Tag: migration
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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…
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Do We Still Need Newcomers?
It’s no secret that the death rate exceeds the birthrate in every jurisdiction in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, but we’re not alone. According to a March 2024 report from the Census Bureau, 69% of U.S. counties now have more people passing away than being born. However, 60% managed to counterbalance those losses through positive…
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Update on Kingsport Housing Market
In an effort to stay abreast of the local housing market, here are two recent articles from the City of Kingsport and the Kingsport Times-News. Kingsport experiences steady growth in new housing construction Residential permits lead in Kingsport for start of 2025
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Kingsport’s Next Big Opportunity: Who Will Build the Future?
Month after month, Move To Kingsport reports on the number of newcomers making this their home. In 2024 alone, 661 families moved here from 49 states! Curious about the state of new construction, we took a quick look at single-family homes built since 2020 currently on the market in comparable cities. The results were surprising:…
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2024: Kingsport Led the Region in Home Sales
Housing has been a hot topic nationwide. Typically, the hottest sales markets tend to overheat home prices as well. Kingsport bucked that trend and added a cherry on top–the highest performing schools in the region for 2024. as compiled by Move To Kingsport. Source: Northeast Tennessee Board of Realtors. Don Fenley does a great job…
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Kingsport in the 1890s, the Bridge Between the Boat Yard and the Model City: The E.C. Barnes Story
Many know Kingsport as the “Model City” incorporated in 1917, but it didn’t happen from a blank slate with a big bang. Before the planned city, there was a thriving riverport community. King’s Port (or Boat Yard) was settled in 1761, incorporated in 1822, and faded after the Civil War as railroads replaced boats as…
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Welcome to Northeast Tennessee, America’s First Frontier
I was asked to provide a welcome and introduction of “Carrollyn, The Recovering Californian” at the Tennessee Planning Convention held at MeadowView Marriott Conference Resort. The conference was hosted by the State of Franklin Chapter. Nearly 200 attendees came from Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and all points in between. I saw many of you at…
Kingsport Spirit 