What HOA fees, county property tax, and Tennessee's tax-free retirement income actually add up to across the five Knoxville-area 55+ communities.
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Talk to a Specialist →| Community | County | Price Range | HOA | Property Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tellico Village | Loudon | $200K–$800K+ | ~$180/mo | ~0.55% |
| Rarity Bay | Monroe | $250K–$700K | ~$220/mo | ~0.55% |
| Fairfield Glade | Cumberland | $150K–$500K | ~$120/mo | ~0.50% |
| The Grove at Cedar Hills | Knox | $350K–$600K | ~$175/mo | ~0.65% |
| Cottages at Pryse Farm | Knox | $300K–$500K | ~$200/mo | ~0.65% |
The pattern is consistent: the two lake communities on Tellico Lake — Tellico Village in Loudon County and Rarity Bay in Monroe County — carry similar HOA and roughly the same ~0.55% property tax rate. Fairfield Glade, out in Cumberland County near Crossville, is the most affordable entry point on both price and tax rate. The two Knox County communities, The Grove at Cedar Hills and Cottages at Pryse Farm, sit closer to Knoxville itself and carry a higher ~0.65% property tax rate, which is the trade-off for city proximity over lake or golf-community setting.
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Tennessee eliminated all state income tax, including the Hall Tax on interest and dividends, in 2021. There is no state tax on IRA distributions, pension income, Social Security, or investment income anywhere in the state — Knoxville and Nashville retirees get the identical benefit. For someone drawing $60,000–$120,000 a year from tax-deferred retirement accounts, that difference against a state with a 5–6% income tax has been estimated at roughly $3,000–$8,000 a year — in many cases more than the HOA dues at any of the five communities above.
Tennessee also runs a Property Tax Freeze program for qualifying residents 65 and older who meet income thresholds on their primary residence, which locks in your property tax bill at its current level even as home values in the area rise. Loudon and Monroe County thresholds vary, so this is one to confirm directly with the county assessor’s office after purchase.
HOA dues, property tax rates, and insurance premiums change year to year and can vary by phase, section, or individual property within a community. Confirm current numbers with the HOA, the county assessor, and a licensed insurance agent before budgeting or making an offer.
For a $400,000 home in Tellico Village, the true carrying cost — excluding mortgage — runs roughly $588–$703 a month: about $180 in HOA dues, about $183 in Loudon County property tax, $75–$130 in homeowners insurance, and $150–$210 in utilities, with $0 in state income tax. Inland East Tennessee also carries a real insurance advantage over coastal retirement markets: homeowners insurance in Tellico Village runs roughly $900–$1,600 a year versus $2,400–$5,000+ a year for coastal North Carolina, a savings of about $1,500–$3,400 a year that compounds to an estimated $30,000–$68,000 advantage over twenty years, since most East Tennessee properties carry no flood insurance requirement and no hurricane risk.
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