Charming Madisonville offers access to nature and cities
Madisonville offers a classic small-town lifestyle in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. The seat of Monroe County, with a population of about 5,100, the community features a charming downtown, where small businesses sit alongside local government offices. Madisonville residents know each other by name and gather for community events, from carnivals to farmers markets, throughout the year. Plus, its East Tennessee location offers proximity to outdoor destinations like a scenic byway and trout-stocked river, as well as major metropolitan areas. Realtor Lisa Hunt with Realty Executives Associates, Maryville, who has sold many homes in the area, says that many residents commute to nearby cities, like Knoxville. “A lot of people will trade the hour drive to work for the more affordable pricing,” she says. “There are lower property taxes and home prices than closer to the big cities.”
Madisonville has more affordable housing than nearby counties
Madisonville features a wide variety of home styles and price ranges. Closer to the center of town, small ranch-style homes, cottages and bungalows sit on sidewalk-lined streets. They can range in price from $120,000 to $300,000. Farther out, two-story Cape Cods and Colonial Revivals dot open land, typically ranging from $310,000 to $480,000. Subdivisions with New Traditional homes also sit on the outskirts of town. These houses can cost $500,000 to $680,000, and prices depend on the property’s age, as some communities were developed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and others feature new construction. Plots of land are also available, with prices spanning about $30,000 for less than an acre to $600,000 for over a hundred acres. “Madisonville is more affordable than Blount County, the bordering county, or nearby Loudon County,” Hunt says.
Recreation spans pickleball and playgrounds to hayrides and hikes
Kefauver Park straddles the shores of Madisonville Lake. The park features basketball, tennis, volleyball and pickleball courts, as well as a playground and a lighted walking trail. It hosts Madisonville Carnival at the Park, a 3-day event with rides, games, cotton candy and corndogs. Across from the Madisonville Public Library, Houston Park has a basketball court, playground, trail and a splashpad that was installed in 2024. Downtown’s Glenn Moser Memorial Park holds many community events, including Food Truck Mondays and the Madisonville Farmers & Makers Market. The Park also hosts. Built in 1958, the nearby semi-private Madisonville Golf Club offers an 18-hole game.
Outside of town, many outdoor spaces draw visitors from throughout the state. “It’s a very outdoorsy area,” Hunt says. “People like to get outside.” About 15 miles away, the Town of Tellico Plains has an entrance to the Cherohala National Scenic Byway, a 43-mile curving route through Tennessee backcountry and Cherokee and Nantahala national forests, which are also popular hiking areas. The Tellico River, about 10 miles away, provides nationally recognized trout fishing, and Craighead Caverns, about 5 miles away, feature the country’s largest underground lake.
Downtown has Southern diners, coffee shops and local stores
Madisonville’s quaint downtown has sidewalks, vintage lampposts and rows of shops and restaurants. Donna’s Old Town Café offers classic Southern cooking, like fried green tomatoes, country fried steak and a breakfast buffet. 10-80 Roasters is a go-to for coffee, old-fashioned cream sodas and pastries, while The Patio Italian Restaurant is popular for dinner. The stately Monroe County Courthouse and other governmental buildings are also in this area. Most of the community’s big-box retailers and grocery stores sit opposite U.S. Route 411 from downtown. Walmart Supercenter, Ingles and Dollar General are in this area.
Students attend Monroe County schools
The Monroe County Schools System serves Madisonville. Madisonville Primary educates prekindergarten to second-grade students and gets a C-plus from Niche. Madisonville Intermediate, for third to fifth graders, and Madisonville Middle earn C’s. Sequoyah High School receives a C-plus and offers dual enrollment courses with a few institutions throughout the area.
Madisonville sits between Knoxville and Chattanooga
Most Madisonville residents rely on cars; however, the East Tennessee Human Resource Agency offers appointment-based rides to people with disabilities. U.S. Route 411 and Tennessee state Route 68 run through the community. An entrance to U.S. Interstate 75 is about 10 miles away, in Sweetwater, which also has the Sweetwater Hospital Association, the only hospital in Monroe County. Knoxville is about 45 miles north, and Chattanooga is about 80 miles south. McGhee Tyson Airport is about 30 miles away, and Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport is about 70 miles away.
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Adreanna DeMarino
