Places › Tennessee › Kingsport

Living in Kingsport, TN

Small city in Tennessee

Kingsport is a small city in Tennessee, home to about 56,000 people, with 311,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, a car is essential. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly houses.

Is Kingsport a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $274k and rents for $1,340 a month
  • Low natural disaster risk: 3 federally declared disasters since 2000
  • Low taxes: no state income tax, 0.76% property tax
  • Mild summers: highs around 86°F

👎 Cons

  • Fewer family amenities than most places
  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Smaller job market: about 311,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Few dog parks: 1 within 9 mi

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Kingsport ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
56,000
311,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
49°F / 86°F
Average daily highs · 5″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$274k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,340/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
86
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
No income tax
State income tax per resident · 0.76% property tax
Safety
1.6× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
3 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, earthquakes
Top-rated hospitals
1
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Adults with a degree
31%
1 research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
TYS
94 mi away

Living in Kingsport: common questions

What is the cost of living in Kingsport?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $274k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,340 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 86, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Kingsport?

Tennessee has no state income tax, and homeowners here pay about 0.76% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Kingsport safe?

Violent crime is well above the national rate (1.6× in FBI 2019 data).

What is the weather like in Kingsport?

Kingsport has cool winters: winter days average around 49°F and summer days around 86°F, with roughly 5″ of snow a year.

Does Kingsport get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and earthquakes: 3 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.26 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Kingsport?

The nearest major airport is TYS, about 94 mi away.

How Kingsport scores

Each bar compares Kingsport with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City size Small town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quiet Quiet / rural Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting around Car essential Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or nature Culture & nature Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️Climate Cool winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of living Very affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️Pace Slow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝Community Some community feel AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡Housing Mostly houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housing Excellent
💸Low taxes Excellent
💼Job market Poor
🏥Healthcare Average
🎓Education Below average
🧸Kids & family Poor
🐕Dog-friendly Poor
⛰️Outdoors Poor
🎭Culture Poor
🛡️Safety Higher crime
🌪️Few natural disasters Excellent
☀️Sunny Below average
🌤️Mild summers Good
✈️Airport Average

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Is Kingsport right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

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Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.