Downhill Dramatically - 2/19/2022

I lived in Cookeville for around 7 years non consecutively. Don’t expect to go on a walk here. Sidewalks are fairly abundant but they are not well maintained and there are no emissions rules. Most of the time you’ll want to drive with your windows up, your air on recycle, and avoid walking on the streets. Sidewalks are fairly abundant, however I developed asthma shortly after moving back due to car exhaust. Black soot tends to build up if you live next to a road. Recently there has been a large increase in the homeless population and rather than get them out of the elements the city has opted to put up “No Panhandling” signs suggesting people should donate to “charities.” Cookeville’s road infrastructure is inadequate for the number of people that live here. They are still stuck on traffic lights for intersections and due to the lack of turn lanes, traffic is very start/stop. It’s not a well off area. You’ll often see pedestrians walking to work in inclement weather because they cant afford cars. People’s erratic driving can get dangerous especially around the university. The park home to “Burgess Falls” has had the bottom of the falls closed for several years due to lack of funding. The electrical infrastructure is falling apart. Since I bought my uninterrupted power supply, my electricity has gone out over 20 times this year and that’s conservative. The area tends to get more snow and ice than other areas in middle TN and if you live next to the university you’ll get to see the transformers explode. There are strong undercurrents of extremism although it’s far more prevalent during election cycles. There’s a decent selection of chain restaurants available on interstate drive, however, you’ll likely want to go during off hours to avoid crowds off of I-40. Public transport is almost non existent. There is a small bus that makes stops around town but it’s pretty much just good for exploring if you for some reason live here without a car. Despite all this, Cookeville is growing rapidly even further compounding the problems the city refuses to address. I used to love this town but I can no longer recommend Cookeville to anyone.

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Not a good outlook for the area. - 6/11/2021

My wife and I both moved here to work for state government. Other people are right, the pay is awful, hovering around $28k for people with masters and doctorates. Rental houses are going from $1600+, apartments are going from $1200+, and mortgages are in the $350-400k range. There is little to do, other than shopping for food and clothes. The area is very conservative and evangelical. There is a "good ole boy" system between all the major players in politics, the judiciary, and law enforcement. Stay away from law enforcement due to how crooked they are. This is also true with the surrounding counties. Everyone from the surrounding counties come to Cookeville for low-paying work and to spend their money, because there is nothing in their counties either. I have tons of clients with mental health and substance abuse issues and no one wants to help them. There are hardly any services or supports for an hour and a half to two hours in any direction. Churches are only there to look good and do not provide clients with any help, nor do they volunteer in the community. Tennessee Tech students usually end up moving away for better pay and housing. The area is undergoing a huge social and economic depression that is not sustainable and reflects the years of conservative policies destroying the already-resource deprived area. Drug use, mental health issues, and homelessness are rampant and have only ballooned due to the pandemic and on-going right to work policies. This used to be a really good area, but my heart hurts for the people and their complete hopelessness. I hope it gets better in the area. At one time I really did think this area was a gem to live in.

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Crime and drug ridden, poor schools. - 7/31/2020

Been here for 4-5 years now, crime is on the rise and pay is stagnant, don't look for much over 28k a year in gross income here. Lots of areas are getting metro traffic runoff which means all the unsavory sort from the metros who can't afford to live there are now crowding the town. Tech has some terribly rude students, the people aren't friendly and work off a 5 big family or who you know good ole boys club. In reality this town is just a bigger version of its neighboring city. Sparta. Don't be fooled by the reviews, 40 years ago this town was the utopia of the Cumberland but with recent events Crossville is a better choice, if not by much. Don't even get me started on the school system, only 1 school is rated well in the elementary sect and you have to know someone to really get into that area.

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Nice Place to Live - 1/10/2011

Overall a nice place to live. One hour from Nashville. This city has a little of everything. It's more laid back versus hustle & bustle of larger city. The climate has 4 seasons with none being too extreme. The crime rate is low & most of the people are friendly. The cost of living is afforable when compared to the rest of the country. Jobs are not plentiful. It's a better place to retire then to work.

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Where do we go? - 6/25/2009

In a month my mother and i are moving from Michigan to Tennessee, To get away from my father. We picked Cookeville Tennessee because it is a lot like where we are living now. But is the best place to move in Tennessee? I have one year of High school left, so i will need a good high school. Then my mother and i plan on going to college together, so we would like to be close to some Coumnity College. Also we need a place with ample jobs, to pay for things. we are only starting off with 800$.We our putting our faith in God and hopping for the best, with your help as well

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Great Place To Live - 6/2/2008

My family moved to Cookeville in 1976. This is a wonderful place to live and raise a family. We are located on the Cumberland Plateau in middle Tennessee. A beautiful scenic area with several clear water lakes. The elementary and secondary public school system in very good and complemented by the excellent Tennessee Technological University. Excellent educational opportunities are available at all levels for diverse interests. The region is blessed to have one of the best medical communities in the state anchored by Cookeville Regional Medical Center which has been recognized nationally numerous times for excellence. Though the population of Putnam County is only about 70,000, the city serves as the center of activity for education, health care, retail, dining and government services for a regional population of about 300,000. Come on up to the Highlands of Tennessee.

