It is no wonder that Cookeville, Tennessee, is one of America's Top 10 retirement places.  With a quality of life that is hard to find elsewhere, Cookeville attracts newcomers each day. Low cost of living and a wide variety of activities create the ideal environment, offering something for everyone.  Real estate options consist of single-family homes, condominiums and townhouses as well as land lots for custom building.  Cookeville is located in an area known as the Upper Cumberland, just north of Interstate 40. It is approximately 80 miles east of Nashville and 101 miles west of Knoxville. Cookeville is the county seat of scenic PutnamCounty, which encompasses 408 square miles.  About 26,000 residents love to call Cookeville home. With warm summers, mild winters and breezy falls, Cookeville's weather never fails to delight as the average annual temperature is 57 degrees.  Of course, there is an abundance of recreational events and activities for all ages. Cookeville is located within minutes of three of the most beautiful lakes in Tennessee, Dale Hollow, Center Hill and Cordell Hull. These lakes offer endless activities including swimming, canoeing, fishing, camping, and hiking. There are numerous parks, picnic areas, and playgrounds. For the sports-minded, there are many tennis and racquet ball courts, golf courses, and playing fields.  In addition to all this, Cookeville also offers top-notch health care and educational facilities coupled with a growing economy that make the quality of life here tough to beat. 

REAL ESTATE

The real estate market in Cookeville consists of a wide-variety of housing options including single-family detached homes, condominiums and townhouses.  Many of the homes in town feature hill or mountain views or sit on wooded lots.  Single-family detached homes are available in a variety of prices starting at less than $60,000 and up to $300,000 and more, for the most gorgeous, spacious homes in town.  Houses with swimming pool are available in subdivisions such as Farmington Woods, Creekwood and Sugartree.  There are also condominiums available for sale in Cookeville, though not many.  Prices start under $100,000 and go up to around $200,000.  Some of the condos feature community amenities like swimming pools and fitness centers.  There is also plenty of land available for custom building.

MORE

There are many reasons to love Cookeville.  Those seeking art, music, dance, and theater will find all of this in PutnamCounty. Cookeville has a variety of museums, drama centers and craft fairs.  Cookeville's community is enhanced by many annual events. In March, they are off to the Home Show to find out all the looks for the coming year. In July, visitors and residents have a chance to participate in Freedom Fest, an explosion of fireworks and food. Each August, thousands flock to the Putnam County Fair Grounds for the annual county-wide fair. Each September we celebrate Fall Fun Fest with music, arts and crafts, and a BBQ cook-off. Add to this dozens of parades, art and craft shows, street festivals and more.

A wide variety of recreational and cultural opportunities are provided for residents of PutnamCounty and the Upper Cumberland Region by local governments, the state park system, civic clubs and community organizations. CaneCreekPark, a 260-acre park with a 56-acre lake is owned and operated by the City of Cookeville’s Department of Leisure Services. Three state parks offer many camping, picnicking, hiking, and other recreational opportunities. Three Corps of Engineer lakes, with over 1,200 miles of shorelines, are within a 30-minute drive. The CookevilleDramaCenter offers a full schedule of touring plays and performances plus presentations by the Cookeville Summer Theatre and the Cookeville Children’s Theatre. The Tech Community Symphony, in operation since 1963, presents several concerts each year. PutnamCounty’s Parks and Recreation Department, the City of Cookeville’s Leisure Services Department and the YMCA, work together to provide a comprehensive recreational program. There are over 100 active civic clubs and community organizations in the county.  Additionally, Hidden Hollow's petting zoo promises to thrill and entertain both adults and children.

Cookeville and PutnamCounty have a consolidated school system. The Putnam County Board of Education operates 14 schools with an enrollment of approximately 9,200 students. Six elementary schools, (grades K-4), two middle schools, (grades 5-6 and 7-8), an alternative school, a high school (grades 9 – 12) and an adult high school are located in Cookeville. The high school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. CookevilleHigh School serves as a comprehensive vocational education center for all Putnam County Schools. Since 1989, PutnamCounty has received the Governor’s A+ Award for Excellence in Education, and ACT scores of PutnamCounty students are above the national average. In addition, two state-supported vocational schools serve PutnamCounty.

CookevilleRegionalMedicalCenter is a 247-bed regional referral center in the heart of the Upper Cumberland in middle Tennessee. The facility has been providing top-quality health care since 1950, which now provides inpatient, outpatient, rehabilitation and emergency care in addition to a host of specialty services such as The Heart Center and The Cancer Center. With over 140 physicians providing care in 36 specialties, the Hospital is dedicated to bringing quality care close to home.

Cookeville and surrounding PutnamCounty have been rapidly growing.  The county is home for some 62,000 people.  TennesseeTechnologicalUniversity is located in Cookeville and provides excellent educational opportunities for some 8,500 students.  All economic indicators point to a strong economy for years to come but all the growth has been planned and reasoned and infrastructure such as roads, sewers and schools will be able to keep pace. 

Cookeville is a regional center for employment, education, retailing, health care, and recreational/cultural activities. Approximately 15,000 Upper Cumberland Region residents travel to Cookeville each day to work, attend school, received health care, shop, or participated in leisure time activities.