Kingsport Spirit

When people think about economic development, they often picture industrial parks, incentives, or ribbon cuttings for major employers. Those investments matter immensely. But today’s economy is changing — and so are the tools that drive growth.

That’s why programs like Move To Kingsport represent a new kind of economic development: people-centered, data-driven, and remarkably cost-effective.

The City of Kingsport invests $25,000 annually in Move To Kingsport, about 36% of the total program cost, with the rest funded by private sponsorships. That’s a fraction of what traditional economic development efforts cost. Yet the measurable return is striking.

In 2025 alone, the program helped attract 591 households from outside the region, representing an estimated 1,318 new residents. These are not temporary visitors. They are families planting roots — buying homes, enrolling kids in schools, joining churches, and investing in the life of our community.

Using conservative Census-based assumptions, those households represent about $26.4 million in annual income (after taxes). With typical spending patterns, that translates to about $23.2 million in recurring consumer spending flowing through the local economy each year.

Even focusing on just one revenue stream — local sales tax — the math stands out.

Applying Kingsport’s 1.25% local sales tax produces nearly $290,000 per year in city revenue alone. In simple terms, a $25,000 investment generates more than eleven times its cost annually, before considering property taxes, utilities, or broader economic effects.

But this conversation isn’t really about growth for growth’s sake.

Not all growth is good. Rapid, unmanaged growth can strain infrastructure, raise costs, and dilute the qualities that draw people here. Kingsport has long favored a thoughtful path — steady, moderate growth that protects quality of life.

At the same time, the greater risk for many mature communities isn’t runaway growth — it’s quiet drift.

For years, places like Kingsport faced headwinds from aging demographics and out-migration. Then the post-COVID era reshaped migration patterns. Quality of life began to matter more than proximity to headquarters. Smaller, livable communities found themselves back in the conversation.

Kingsport didn’t experience a boom. But it did experience something more important: stabilization and renewed momentum.

Much of today’s in-migration isn’t runaway growth — it’s replacement. In any established community, population naturally turns over. Some residents move away. Others retire elsewhere. Some simply age out of the population. Without newcomers, the baseline trend isn’t stability — it’s gradual decline.

That distinction matters. Many of today’s new households aren’t “extra.” They help maintain balance — keeping schools full, neighborhoods stable, and civic institutions vibrant. Without that inflow, decline compounds quietly: falling enrollments, tighter workforce pipelines, rising per-capita infrastructure costs, and shrinking volunteer bases.

We don’t have to look far to see this dynamic. Much of the corridor north of us—all the way to Columbus, Ohio–has wrestled with stagnation or loss for decades. Sustained population stability is far from guaranteed.

That context reframes programs like Move To Kingsport.

This isn’t about chasing explosive growth. It’s about preserving equilibrium — ensuring our community remains vibrant rather than slowly contracting.

Unlike traditional strategies that hinge on landing a single major employer, Move To Kingsport spreads growth across hundreds of households. It diversifies risk, strengthens neighborhoods, and broadens the tax base. Many newcomers bring incomes not tied to local economic cycles, adding resilience.

For a city that values stewardship, the math matters. When a modest annual investment produces a recurring, compounding return — and helps prevent the slow drift many communities face — it deserves serious attention.

Economic development doesn’t always look like cranes and construction sites. Sometimes it looks like a young family buying their first home, a remote worker choosing quality of life, or grandparents moving closer to grandchildren.

Those are the quiet wins that shape a community’s future. And Move To Kingsport is helping ensure ours remains one of renewal, not retreat.