Oak Ridge, TN

Shhhh…it’s a secret! Well, not anymore. Created to be the home base for the Manhattan Project during WWII, this city thrives as a well-rounded community in its own right, offering residents affordable housing, high quality schools and career opportunities. Oak Ridge is home to Jackson Square – a shopping center that dates to the city’s earliest days and today houses cute boutiques, must-try food and the longest continually operating playhouse in the Southeast. And with employers like the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, UCOR and Y-12 National Security Complex here, the city continues to be a global leader in research, science, engineering, technology, supercomputing and national security.