Tag: migration
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Closer, Smaller, Stronger
MOVE TO KINGSPORT MONTHLY REPORT This September brought 47 newcomer families from outside the region, down from 57 last September. They came from 22 states instead of 27, and the daily pace eased from about 3.0 families per workday to 2.35. On paper that looks like a clear step down, but the price mix tells…
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Kingsport-Bristol: Quietly Leading Tennessee’s Economy
The Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) released its July 2025 report with a statistic that turned heads across the state. Kingsport-Bristol posted the highest retail sales tax growth in Tennessee at 3.57%, while Memphis, by contrast, recorded the largest decline at -2.76%. Overall, sales tax collections were down -0.1% statewide month-over-month, but up…
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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…
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Kingsport-On-The-Holston
Rarely do we hear of Kingsport referred to as ‘ancient’. Instead, our Centennial Park downtown celebrates the city’s 100th anniversary in 2017; however, this article from a Knoxville newspaper was published in 1889. Kingsport was settled in 1761 and was first officially incorporated in 1822 as a riverport. The ‘model city’ we know today was…
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Kingsport Leads Region in Sales and Affordability
The mid-year home sales report for Northeast Tennessee highlights a region experiencing steady demand, with Kingsport and Johnson City leading the way. Kingsport recorded 608 home sales year-to-date—just over 10% more than Johnson City’s 548—positioning it as the region’s most active housing market. Yet what makes Kingsport particularly notable is its combination of volume and…
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Kingsport: Year-Long Growth Amid a Summer Slowdown
Move to Kingsport’s rolling twelve-month metrics edged upward in June, signaling steady growth in inbound relocations. Arrivals ticked up to 641 families spanning 46 states (2.9 per workday), and median pricing rose to $345,600 ($165/SF). The previous period had 637 new families from 45 states—averaging 2.6 per workday—and a median home price of $343,078 ($161/SF).…
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Commuting: What Kingsport’s Traffic Patterns Say About Us
We hear a lot about the growing traffic on I-26. In a perfect world, maybe we’d all live in the same city where we work. That would ease congestion, reduce stress, and add hours back to our day. But modern life is rarely that tidy. In households with two working adults, it’s common for each…
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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…
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Move To Kingsport – March 2025
Month of March 2025: Past 12 Months (ending March 2025): Since 2020: The recent data indicates that homes in Kingsport are slightly more affordable than the past year when considering the price per square foot. In March 2025, the price per square foot was $140, an $18 decrease compared to the past 12-month average of…
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Tennessee’s Housing Challenges: Where and Why It Got So Expensive
Check out this report from The Sycamore Group. It’s the most comprehensive explanation I’ve seen. There are many charts and figures that paint a picture of housing trends all across Tennessee. In my opinion, it’s very consistent with what I’ve been saying for several years now, but it covers every county in Tennessee. It helps…
Kingsport Spirit 