Tag: economic development
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Don’t Tell Nobody: What Happens When You Bet on an Appalachian
I was saddened to learn of the passing of Roger Ball, the man behind the redevelopment of the Kingsport Mall (now East Stone Commons). Our paths first crossed in 1997. I had just been promoted to Development Services Director at age 35, and Roger had acquired one of Kingsport’s most prominent development sites at the…
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Biscuits & Builders: Moving to Kingsport and the New South
The South. Just reading those words probably evokes imagery. For natives, it might be sweet tea, biscuits, and “home sweet home to me.” For others, it might be The Beverly Hillbillies, The Dukes of Hazzard, or The Andy Griffith Show. I follow a TikTok account of a former New Yorker now living in Charleston. She…
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2025 Annual Report
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,…
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Where $100 Still Goes A Long Way
A recently published map from the Tax Foundation illustrates a reality many Kingsport residents intuitively understand but rarely see quantified so clearly: the real value of a dollar varies dramatically across the country—and Kingsport sits firmly on the favorable side of that divide. Adjusted for regional purchasing power, $100 stretches meaningfully farther in much of…
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Kingsport’s Quiet Surge in New Housing
A recent comparison of new-construction listings across nine Tennessee peer cities reveals a striking trend: Kingsport is undergoing one of the most rapid shifts in new-home availability anywhere in the region. While places such as Cleveland, Cookeville, Johnson City, Maryville, and Morristown currently list more total new homes, the year’s most dramatic movement belongs unmistakably…
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A Market Finding Its Sustainable Rhythm
MOVE TO KINGSPORT MONTHLY REPORT The November 2025 relocation data confirm that Kingsport has entered a new phase of steady, durable growth—one that is less explosive than the post-pandemic wave, but far more sustainable. In November 2025, Kingsport welcomed 39 new families from 18 states, averaging 2.29 new families per workday. The median home price…
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Of Time and Time Zones
The change to or from daylight saving time always throws me off. It takes a good couple of weeks to feel normal again. I’ve long wished we could settle on one consistent time year-round, but I understand it’s not as simple as it sounds. When I lived briefly in Middle Tennessee, I remember the sun…
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Kingsport, Johnson City named Best Places to Live 2025-2026
Kingsport and Johnson City are two of six Tennessee cities named to U.S. News’ Top 250 “Best Places to Live” list for 2025-2026. Tennessee cities making the Top 250 are (in order): Hendersonville, Franklin, Kingsport, Murfreesboro, Johnson City, and Nashville. Notable Tennessee cities and their suburbs not on the Top 250 list are Knoxville (Maryville,…
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Finance: Love It or Hate It, It Matters
Finance. Ugh. It’s a topic that’s both critically important and endlessly dull for many. But let’s break it down in a way that actually matters: Just like managing a personal budget, is your government living within its means? Is it making politically popular promises it can’t sustain? Is it simply kicking the can down the…
Kingsport Spirit 