Kingsport Spirit

Move To Kingsport

Kingsport’s relocation story over the past two years is not one of decline, but of adjustment—shaped by national housing conditions and reflected clearly in local data. By year, Kingsport’s relocation pipeline from outside the region (greater than 35 miles) remained broad and national, but cooled modestly from 2024 to 2025.

In 2024, the city recorded 661 new families from 49 states, averaging 2.7 families per workday.

In 2025, that eased to 591 families from 45 states, or 2.41 families per workday—a decline of about 10 percent.

Even with that dip, Kingsport’s reach remains coast-to-coast. What changed was the center of gravity. The 2025 pattern shows a stronger pull within a 300-mile drive shed, indicating that the market leaned more heavily on Tennessee (beyond the Tri-Cities) and neighboring states rather than long-distance moves.

That distinction matters. While relocations from places like California and Florida do occur—and tend to draw attention—they represent a small share of total moves. The data consistently shows that Kingsport’s housing market is driven primarily by households relocating from within Tennessee and nearby states such as Virginia, the Carolinas, Kentucky, and Georgia. In other words, Kingsport’s growth is rooted first and foremost in regional migration, rather than long-distance coastal migration.

Home values tell a second, important story. On an annual basis, the median sale price was essentially flat—$335,092 in 2024 versus $335,000 in 2025—while median price per square foot rose from $157 to $168, an increase of roughly 7 percent. That mix—fewer moves but steady or rising prices—closely mirrors the national housing market in 2025, where transaction volume softened but prices held up because supply remained tight and buyers continued to compete for the best homes.

That dynamic is largely driven by interest rates and rate lock. When mortgage rates are high, fewer homeowners are willing to give up low-rate loans, which constrains inventory and supports prices even when demand cools. Rates did ease late in 2025, but not enough to unlock supply in a meaningful way. The Southeast is particularly sensitive to this effect because many relocations are discretionary—families trying to coordinate both a sale and a purchase. That helps explain why Kingsport’s strongest inflow in 2025 came from closer, drivable markets, rather than across the country.

The ability to sell in the origin market also plays a role, but again, mainly at the margins. In higher-priced states like California, sellers often bring significant equity, which can make a move to a more affordable community like Kingsport easier. Florida, by contrast, has been more uneven. When sellers feel uncertain about timing or proceeds, some moves pause. When that happens, it typically shows up as fewer total relocations, not falling prices in Kingsport. Still, these long-distance moves are supplemental—not the backbone of the market.

The December comparison reinforces these same themes. December 2024 saw 48 new families from 21 states (2.5 per workday) with a $285,000 median price and $172 per square foot. December 2025 was nearly identical on volume—49 families (2.45 per workday)—but from 18 states, with a higher $340,000 median and $181 per square foot. Activity held steady, the origin list narrowed slightly, and pricing moved up—consistent with a market relying more on regional movers than national volatility.

Longer-term context is critical. Since 2007, in-migration from outside the region has followed a clear upward path. The COVID years (2020–2022) produced a sharp surge, but what came next is more telling. Migration did not fall back to earlier levels. Instead, it settled into a higher, more stable range. From 2023 through 2025, annual in-migration remains well above pre-2016 norms.

Finally, the data dispels another common misconception: that Kingsport’s housing market is being driven primarily by new construction. If that were the case, the median year built would move steadily newer. It hasn’t. From 2024 to 2025, the median year built stayed essentially flat—1980 to 1979—and across the 2020–2025 period it consistently reflects existing homes, not new subdivisions. Meanwhile, price per square foot rose every year, from about $104 in 2020 to $166 in 2025, signaling that buyers are paying more for the right existing home in the right location.

Looking ahead, the most reasonable expectation is continued stability—likely mid-500s relocating households per year from outside the Tri-Cities region, with normal ups and downs tied to interest rates, job conditions, and housing supply.

Kingsport’s market is not being driven by a handful of coastal buyers or a surge of new construction. Its strength comes from steady regional demand, a deep existing housing stock, and a value proposition that continues to resonate close to home.

Congratulations to the real estate professionals representing those long-distance buyers from beyond the Tri-Cities region.

Top overall agencies for 2025 (considering both listings and sales) are:

• Blue Ridge Properties → 11.6%
• Keller Williams → 9.4%
• Century 21 Legacy → 6.4%
• D.R. Horton → 5.5%
• eXp Realty → 4.2%
• Addington Agency → 3.6%
• Nonmember → 3.5%
• Greater Impact Realty → 3.1%
• Southern Dwellings → 2.2% tie
• Town & Country → 2.2% tie

2025 Top Listing Agencies for long-distance buyers:

• Blue Ridge Properties (15.4%)
• Keller Williams (10.1%)
• D.R. Horton (8.5%)
• eXp Realty (5.0%)
• Century 21 Legacy (4.7%)
• Southern Dwellings (4.4%) tie
• Town & Country (4.4%) tie
• Addington Agency (3.8%)
• Property Executives (3.1%)
• Conservus Homes (2.8%)

2025 Top Sales Agencies for long-distance buyers:

• Keller Williams (8.8%)
• Century 21 Legacy (8.2%)
• Blue Ridge Properties (7.9%)
• Nonmember (6.9%)
• Greater Impact Realty (6.3%)
• Summit Properties (4.1%)
• Addington Agency (3.5%) tie
• Arbella Properties (3.5%) tie
• eXp Realty (3.5%) tie
• Property Executives (2.5%)

Move To Kingsport is a public-private partnership between Visit Kingsport, the City of Kingsport, and Eastman Credit Union — and just as importantly, the hundreds of real estate agents who work tirelessly to provide the best first impression to families considering our community.