Me and my family want to move from upstate NY to Eastern Tennesee. Is it cheaper and better there?

We would like to live about a half hour away from Knoxville. We love the Gatlinburg area. Are there any other towns like Gburg to live in near the mountains. Also, we would like to be near a lake too. We just want a cheaper place to live than NY and my wife works as a medical secretary, would she be able to find work around that area? Thanks for any and all info. :)