Your Guide to Buying a Home in Kingsport, TN

Buying a Home in Kingsport, Tennessee

(Bays Mountain Park)

Kingsport is located in Sullivan County

More than 200 years ago, an important route westward called the Great Stage Road wound its way through these southern foothills. Follow its path and you will find the roots of Tennessee – and some of the most significant sites in our nation’s history.

Development of railroads in 1910 opened the way for industry and commerce, heralding a new age of growth and prosperity. Piece by piece, Kingsport city fathers laid plans for the future. They commissioned Massachusetts planner Dr. John Nolen to develop America’s first “Model City.”

Drawn by the emerging vision, business leaders began to take note. Among the early recruits was George Eastman, who acquired a wood distillation plant, the first step in the journey for the industrial giant known today as Eastman Chemical Company.

Maintaining the city’s industrial base, natural surroundings and rich history are important to Kingsport. Discover a restored inn on the Holston River where dignitaries including three American presidents rested and contemplated the fate of a nation.

Explore where frontiersmen like Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone once lived. Re-visit a place where men mustered before marching to a battle that turned the tide of the Revolutionary War.

Experience the treasured glimpses of where we’ve been—an inspiration for where we are heading.

Kingsport at a Glance

Name: Officially chartered in 1917, Kingsport received its name from an early boat yard known as William King’s port.

Area: Kingsport is located in the northeast corner of Tennessee, just a few miles from the Virginia border and only 45 minutes from North Carolina.

Population: Kingsport’s population is 41,454. The city is part of Sullivan County, the state’s sixth largest county, with a population of 150,700. The Tri-Cities Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area has a population of 464,900.

Climate: Temperatures are mild year round. Kingsport boasts an average annual temperature of 66 degrees Fahrenheit with an average rainfall of 54 inches and average snowfall of 16 inches per year. Relative humidity ranges from 72 to 90 percent.

Elevation: 1,212 feet
State Tax: 6%
Local Tax: 2.5%