Johnson City’s lively downtown, natural scenery and wealth of opportunities for hiking, biking, fishing, kayaking and walking make it an ideal location for active retirees. It’s one of 10 small or midsize cities we found that offer first-class health care.
Johnson City stats
Population: 66,400
What $300,000 will buy: 3-bedroom, 2-bath, 1,500-square-foot home on Boone Lake with a dock
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Best place to exercise: Tweetsie Trail, a 10-mile rails-to-trail project
5-star hospital*: Franklin Woods Community Hospital
Founded as a railroad town in the 1850s, Johnson City’s downtown merges cool renovations with historic charm. Restaurants, coffee shops, galleries, music venues and eclectic shops now fill revitalized 19th-century buildings in an easily walkable area. Old train depots have been transformed into restaurants and breweries, with the Yee-Haw Brewery and White Duck Taco Shop hosting festivals and live music on a spacious patio. Founders Park, in the heart of downtown, hosts live music throughout the summer, yoga, a farmers market and the popular two-day Blue Plum Music Festival.
Just blocks away is East Tennessee State University, where you can watch Division I sports and enjoy performances from the school’s famous bluegrass and country-music program. A 90,000-square-foot arts center will be completed in 2019. See future stars of the St. Louis Cardinals close-up when they get their start with the Johnson City Cardinals minor-league team.
You can bike, run or walk the Tweetsie Trail, a 10-mile rails-to-trail project that starts downtown. Or you can hike through 725 acres of dense forest at Buffalo Mountain Park, just 10 minutes from downtown, and look down on Johnson City from above.
The Ballad Health network runs several well-regarded hospitals in the area. The 445-bed Johnson City Medical Center, one of six Level 1 Trauma Centers in Tennessee, has received awards for its heart hospital and cancer center. Franklin Woods Community Hospital, an 80-bed hospital built in 2010, gets top ratings for patient satisfaction and for its native stone building.
The cost of living in Johnson City and the surrounding areas is low: You can rent a three-bedroom house in town for $1,300 or less, and the median home sales price is $170,000. Tennessee is very tax-friendly for retirees: It has no state income tax.
* Rating developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
-
Here's How To Get Organized And Work For YourselfWhether you’re looking for a side gig or planning to start your own business, it has never been easier to strike out on your own. Here is our guide to navigating working for yourself.
-
How to Manage Risk With Diversification"Don't put all your eggs in one basket" means different things to different investors. Here's how to manage your risk with portfolio diversification.
-
457 Plan Contribution Limits for 2025Retirement plans There are higher 457 plan contribution limits for state and local government workers in 2025 than in 2024.
-
Medicare Basics: 11 Things You Need to KnowMedicare There's Medicare Part A, Part B, Part D, Medigap plans, Medicare Advantage plans and so on. We sort out the confusion about signing up for Medicare — and much more.
-
The Seven Worst Assets to Leave Your Kids or Grandkidsinheritance Leaving these assets to your loved ones may be more trouble than it’s worth. Here's how to avoid adding to their grief after you're gone.
-
SEP IRA Contribution Limits for 2024 and 2025SEP IRA A good option for small business owners, SEP IRAs allow individual annual contributions of as much as $69,000 in 2024 and $70,000 in 2025..
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2024 and 2025Roth IRAs Roth IRA contribution limits have gone up. Here's what you need to know.
-
SIMPLE IRA Contribution Limits for 2024 and 2025simple IRA The SIMPLE IRA contribution limit increased by $500 for 2025. Workers at small businesses can contribute up to $16,500 or $20,000 if 50 or over and $21,750 if 60-63.
-
457 Contribution Limits for 2024
retirement plans State and local government workers can contribute more to their 457 plans in 2024 than in 2023.
-
Roth 401(k) Contribution Limits for 2025retirement plans The Roth 401(k) contribution limit for 2024 is increasing, and workers who are 50 and older can save even more.
