I've lived near Clinton most of my life, and my wife has family that live there. It's a nice area and I wouldn't mind living there. East of Clinton you've got Norris Damn state park and the Norris shooting range within about a 20 minute drive. West you've got Oak Ridge and the ORSA gun club within about a 20 minute drive. Heading north I think you could get to Big South Fork national recreation area in about an hour. South you can take I-75 or Clinton Highway and be in Knoxville in about 30 minutes.
So you've got easy access to lots of stuff to do outdoors, and a short drive to a bigger city, while still being in a small town/rural area. If the town is too small for you, you could always live in the Powell area, or even north-west Knoxville, and commute to work.