By DON FENLEY

Northeast Tennessee’s cities and towns are undergoing a structural shift. They’re increasing and wealthier.

Between 2019 and 2024, the number of households increased in most communities, and many of those households moved into higher income brackets, according to recently released selected economic characteristics estimates in Census Bureau reports.

Due to margins of error in the estimates, there is some slight variance between the number of households in the economic characteristics report and the separate household characteristics report.

The 2019 – 2024 comparison shows Johnson City added about 1,774 households, bringing its total to over 30,600 households in 2024, the largest concentration in the region. Kingsport followed with 1,381 additional households, reaching about 25,000, while Bristol gained roughly 669 households.

The number of households and income in this report are from the 5-year DP03 American Community Survey table of income and benefits. In some cases the number of households varies from the count in the DP04 ACS survey of households due to the margins of error.

Growth wasn’t limited to the core cities. Jonesborough added roughly 555 households, Unicoi grew by about 415, and Gray nearly doubled its household count, and Mountain City added over 300 households over the five-year period.

The expansion of households alone is noteworthy. So is an increase in the region’s household income structure.

The fastest growth occurred in the number of households earning $100,000 to $149,999. They grew by roughly 4,700. Households with $150,000 to $199,999 median income increased by more than 3,600, while those with incomes above $200,000 grew by about 2,700.

This change is especially visible in the Tri-Cities’ major employment centers.

In Johnson City, the number of households with $150,000 to $199,999 incomes nearly doubled, rising from about 1,143 households in 2019 to more than 2,100 in 2024. Kingsport saw strong growth in the $100,000 to $149,999 bracket, which expanded by over 1,200 households. Bristol recorded a similar pattern, with hundreds of new households entering the same income tier.

Smaller communities show similar, though smaller-scale, changes. Church Hill experienced strong growth in the $150,000-plus range, while Greeneville, Bloomingdale, and Jonesborough all saw a significant expansion of households earning above $100,000.

Several forces working together account for this type of shift. They include rising wages, aging households reaching peak earning years, and in-migration of higher-income households, and the ongoing wealth transfer from the Baby Boomers to their children and grandchildren.

The region has benefited from job growth in health care, advanced manufacturing, education, and logistics, industries that tend to support higher wage levels. At the same time, new residents have introduced new households with incomes and purchasing power above historical regional averages.

Another factor is demographic. Many long-time homeowners are now in their peak earning years, pushing their households into higher income categories even without relocating.

Together, those trends are reshaping the economic profile of many NE TN communities.

The impact is already visible in the region’s housing market. Strong growth in households earning $100,000 or more has expanded the pool of buyers able to purchase homes in the $250,000 to $450,000 range, a segment that now drives much of the market’s activity. It has also supported rising demand for higher-priced homes across parts of the region.

While affordability remains a headwind, the household income data suggests that the region’s economic base is gradually strengthening.

Instead of simply adding population, Northeast Tennessee is adding households with greater purchasing power. That shift has implications beyond housing. Rising household incomes can support stronger retail spending, expanding service sectors, and increased investment in local communities. It also suggests that the Tri-Cities region may be entering a new phase of economic development – one where household wealth grows alongside population.

Watch this space for a report examining household growth in SW VA

Categories: DEMOGRAPHICS