Tag: affordable housing
-
Kingsport Is Older—But Its Newcomers Are Changing That
Kingsport has long been considered one of Tennessee’s older cities, and the top-line numbers still say so. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 population estimates, the city’s median age sits in the mid-40s—several years higher than the statewide median age of about 39 and well above many of Tennessee’s faster-growing suburban markets. Yet if…
-
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…
-
Don’t Blame Newcomers
As we watch home prices and property values increase, it’s tempting to pin the blame on newcomers. After all, the narrative is simple: more people equal more demand, which drives prices up. But that’s not the full story—and it’s not the real problem. Only about 2% of Kingsport’s population consists of recent transplants. Over the…
-
A Matter of Perspective: Housing, History, and Kingsport’s Future
We hear a lot about housing affordability these days. The real challenge is distinguishing between national trends that affect everyone and local conditions that vary by community. Our perception of the data is shaped not just by statistics but also by our age and lived experiences. I once knew a Realtor who entered the market…
Kingsport Spirit 