By A.J. Kaufman, Managing Editor
June is Homeownership Month, which is supposed to raise awareness about the benefits of owning a home and making homeownership more attainable for all Americans. But is that occurring in the Appalachian Highlands or across the country, and where are folks going to find their white picket fence American Dream?
After a brief drop, mortgage rates are fluctuating again. Affordability concerns are locking many people in place. For those hoping to relocate, they are aiming for buyer-friendly states with strong job markets.
The surprise growth story now resides in the Mountain West, where states like Montana and Idaho are seeing a rise in interest. Idaho is the No. 1 state for moves as of early May. This signals a broadening of demand beyond the Sun Belt and South’s perennial appeal, as buyers seek enclaves where a mortgage won’t break the bank.
The bottom is still dominated by the expensive Northeast, with many more people looking to leave than relocate there. Families are quitting densely-populated Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York for friendlier environs — as Tri-Cities residents can attest via license plates around town.
Latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates show Tennessee among the country’s fastest-growing states. As of May, Tennessee is tied with Florida for seventh nationally among top states to move to so far in 2026. Only North and South Carolina rank above it among southern states.
The Volunteer State’s population increase was the nation’s 8th largest last year, adding nearly 64,000 new residents and reaching a population of just over 7.3 million people.
Net domestic migration — the difference between inbound and outbound movers to and from other states — was the main contributor to Tennessee’s population gains. It resulted in the addition of 42,389 people, the fourth highest in the country behind the Carolinas and Texas.
But it was also the third straight year that this component slipped from the state’s record high in 2022. That is regional. Contra to some reportage, domestic migration to the Southern U.S. has now slowed.
The South, which stretches from Delaware and Florida in the east to Texas and Oklahoma in the west, was once again the nation’s fastest-growing region, with nearly a 1% population increase in 2025. That was, however, down from gains of 1.3 to 1.4% between 2022 and 2024. The decelerating growth rate last year was part of a national trend that saw population change slow in all four regions of the country.
The South got off to a hot start in the 2020s, pulling residents from other parts of the country at a 50% higher clip than it did during the last decade’s sluggish start following the Great Recession. And through last year, the South has been the only part of the nation to maintain positive levels of net domestic migration this decade.
But a trend of slowing migration to the South is becoming evident. Following a sharp drop in 2024, the South sank to its lowest level of domestic migration in 2025, gaining 357,800 people. That was the smallest increase that the region has seen from this component since 2018.
Tennessee’s position has held steady through a decade of extreme population changes, managing to maintain a top position among states adding the most population. The Volunteer State was the 10th fastest-growing state on a percentage basis last year, and its population gain ranked as the 8th largest. The state has consistently hovered around these marks throughout the 2020s – a decade featuring unusual levels of population volatility.
Through the first half of the decade, Tennessee has added more than 400,000 new residents, which is only surpassed by 1990-95, when the state added 450,000 new residents at the start of the most expansive decade in state history.
Close to home, Sullivan County was the 16th fastest growing county in the state last year, while Washington County stood at 10th. The more rural counties of Northeast Tennessee lag; Johnson County is the 49th fastest-growing county in the state, and Unicoi and Carter counties are among the bottom 10 for growth.
So, there are ups and downs across the state and region as a whole that need to be understood before one delves too deeply into the unpredictable housing market.
