Fairfield Glade is not a typical Tennessee city — it is a master-planned community stretching across more than 10,000 acres on the Cumberland Plateau at roughly 2,000 feet of elevation, the highest point between the Rocky and Smoky Mountains. At a population of 9,149, it functions more like a large private resort community than a conventional municipality. TN-101 (Peavine Road) is the main artery tying the community to Crossville, about 20 minutes away, and nearly everything about daily life here — the roads, the lakes, the golf courses, the police department — is woven into the fabric of the Fairfield Glade Community Club.
The economy that sustains most residents is not local in the traditional sense. Major employers such as Colinx LLC, Aviagen, and AHF Products operate in and around Crossville, while Cumberland Medical Center and the Cumberland County School System anchor the public sector. A significant share of Fairfield Glade's households are retired or semi-retired, drawn by the plateau's cooler summers and the community's built-in amenity structure. The Cumberland County School District, which serves this area, holds a B- rating, according to Niche, with 6,670 students enrolled in 2024-25.
Home prices here run noticeably above the surrounding region — well above what buyers find in Crossville or Cookeville — which reflects the community's golf-course lots, lake frontage, and maintained common areas rather than a speculative market. The effective property tax rate sits at just 0.28%, one of the lowest in the state, which matters when you are carrying a home at this price point. The catch: the median household income of $73,569 runs below what is needed to comfortably carry the typical home here, so many buyers arrive with equity from a prior market rather than a local paycheck. See the full breakdown on the cost of living page.
Whether you are deciding between a lakefront lot on Saint James Place or a low-maintenance condo in Wilshire Heights, the sections below break down all eight of Fairfield Glade's neighborhoods, who each one suits, the trade-offs buyers most often miss, and where renters fit into a market built almost entirely around ownership.
The Fairfield Glade Reality
Fairfield Glade has no highway divide, no school-boundary drama, and no east-side-versus-west-side friction. Every neighborhood sits inside the same master-planned boundary, feeds into the same Cumberland County School District, and draws on the same Community Club amenities. But the divide that does exist — and that buyers routinely underestimate — is the relationship between a given neighborhood and the community's two anchor amenity corridors: the golf courses (Stonehenge and Heatherhurst) and the lakes (Lake Dartmoor and Lake St. George).
Neighborhoods positioned near a golf course or a lake carry a different character — and a different price ceiling — than those that sit deeper in the wooded interior. Saint James Place, for instance, is defined by lakefront lots on Holiday Hills Lake. Fairfield North borders protected forest and the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area. Country Club Villas, Walden Woods, and Bent Oaks sit within the community's wooded fabric without a single defining water or fairway edge. That distinction shapes what you pay, what you see from your back deck, and how your home holds its value over time.
The second reality is the Community Club itself. The $81-per-month household membership fee (2025 rate) is not optional in any meaningful sense — it funds the community's police department, road maintenance, and sewer services in addition to the pools, pickleball courts, golf simulator, and marina access. Budget for it alongside your mortgage. Buyers who treat it as an amenity add-on rather than a structural cost of living here sometimes find it a surprise in month one.
Neighborhoods at a Glance
| Neighborhood | Best For | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfield North | Luxury Privacy | Wooded, high-end homesites with underground utilities and decorative streetscaping along Chestnut Ridge; newer construction with main-level living |
| North Hampton | Quiet Nature | Cul-de-sac streets on the north side with custom-built homes and immediate access to paved hiking trails |
| Wilshire Heights | First-Time Renter | Condominium-style living, the most compact footprint in the community, low-maintenance exteriors |
| Saint James Place | Luxury Views | Lakefront lots on Holiday Hills Lake surrounded by mature trees and close to championship golf |
| Hickory Ridge (Cottages) | Quiet Nature | Intimate cottage-scale development near a golf course, hiking trails, and outdoor pools |
| Country Club Villas | Commuter Value | Golf-adjacent community living with a low-maintenance orientation and plateau wooded setting |
| Walden Woods | Privacy Nature | Forested interior lots, quieter and more tucked-in within the master-planned boundary |
| Bent Oaks | Families Quiet | Established wooded neighborhood with a settled, residential feel within the broader community |
Fairfield Glade typical home price: $419,722 (Redfin median sale price, August 2026). Neighborhood tiers on this page are relative to these figures.
