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Kingsport: Playing the Long Game
We often hyper-fixate on Kingsport’s ranking in Tennessee’s growth, but miss the context of cities that are closer than our state capital. When I first began my career, Sullivan was the fifth most populous county, but now it’s tenth, replaced by counties adjoining Nashville. But Nashville, like Austin and Charlotte, is a national phenomenon. It’s…
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Appalachian Poverty: Bad Data, Good Intentions
Recently, we published an article titled “Safer by Design, Not by Statistics” that shows why Tennessee’s crime rate isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison with other places—and how it’s often misused to suggest we’re less safe than we really are. You can read it at KingsportSpirit.com. Another misleading statistic is the poverty rate. Appalachia is “poorer” than…
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If You Can’t Sell There, You Can’t Move Here: August 2025 in Context
Move To Kingsport Monthly Report Month-to-month. August 2025 ran cooler than last August. We recorded 49 new families from 19 states, down from 63 families and 26 states in August 2024. The daily pace eased from 2.9 to 2.3 families per workday. Prices also cooled: $305,000 median and $149/SF this August versus $317,005 and $155/SF…
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Why Tennessee—and Kingsport—Make Saving Money Possible
Bankrate’s new 2025 study on the best and worst states for saving money confirms what many of us already sense: where you live can make or break your ability to build a cushion. Tennessee ranked #1 in the nation, thanks to low taxes and a cost of living that still beats the national average. That…
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Why Are Homes & Apartments So Expensive?
I’m a lifelong student of city management, planning, history, demographics, and socioeconomics. Honestly, sometimes I wish I wasn’t—it can be exhausting. I can’t just “turn it off.” I still have a folder filled with maps of fictitious cities that I drew in middle school. I spent more time naming streets, designing parks, and placing schools…
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The Gentle Giant Behind Kingsport’s Transformation
Terry Cunningham was recently honored for his lifetime of partnership as Executive Director of the Kingsport Housing and Redevelopment Authority. I was asked to share my thoughts. Terry Cunningham is one of the best human beings I know. He’s a gentle giant who has worked mostly in the background to effect positive outcomes for our…
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Happy Birthday, Mayor Phillips
I was asked to share a few words about Dennis at a live event last Friday. I thought you might like to see. I was just randomly talking to Stephen LaHair one day and said, “You know, Dennis Phillips is one of my favorite people in this world.” He said, “Have you told him that?”…
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Different by Design: Why Downtown Kingsport Streets Feel Safer
Second in a Series Safety isn’t just about statistics. It’s also about how a place feels when you walk its downtown streets, drive its roads, or raise your family there. Kingsport’s long history of thoughtful planning has created a city that feels safe by design, not just by numbers. When Kingsport was incorporated in 1917,…
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Safer by Design, Not by Statistics
First in a Series When you search for crime rates in Tennessee, the numbers can seem surprising. Cities like Kingsport often appear “less safe” on paper than they feel in real life. But here’s the truth: Tennessee has been holding itself to a higher standard of honesty for decades, which makes the numbers look inflated…
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From the Tristar to the Tri-Cities: Discovering Tennessee
Tennessee is a wonderful state with many positive tax and quality-of-life advantages. The state constitution divides it into three grand divisions–East, Middle, and West from the Mighty Mississippi to the Great Smoky Mountains. That’s what our rare, bold, and elegantly simple red Tristar flag stands for. The blue circle symbolizes the eternal bond and unity…
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Kingsport Spirit 