acres of parks & wildlife areas
Paved/marked trails · 15 parks
Golf courses & disc-golf courses
Festivals & events every year
Roane County
Shared heritage and strong values are the foundation of future growth here. Roane County and its five unique, historic communities — Harriman, Kingston, Rockwood, Oliver Springs and Oak Ridge — are home to the natural beauty and recreation that are a rich part of Roane County's good life.
Building and selling costs are low in Roane County. East Tennessee is home to the nation's largest producer of electricity, TVA, providing Roane County with affordable, reliable power. Our communications services rival the nation's most technologically advanced.
Harriman
The town that temperance built
Kingston
On the water, at the center
Rockwood
Mountain views and Main Street
Oliver Springs
Historic hillside charm
Oak Ridge
The secret city
- Population
- 58,030 and growing
- Median Home Value
- $232,900 (30% below the national median)
- Cost of Living Index
- ~80 (about 20% below the national average)
- Effective Property Tax Rate
- ~0.6% of home value
- State Income Tax
- $0 — on wages, pensions, Social Security & retirement withdrawals
- State Estate & Inheritance Tax
- $0 — fully repealed
- State Debt per Capita
- ~$988 — among the lowest in the nation
- Watts Bar Lake Shoreline
- 700+ miles for boating, fishing & lakefront living
- Public Parks & Wildlife Areas
- 16,000+ acres, 30 miles of trails
- Climate
- Four true seasons, mild winters
- Distance to Knoxville
- ~20 minutes
- Distance to Airport (McGhee Tyson)
- ~30 minutes
The lowest taxes in the nation
Tennessee has no state income tax on wages and the lowest state debt per capita in the country. In Roane County that means more of every household dollar stays in your pocket, year after year.
- $0
- Income Tax
- $0
- Pension Tax
- $0
- Transfer Tax
- 20%
- Below the national cost of living
World-Class Healthcare, Right Here at Home
Few counties this size can say it: Roane County has its own hospital. Covenant Health Roane (formerly Roane Medical Center) serves the community from a $76 million, state-of-the-art campus in Harriman — meaning quality care is minutes away, not a highway drive.
Opened in 2013, the 54-bed medical center offers quality medical, surgical, and critical care, a 24/7 emergency department, diagnostic imaging, rehabilitation services, and health education. Specialized care includes cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, women's services, and sleep services.
As a member of Covenant Health, a Tennessee-based not-for-profit health system, the hospital connects Roane County to the region's only stroke hospital network and holds Advanced Primary Stroke Center certification from The Joint Commission. It was Covenant Health's first fully "wired" hospital, and it has earned national recognition from Healthgrades for both patient safety and patient experience.