Best Neighborhood by Buyer Type
| Buyer Type | Best Neighborhood | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Luxury Buyer | Saint James Place | Lakefront lots on Holiday Hills Lake with wooded settings represent the community's premium tier, with proximity to Stonehenge Golf Club adding to the appeal. |
| First-Time Buyer | Wilshire Heights | Condominium-style units at the smallest footprint in the community offer the most accessible entry point into Fairfield Glade ownership. |
| Families with Kids | Bent Oaks | An established, settled residential feel within the community boundary suits households with school-age children who want stability over novelty. |
| Commuter | Country Club Villas | A golf-adjacent, lower-maintenance orientation leaves more time and energy for the drive to Crossville and regional employers. |
| Large-Lot Buyer | Fairfield North | Wooded homesites surrounded by protected forest and the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area give the most buffer between neighbors anywhere in the community. |
| Walkability Seeker | North Hampton | Cul-de-sac roads feed directly onto paved hiking trails, making it the best on-foot access point for residents who want trail time without driving to it. |
| Renter | Wilshire Heights | The condominium stock here is the most rental-friendly configuration in a community built predominantly around single-family ownership. |
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Beyond the Monthly Mortgage Payment — What to Factor In
- The property tax rate above — The 0.28% used in the estimate is the median effective rate — tax actually paid as a share of market value — published by Ownwell, 2026. Half of local homes pay more and half pay less: your own bill depends on that property's assessed value and any exemptions it qualifies for, which can differ a lot from its market price. Confirm with the Cumberland County assessor before you budget.
- Total cost of ownership — Your monthly mortgage payment is just the baseline. Depending on the specific city, county, and service district, homeownership costs also include local utility fees, municipal surcharges, and special assessments (such as water, sewer, storm drainage, or local energy taxes) that vary by location.
- Independent due diligence — Because these recurring local costs and municipal fees change depending on the exact property address, buyers must research them independently during their transaction process.
Tax laws, local municipal fees, and utility costs change frequently and individual situations vary. This page is general information, not tax or legal advice — always consult a qualified tax professional, CPA, or local municipal offices for personalized guidance.
Most Popular Neighborhoods
1. Fairfield North
Fairfield North is the community's most polished sub-area, built around wooded homesites with underground utilities, curbed streets with decorative lamp posts, and sections like Chestnut Ridge that push right up against protected forest. Newer sections offer freestanding homes with more than 2,000 square feet of main-level living — a layout that suits buyers who do not want stairs but still want a full-size house. The trade-off is distance: Fairfield North sits toward the outer northern edge of the community, meaning a longer internal drive to Village Green Mall or the Community Club Center than residents of more centrally placed neighborhoods face.
Best for: buyers wanting high-end construction, maximum privacy, and forested lot settings above the city-wide typical price point.
2. North Hampton
On the north side of Fairfield Glade, North Hampton earns its reputation on quiet cul-de-sac roads and immediate access to paved hiking trails — a combination that is harder to find than it sounds inside a community this large. Custom construction here leans toward cathedral ceilings, quality finishes, and the kind of detail work that distinguishes built-to-spec from built-to-sell. The honest trade-off is that the custom nature of the housing stock means condition varies significantly from home to home, and a pre-offer inspection is not optional.
Best for: buyers who want trail access from the door and custom-quality construction on a quiet street.
3. Wilshire Heights
Wilshire Heights is where Fairfield Glade's ownership ladder begins. Condominium units here run approximately 938 square feet — two bedrooms, one-and-a-half baths, vaulted ceilings, hardwood flooring, and a low-maintenance exterior — making them the most compact option in a community dominated by single-family homes on wooded lots. That footprint also makes them the most realistic entry point for buyers who want into the Fairfield Glade Community Club structure without stretching to a full detached home at the community's median. The practical limit is resale: buyers who move up will likely sell back into a narrow pool of buyers with the same entry-level motivation.
