Kingsport, TN
Census place 4739560 · pop 56,262
A planned 'Model City' designed by John Nolen in 1919 and built around the Eastman Chemical Company.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
19.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.50 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
19.8% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$52,490 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
20.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
30.7% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
38.6% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
88.8% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
11.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
60.1% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
3.9% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
31.5% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$234,100 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+5.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.70% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,397/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
19 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
28/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Not measured for Kingsport: Crime, Air, Bad air, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Kingsport, TN a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Kingsport scores 46/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 18 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is natural disaster risk and its weakest is adult smoking. Tennessee overall ranks #32 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Kingsport, TN expensive to live in?
- Kingsport has a median home value of $234,100 and typical rent around $1,397/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Kingsport, TN?
- Its weakest measured area is adult smoking (19.9%) — 6/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Kingsport, TN best at?
- Its strongest measured area is natural disaster risk (28/100) — 96/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: A planned 'Model City' designed by John Nolen in 1919 and built around the Eastman Chemical Company.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.