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A few things to mention - 4/11/2008

*There is a grood mix of chain restaurants and mom/pop restaurants. *It is a college town, so there is a neat culture that is brought in by the orchestras/theatricals/crafts/concerts/etc. *The historical downtown district continues to grow and expand, putting in good retail stores and antique shops. *A park in the middle of town is expanding at this time (spring 2008) and will be a great place for families and the young'uns. This park also hosts various outdoor concerts/theatricals in the ampitheatre each summer. *There are great festivals on the downtown square each fall such as the Fall Fun Fest and Cookin' on the Square, as well as Christmas Parades. *There are several great neighborhoods to settle in. There are lots of "fixer-upper" opportunities in cute houses. *Cookeville is located just an 1-1 1/2 hours drive away from Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville. If you ever want to visit the big cities, take a weekend or an evening to do so. As a college student, its easy to feel trapped in a small cozy town, with few bars/clubs/ etc. So if you're into that scene, you may want to visit those cities on a weekend, but you couldn't ask for a better place to "settle" and raise a family or to retire. *It's just a few hours drive from the Smokey and Blue Ridge Mnts. *The Cumberland Plateau is beautiful! and is just covered up with beautiful green rolling hills. You can take scenic drives almost in any direction, as much farm land surrounds the city. *There are lots of state parks with waterfalls: Burgess Falls (15 minutes from town), Cummins Falls (15 minutes from town), Fall Creek Falls (45 minutes away) just to name a few. *If you're into climbing, there is bouldering just 45 minutes East. *If you're into boating, waterskiing, etc., Dale Hollow Lake is 45 minutes northeast and Centerhill Lake is 45 minutes southwest.

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A good place to settle - 4/11/2008

I have lived in Cookeville most of my life. It has always had a very cozy feel, but it is continually growing, especially in the past twenty years. A few great things to mention: *There is a grood mix of chain restaurants and mom/pop restaurants. *It is a college town, so there is a neat culture that is brought in by the orchestras/theatricals/crafts/concerts/etc. *The historical downtown district continues to grow and expand, putting in good retail stores and antique shops. *A park in the middle of town is expanding at this time (spring 2008) and will be a great place for families and the young'uns. This park also hosts various outdoor concerts/theatricals in the ampitheatre each summer. *There are great festivals on the downtown square each fall such as the Fall Fun Fest and Cookin' on the Square, as well as Christmas Parades. *There are several great neighborhoods to settle in. There are lots of "fixer-upper" opportunities in cute houses. *Cookeville is located just an 1-1 1/2 hours drive away from Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville. If you ever want to visit the big cities, take a weekend or an evening to do so. As a college student, its easy to feel trapped in a small cozy town, with few bars/clubs/ etc. So if you're into that scene, you may want to visit those cities on a weekend, but you couldn't ask for a better place to "settle" and raise a family or to retire. *It's just a few hours drive from the Smokey and Blue Ridge Mnts. *The Cumberland Plateau is beautiful! and is just covered up with beautiful green rolling hills. You can take scenic drives almost in any direction, as much farm land surrounds the city. *There are lots of state parks with waterfalls: Burgess Falls (15 minutes from town), Cummins Falls (15 minutes from town), Fall Creek Falls (45 minutes away) just to name a few. *If you're into climbing, there is bouldering just 45 minutes East. *If you're into boating, waterskiing, etc., Dale Hollow Lake is 45 minutes northeast and Centerhill Lake is 45 minutes southwest. *The Appalachian Craft Center is 30 minutes west of town in Smithville. It is partners with TTU, but it offers various workshops every spring/summer/fall in fibers, clay, wood, metal, glass, photography, and other media. *The biggest job opportunities would be Tennessee Tech, Averitt Express, Cookeville Regional Hospital and the medical fields, and random retail shops/ restaurants. But, again, it continues to grow and expand, bringing in more job opportunities. Those are just a few things off the top of my head. Cookeville is a great place to settle, raise a family, and settle down. It is still has a smalltown feel, but it is ever growing and as far as I can see, will only get better with time.

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Definitely growing - 12/25/2006

Cookeville is definitely growing. In spite of a couple of major factory closings, there was a net increase of about 800 jobs between August and October 2006. In October 2006 Oreck (the vacuum cleaner people) moved about 100 jobs from its Mississippi factory to Cookeville, and in December 2006 they announced they're moving the rest of the factory to Cookeville, an additional 450 jobs. Averitt Express, which is headquartered in Cookeville, has announced it's adding over 400 jobs in Cookeville. Bank deposits have increased by 12 percent in the last year to about $1.2 billion. With all the retail expansion and the historic neighborhoods downtown, it's becoming quite an attractive city.

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C.C. - 8/15/2006

Cookeville is a great city in many ways. It has a small town feel with many big city benefits. The scenery is beautiful. There are numerous retail and restaurant choices, Tennessee Tech is a fine university, Cookeville Regional Hospital provides excellent service, and the public schools are very good. However, the economy is not particularly strong. Over the past few years, Cookeville's manufacturing base has eroded with the loss of hundreds of jobs. I personally know of several Tennessee Tech graduates who wanted to settle in Cookeville but were forced to leave in search of jobs in larger communities. High paying jobs for college grads are scarce, and it seems that who you know or who you are related to makes or breaks job seekers. If you are not native to the area and/or without connections, your job search can be very difficult. My wife and I have lived here for ten years, and I am currently without a job as a former school teacher / HR manager. We are doing as much as possible to stay here, but in the end we may have to leave as well.

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A fine place to live...for awhile - 4/21/2006

My wife and I lived here for 2.5 years while I finished up school. It's very inexpensive, and it's a pretty area. However, it is excluded from any large cities and sometimes you can't find everything you need here. So, I'm very ready to leave here.

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FACS teacher - 4/4/2006

I would love to teach in Cookeville.

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