Best for: entry-level buyers, downsizers who want the smallest possible footprint, and landlords looking for the community's most rentable unit type.
4. Saint James Place
Saint James Place is the waterfront address in Fairfield Glade. Wooded lots back directly to Holiday Hills Lake, and the proximity to Stonehenge Golf Club — GolfWeek's recognized Best Public-Access Course in Tennessee (2024) — puts two of the community's most sought-after amenities within a short walk or cart ride. Homes here run well above the city-wide typical home price, and lakefront lots command a meaningful premium over interior lots in the same sub-area. The trade-off is that lakefront maintenance, seawall upkeep, and the expectations that come with a premium address add layers of carrying cost that buyers focused only on purchase price sometimes underweight.
Best for: buyers prioritizing lakefront living and championship golf access, with a budget that runs above the city median shown on the cost of living page.
5. Hickory Ridge (Cottages of Hickory Ridge)
The Cottages of Hickory Ridge occupies a smaller, more intimate corner of the master plan — wooded homesites on a scale that feels genuinely cottage-sized rather than resort-large, with a golf course, hiking trails, and outdoor pools nearby. The intimacy is the point: this is not a neighborhood for buyers who want acreage and seclusion, but for those who want a walkable connection to the community's outdoor amenities without the upkeep of a larger home on a larger lot. Fewer listings cycle through here than in the larger sub-areas, so inventory is thin and buyers sometimes wait longer than they expect for the right home to come available.
Best for: buyers who want a smaller, low-maintenance footprint with golf and trails within walking distance.
6. Country Club Villas
Country Club Villas delivers on its name in the most literal sense — golf-adjacent living with a low-maintenance orientation, set within the plateau's wooded backdrop. The community draws buyers who want proximity to the courses without the full lakefront premium, and the villas format generally means less exterior upkeep than a standard detached home. What it gives up is distinctiveness: without a lake edge or a protected-forest boundary as a defining feature, Country Club Villas competes on amenity proximity and price rather than a setting that sets it apart on its own terms.
Best for: golf-oriented buyers who want manageable maintenance and amenity access without paying for lakefront.
7. Walden Woods
Walden Woods sits within Fairfield Glade's wooded interior — forested lots that offer quiet and tree cover without the defining proximity to a lake or a named golf course that anchors some of the community's pricier sub-areas. Buyers who choose Walden Woods are typically prioritizing privacy and the plateau's natural setting over the status of a water-facing lot. The honest note is that without a single standout amenity anchor, resale in Walden Woods depends more heavily on the condition of the individual home than in sub-areas where the setting sells itself.
Best for: buyers who want a forested, low-key residential setting within the community boundary without paying a lake or golf-course premium.
8. Bent Oaks
Bent Oaks is among the more settled, established corners of the Fairfield Glade master plan — a neighborhood that has had time to grow in and develop the lived-in character that newer sections lack. The wooded lots and quiet residential streets suit households that want stability over novelty, and the established tree canopy is noticeably denser than in newer-build sections of the community. Homes here vary in age and finish more than in Fairfield North's newer sections, which means condition due diligence matters and buyers should not assume a consistent standard across listings.
Best for: families with school-age children and buyers who want an established, settled neighborhood feel within the Fairfield Glade community.
Common Mistakes Buyers Make in Fairfield Glade
Treating the Community Club Fee as Optional
The $81-per-month household membership fee is not a lifestyle upgrade — it funds the community's police department, sewer services, and road maintenance alongside the pools and courts. Buyers who run their numbers without it are budgeting for a different city than the one they are buying into. Add it alongside your property taxes and homeowners insurance before you set a purchase-price ceiling.
