Kingsport Spirit

Realtor.com’s May 2025 supply-demand chart offers a revealing look at home values and market dynamics across 26 communities in the surrounding region. Amid a mix of balanced, buyer, and seller markets, two names jump out: Kingsport, Bristol, and Sullivan County. These areas share a unique—and telling—position in the current housing landscape: they are among the most affordable locations on the list and yet they are experiencing intensifying demand and limited supply. That rare combination makes them not only hot markets, but strategic indicators of where population pressures and economic shifts are headed next in Northeast Tennessee.

Kingsport stands out as a key focal point. At just $253,000, it holds one of the lowest median sold prices on the list—ranking near the bottom in cost. But unlike most low-cost communities, Kingsport is designated as a seller’s market, meaning homes are selling quickly. That demand pressure—at such an accessible price point—signals not only local interest but also growing outside investment and in-migration from more expensive parts of the state and country.

Bristol, TN, with a median home value of $255,000, is in a similarly constrained position. Like Kingsport, it is experiencing seller’s market dynamics, with high buyer activity and limited housing stock. However, Kingsport has the advantage of a larger population base, more diverse employment centers, and a greater capacity for both infill and edge-of-town housing development.

A striking contrast appears between Bristol, TN and Bristol, VA, two cities that share State Street but not a market dynamic. While Bristol, TN is in a seller’s market, Bristol, VA, at $220,000, is a buyer’s market—suggesting weaker demand across the state line.

Similarly, there’s a striking contrast between Kingsport and neighboring Church Hill just across the Hawkins County line. Church Hill, at $240,000, is also in a buyer’s market–suggesting weaker demand across the county line.

Sullivan County as a whole is in a seller’s market. The county’s low overall median home price—just over $260,000—combined with the market imbalance suggests the conditions in Kingsport and Bristol are not a localized phenomenon, but a county-wide housing shortage. With demand increasing and housing stock lagging behind, the opportunity for new residential construction is clear. Developers looking for high-absorption potential would be wise to take notice.

In comparison, most other communities in the $300,000 to $500,000 range are experiencing balanced or buyer-friendly markets. Places like Sevier County ($510,000) and Asheville, NC ($500,000) are labeled buyer’s markets, with high prices limiting affordability and softening competition. Even neighboring Jonesborough ($400,000) and Johnson City ($346,000) are in a balanced market, suggesting they have kept housing supply more in line with demand.

Ultimately, Kingsport, Bristol, and Sullivan County represent the most affordable seller’s markets in the region, and the data point toward a critical inflection point. For buyers, the window of affordability may be closing. For policymakers and builders, the message is urgent: expand housing options, improve infrastructure, and plan for smart growth.