Tag: finance
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Northeast Tennessee Housing: Strong Appreciation, Lasting Value
After historic growth, the region’s housing market is finding a healthier balance while maintaining its competitive advantage. A home purchased before the pandemic may have built remarkable equity—and Northeast Tennessee still offers something increasingly difficult to find: housing prices that compare favorably with both Tennessee and the nation. That combination of investment value and opportunity…
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Closer to Home
Move To Kingsport Quarterly Report | July–September 2026 Kingsport continues to attract new families from outside the region, but the third-quarter numbers make one thing increasingly clear: the post-pandemic relocation surge has moved into a much quieter phase. From July through September, 63 families moved to Kingsport from outside the region, representing 18 states based…
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The Power of Community Compound Interest
By Jeff Fleming I was taught early in life that whenever I received a pay increase, I should invest a portion of it for the long term. The advice was simple: if I never got accustomed to spending all of the increase, I wouldn’t miss the money. More importantly, the earlier I invested it, the…
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What Does the Poverty Rate Really Tell Us?
The Census Bureau recently released its annual update on poverty in the United States. But before drawing conclusions from a poverty rate, it helps to ask a basic question: How is poverty being measured? The federal government uses two main measures, and they can tell somewhat different stories. The Official Poverty Measure, or OPM, compares…
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One Region, Several Housing Markets
It is tempting to talk about the Northeast Tennessee–Southwest Virginia housing market as though it were one thing. The numbers suggest otherwise. Looking at single-family sales over the past 12 months by ZIP-area population reveals a series of distinct submarkets—urban, suburban, small-town and rural. Kingsport and Johnson City naturally lead in total activity, but their…
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Move to Kingsport: Grounded Growth
Sullivan County Mayor-Elect Zane Vanover coined the term “grounded growth” in his campaign. To my knowledge, he didn’t specify exactly what that meant, but I think I have an idea. The April 2026 Move to Kingsport numbers show a program that has cooled from its post-pandemic peak, but is still producing steady results. For many…
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Established Neighborhoods Are Carrying Kingsport’s Out-of-Region Growth
MOVE TO KINGSPORT MONTHLY REPORT – MARCH 2026 The past month shows that Kingsport’s out-of-region draw remains impressively wide. March’s moves came from 25 states, which is a broad footprint for a single month. The biggest monthly sources were Tennessee, Florida, and Texas, with additional moves from states such as New York and Virginia (outside…
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Tennessee’s Emerging and Mature Places Tell Two Very Different Housing Stories
Third-party rankings are constantly scanning and ranking communities based on “best of” or “worst of”. Frankly, it can be exhausting to keep up with. Some use a city name when they really mean a metropolitan or combined statistical area, leaving neighboring towns to wonder what they missed and the named city to take a bow…
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Steady Growth, Regional Strength, and a Commitment to Stay
MOVE TO KINGSPORT – FEBRUARY 2026 MONTHLY REPORT One year ago, our February 2025 report reflected strong post-pandemic momentum. That pace has moderated — and that’s a healthy development. As of February 2026, 531 out-of-region families from 46 states relocated to Kingsport over the past 12 months, averaging just over two households per workday. The…
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Move To Kingsport: Ensuring Our City’s Renewal, Not Retreat
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.…
