Jonesborough growing fastest among NE TN towns, cities

Jeff Keeling
·2 min read

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Jonesborough continues to see the fastest population growth of any Northeast Tennessee town or city, newly released U.S. Census estimates show.

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The town added 329 people from July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2023 — a 5.3% growth that brought its population to 6,480. Tennessee’s oldest town has grown by 10.7% over the past two years, adding 626 people during that time.

The new estimates comparing July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2023 show the region’s 18 incorporated areas grew by an overall rate of 1.13%, a sign that cities and towns aren’t growing quite as fast overall as rural areas in Northeast Tennessee. Census data released in March showed a second straight year of record population growth and showed overall growth in the seven counties of 1.27%.

Thursday’s data mean that unincorporated areas grew by 1.38% last year, which is faster than the national rate and well above Tennessee’s 1.10% growth. Tennessee, meanwhile, is among the fastest-growing states in the nation.

Among the area’s three largest cities, Johnson City saw the highest percentage growth, increasing by 1.13%. It added 822 residents to reach a population of 73,337. Kingsport’s growth of 589, to 56,704, was a 1.05% growth rate. Bristol grew by just 0.48%, adding 132 residents to reach 27,854.

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Greeneville grew by 233 for a 1.50% growth rate and reached 15,776 people. Elizabethton, meanwhile, added just 7 people and has lost population since 2020.

The region’s 10 largest cities and towns and their populations and growth percentages over the past year are:

  • Johnson City — 73,337 (1.13%)

  • Kingsport — 56,704 (1.05%)

  • Bristol — 27,854 (0.48%)

  • Greeneville — 15,776 (1.50%)

  • Elizabethton — 14,302 (0.05%)

  • Church Hill — 7,232 (2.05%)

  • Jonesborough — 6,480 (5.35%)

  • Erwin — 5,989 (1.29%)

  • Mount Carmel — 5,556 (0.43%)

  • Rogersville — 4,633 (0.73%)

Over the past two years, the cities and towns adding the most people in raw numbers are Johnson City (2,194), Kingsport (1,100), Jonesborough (626), Greeneville (338) and Bristol (305).

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