Tag: growth
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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…
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Kingsport Grows, Nashville Suburbs Surge
Kingsport’s population is now officially 57,109, up from 55,510 in 2020 according to the Census Bureau’s newly released 2024 population estimates for cities over 20,000. Kingsport led the Tri-Cities in year-over-year growth at 0.6%, compared to 0.3% for Johnson City and 0.1% for Bristol. Remember when we were racing to hit 50,000—mostly through annexation? That…
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Balanced Growth: How Our Region Compares
Last week, the Census Bureau released updated population estimates for metropolitan areas from 2020 to 2024. Curious about how our region compares to similar metros nationwide, we analyzed all metros within 10% of the population of either Kingsport-Bristol or Johnson City. A healthy metro growth rate typically falls between 0.5% and 1% per year, equating…
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Is Kingsport Growing or Dying?
I know I’m a city planning geek who thinks way too much about this stuff, but have you ever wondered what the “right size” for a city really is? Of course, the answer depends on individual preferences. But even if you find a city that feels like the perfect fit, how can you be sure…
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Northeast Tennessee offers an attractive alternative
Housing is a cornerstone of economic development, serving as a powerful driver of economic growth. Reporting statistics per capita is important because it standardizes data by accounting for population size, allowing for fair comparisons. By normalizing data, per capita metrics avoid misleading interpretations arising from raw totals, especially when populations differ significantly. With that in…
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Beyond ‘We’re Full’: Understanding the Complexities of Population Growth
“We’re full”. It’s a quick comeback from Tennesseans frustrated with the rapid rate of newcomers gobbling up housing inventory. But are we? It depends on what part of the state you’re in. Let’s look at the most recent population trends released in 2023 (for 2020-2022). Natural increase is defined as births exceeding deaths. The places…
Kingsport Spirit 