Assuming All Wooded Lots Are Equivalent
Fairfield Glade has wooded lots in every sub-area, but "wooded" means something different in Fairfield North — where the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area's nearly 100,000 acres of protected forest form the literal back boundary — than it does in Walden Woods or Bent Oaks, where the trees are mature but the setting is residential rather than wilderness-adjacent. Buyers who shop by photographs without understanding which sub-area they are in often pay Fairfield North prices for interior lots that do not carry the same long-term scarcity.
Underestimating the Internal Drive to Amenities
Fairfield Glade covers more than 10,000 acres. A home near the northern edge of Fairfield North and the Fairfield Glade Community Club Center are not a short walk apart — they may be a five-to-ten-minute drive through the community's internal road network. Buyers who prioritize a specific amenity (the Community Club Center's indoor pool, or the marinas at Lake Dartmoor and Lake St. George) should map the actual internal drive from any home they are considering, not assume that being inside the master plan means being close to everything in it.
Skipping the Inspection Because the Community Looks Maintained
Fairfield Glade's common areas are well-kept — manicured, in fact — and buyers sometimes transfer that impression to the individual homes they tour. The maintenance fees cover roads and shared spaces, not private homes, and North Hampton's custom-built stock in particular varies enormously in condition. A home with cathedral ceilings and quartz countertops in a desirable cul-de-sac can still have deferred maintenance behind the finishes. The inspection is not negotiable, and a sewer scope is worth the cost given the age of some of the community's infrastructure.
Best Areas to Rent in Fairfield Glade
| Area | Ideal For | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Wilshire Heights | Solo renters and couples who want the smallest footprint and lowest carrying cost inside the community | Limited square footage; the condominium format suits minimalists but rules out renters who need garage space or a yard |
| Hickory Ridge (Cottages) | Renters who want walkable access to golf, trails, and outdoor pools without full homeownership | Inventory is thin — cottage-scale units come available infrequently, and competition is real when they do |
| Country Club Villas | Renters on a longer-term lease who want golf-adjacent living with low exterior upkeep | The villas format trades private outdoor space for maintenance convenience; buyers who need a yard will feel it |
| Fairfield North | Renters seeking larger square footage in a high-end wooded setting, typically professionals on extended corporate assignments | Per-square-foot rental costs are higher; most landlords here expect longer lease commitments |
| Bent Oaks / Walden Woods | Families or households wanting an established neighborhood feel before committing to a purchase | Single-family rental supply is sporadic; renters may wait months for a home to come available in their target sub-area |
Fairfield Glade's rental market is a secondary feature of a community built around ownership — the vast majority of its housing stock is owner-occupied, and the Community Club fee applies to renters through their landlord's arrangement, so confirm how that is handled before signing a lease. Renters weighing a longer-term move should consult the cost of living page for the city-wide typical rent figure and a fuller picture of what the plateau market charges.
Local Expert Takeaway: Fairfield Glade rewards buyers who understand that they are not just buying a house — they are buying into a managed community with its own fee structure, its own amenity hierarchy, and its own internal geography. Saint James Place is the address for lakefront living; Fairfield North is where the forest buffer and newer construction converge; Wilshire Heights is the only realistic entry point for buyers who want in at the lower end. The single most useful thing you can do before making an offer anywhere in the community is drive the internal roads from that address to the Community Club Center, to Lake Dartmoor, and to Village Green Mall — because 10,000 acres is larger than it reads on a map, and proximity to the Fairfield Glade amenities you care about most is what separates a good fit from an expensive lesson.
Quick Takeaways & FAQs
✅ Fairfield Glade's effective property tax rate of 0.28% is one of the lowest in Tennessee, meaningfully reducing the annual carrying cost of homes at this price point.
⚠️ The $81-per-month Community Club membership fee is a structural cost of living here — it funds police, sewer, and road maintenance, not just the golf simulator and pools — and must be budgeted alongside your mortgage.
📍 Saint James Place lots back directly to Holiday Hills Lake with Stonehenge Golf Club nearby, while Fairfield North borders the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area's protected forest — two very different premium settings inside the same master plan.
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