Kingsport Spirit

Kingsport’s population is now officially 57,109, up from 55,510 in 2020 according to the Census Bureau’s newly released 2024 population estimates for cities over 20,000.

Kingsport led the Tri-Cities in year-over-year growth at 0.6%, compared to 0.3% for Johnson City and 0.1% for Bristol.

Remember when we were racing to hit 50,000—mostly through annexation? That era effectively ended more than a decade ago, and yet Kingsport continues to grow on its own. That’s a healthy sign.

Growth is not a given. In fact, five Tennessee cities lost population from 2023 to 2024: Maryville, East Ridge, Farragut, Memphis, and Germantown.

Meanwhile, five others—Lebanon, Smyrna, Gallatin, Columbia, and Spring Hill—are growing at breakneck speed, all part of the booming Nashville metro.

Lebanon now tops 51,000 residents, a staggering 66% increase since 2020. For context, most planners consider 5%–10% per decade to be the “sweet spot.” Expect I-40 East to get even more congested.

Outside the Tri-Cities, eight cities posted modest annual gains of less than 1%, including Brentwood, Hendersonville, Franklin, Tullahoma, Knoxville, Bartlett, Collierville, and La Vergne.

Nashville remains the state’s largest city at 704,963, while Memphis, now at 610,919, continues its gradual decline. Since 2020, Nashville has grown 2.2%, while Memphis has shrunk by 2.8%.

It’s also worth watching the race for Tennessee’s third-largest city. Knoxville, with 198,722 residents, has grown 3.9% since 2020, but Chattanooga isn’t far behind at 191,496—and it’s growing faster, up 5.1% in the same period.

But both could soon be overtaken by Clarksville (185,690) and Murfreesboro (168,387), which are growing at nearly twice the rate.

In an era when many cities are struggling with either rapid expansion or declining populations, Kingsport’s steady, natural increase offers a more balanced path forward—growth shaped by quality of life rather than sheer numbers. It reflects a community where people choose to stay, to move, to raise families, and to invest in their future. This kind of growth may be gradual, but it’s steady, thoughtful, and rooted in long-term strength—the kind that builds lasting foundations for generations to come.