Spring City offers an outdoorsy lifestyle on Watts Bar Lake
Rolling farmland, dense Cumberland Plateau forests and Watts Bar Lake surround the small town of Spring City, a quiet community sought after for its scenic setting. “It’s a real outdoors-enthusiast location,” says Grace Frank, a Realtor with the Grace Frank Group, who has over 25 years of experience. Frank says home prices and property taxes are lower here than in Knoxville and Chattanooga, which adds to the appeal. This section of eastern Tennessee’s rural Rhea County is roughly 60 miles from both bigger cities. “Some people have second homes, but there are a lot of people who live here year-round,” Frank says. “We sell a lot of small farms in the area. People are looking for anywhere from 3 acres to 5 acres to 10 acres – they want a little bit of privacy.”
Competitive prices for homes with water views, lots of land
Cottages and ranch-style homes with broad, shady lawns line the wide, gridded streets close to downtown. Chalets, log cabins and Contemporary homes are common on the outskirts, tucked under thick canopies of oaks and hickory trees on narrow, winding roads. Manufactured homes and New Traditionals fill lakeside subdivisions like Arrowhead, Marina View and Hidden Harbor.
Prices range from under $100,000 to more than $1.5 million, with the median hovering close to $305,000. That’s well below the national median of just over $420,000 reported by the National Association of Realtors. Waterfront homes can sell for between $450,000 and $1.7 million.
Flash floods affecting roadways are a concern, as Spring City gets an average of more than 50 inches of rain annually. The Piney River tends to flood more often than Watts Bar Lake.
Watts Bar Lake, Cumberland Plateau area offer outdoor recreation
Fishing and boating are popular local pastimes. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency stocks the lake with game fish like striped bass, black crappie and walleye. Private docks are common. Marinas like Rhea Harbor, Spring City Resort & Marina and Terrace View Marina dot the shoreline. Public boat ramps are available near Spring City Park, where there’s a splash pad, a playground and tennis courts. Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park is just west of Spring City, and features miles of wooded hiking and biking trails following ridges and gorges in the plateau area. Piney River RMA Trailhead, Stinging Fork Falls State Natural Area Trailhead, Duskin Creek Trailhead and others are within 20 miles of most homes.
Shopping and dining in downtown Spring City
Waterfront dining is available at several of the resorts and marinas in the area. “The Spring City Resort & Marina restaurant is very well liked,” Frank says, referring to Nick’s Lakeside Grill, the marina’s casual American eatery. “It’s got all the kinds of things you’d want to eat if you were boating all day,” she says. Downtown has more dining options, with popular spots like La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant and Winstead’s American Grill, a laid-back sports bar. The central business district is also home to a Piggly Wiggly, an Ace Hardware and locally owned shops like Between the Vines, a women’s clothing boutique, and Old Man’s Tackle Box, where visitors can pick up fishing gear and beekeeping supplies. Tennessee Valley Theatre, near the Ace Hardware, is a lively performance venue that hosts drama workshops and arts galas.
Above-average Rhea County School District
Spring City is zoned to the Rhea County School District, which earns a B from Niche and serves about 3,900 students across seven schools. In- and out-of-district transfers are allowed by application. Approval depends on space and administrative discretion. Spring City Elementary gets a B-plus from Niche, while Spring City Middle and Rhea County High score Bs. The high school offers career and technical education classes in subjects such as welding, nursing, engineering and culinary arts.
Getting around rural Rhea County via U.S. Route 27
The Southeast Tennessee Human Resource Agency, or SETHRA, provides dial-a-ride transportation service to Rhea County. Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, a top regional employer, is within 20 miles of most homes, off State Road 68 near the Watts Bar Dam. Rhea Medical Center, another big employer, is less than 25 miles from most homes. U.S. Route 127 runs southwest toward the hospital and northeast toward Rockwood. Frank says there’s a small municipal airport in Rockwood, but that most folks fly out of Knoxville or Chattanooga. Knoxville’s McGhee Tyson Airport is around 60 miles from central Spring City via Route 27 and Interstate 40. Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, heading southwest on Route 27, is roughly the same distance.
