There has been anecdotal evidence in recent months indicating the Appalachian Highlands is becoming an attractive option for those looking to relocate.
The Johnson City Area Home Builders Association and various quasi-governmental agencies have reported an influx of phone calls from people around the United States looking to move to our region. Now there is some tangible data to support those anecdotal reports, and it comes in the form of U-Haul’s study of migration patterns from 2020.
According to U-Haul, the Johnson City/Kingsport market registers as the No. 12 growth city in America. U-Haul growth cities are calculated by the net gain of one-way trucks (moving vans ranging in size from 10 to 26 feet) arriving in a city compared to the number of one-way rentals departing from a city during a calendar year.
While one-way departures increased by 14 percent last calendar year, a 24-percent rise in one-way rentals indicates the potential for growth. U-Haul’s migration trends do not correlate directly to population or economic growth, the company’s growth data is an effective gauge of how well cities are attracting and maintaining residents.
The Johnson City/Kingsport market was not among the top 25 growth cities for 2019, but contributed in helping Tennessee jump to No. 1 on the U-Haul growth state rankings. For complete lists of U.S. growth cities and states for 2020, visit www.myuhaulstory.com.
