Retirees looking for a milder economic and weather climate have plenty of housing options in East Tennessee.

More than a dozen communities targeted at seniors collectively offer more than 5,000 home lots in and around the Chattanooga region.

“A lot of retirees from around the country like the mountains of East Tennessee, and our state’s relatively low cost of living and no income tax add to the overall attraction,” said Ramay Winchester, director of the Retire Tennessee program.

The communities include:

* Fairfield Glade. Located on the Cumberland Plateau in Crossville, Tenn., the 12,000-acre complex initially was developed in the 1970s and now includes 4,200 single-family homes built around five golf courses. Most of the homebuyers are retirees, and an assisted living center is being built, but the complex is not age restricted.

* Rarity Communities. Developer Mike Ross started six golf course communities on East Tennessee lakes or mountains. Collectively, the developments could include more than 2,500 home sites, although Rarity Bay in Jasper and Rarity Rivers in Dayton both stalled and were taken over through foreclosures this year by Green Bank.

* Alexian Brothers. Facilities for seniors in Hamilton County include 328 apartments, 110 nursing home beds and 32 assisted-living units at Alexian Village on Signal Mountain, a 42-unit Alzheimer’s facility in Chattanooga and a 42-unit apartment complex in Lookout Valley.

* Greenbriar Cove. The development in Collegedale includes 200 single-family home sites (95 of which already are developed), a 144-unit Garden Plaza Apartments and a 60-unit Morning Pointe assisted living center, built near an Independent Living Center Alzheimer’s facility and the Life Care Center of Collegedale nursing home.

* Fredonia Mountain. Near Dunlap, Tenn., this is part of 3,200 acres being developed by Wagner Brothers Land Co. More than 300 residential lots already have been developed, and hundreds more will be available in future years. Most of the properties have been sold to buyers who either are retired or approaching retirement.

* Long Branch Lakes. This 1,000-acre equestrian village is targeted at seniors in Spencer, Tenn. In the past two years, 125 of the initial 600 home lots have sold.