JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Johnson City is among the top 10 U.S. cities in U-Haul’s 2024 “Growth Index,” which compares one-way U-Haul traffic entering and leaving cities.

Johnson City ranked ninth in the annual top 25 list, which it last appeared on in 2020, when it ranked 12th. Knoxville ranked No. 7, with Cookeville 13th. Tennessee tied Washington and Alabama with the second-most cities on the list, after Florida’s five.

While the methodology isn’t scientific and U-Haul notes the rankings “may not correlate directly to population or economic growth,” Johnson City Mayor John Hunter said Monday it wasn’t necessarily a surprise.

“It’s great to see Johnson City back on that list,” Hunter said. “It’s not necessarily just Johnson City, but it’s Elizabethton, Kingsport, Bristol.”

He said the past several years have contrasted markedly with the kind of growth both Johnson City and Washington County, and more particularly the region as a whole, was experiencing prior to around 2020.

“Six years ago when I came on the City Commission, we had flat population growth and those around us had declining population growth,” Hunter said.

Northeast Tennessee grew by just 2.2% from 2010-2020, and the vast majority of that growth occurred in Washington County. In the following three years alone, to 2023, census estimates show 2.9% growth.

“One of the things that we looked at as a goal was to recruit and retain citizens,” he said. “Looking at this, it almost is confirmation of the work that’s been done, again, not just by Johnson City but the region as a whole to become prosperous and and thriving.”

Hunter said the change is probably attributable to a combination of focus on the things that make the region attractive and overall changes in migration patterns in the wake of COVID-19.

“I think part of it was good fortune and then part of it was just implementing those things at the right time,” Hunter said, mentioning efforts to tout the region’s outdoor opportunities.

“People have noticed this region. We’ve got our natural amenities that have been very beneficial in recruiting people and retaining (and) the low taxes at the state level. And then although we’ve all seen inflation, respectively compared to other areas the low cost of living in our region is a very attractive amenity.”

U-Haul’s Knoxville president echoed that sentiment in a news release on the rankings, which showed Johnson City had 46.5% outgoing traffic and 53.5% inbound, with U-Haul arrivals up 5% from 2023 and departures up just 1%.

“Johnson City is part of a beautiful region with mountains and lakes, and it has become a popular retirement area,” Clay McQuade said. “Low property taxes and no state income tax are a big draw to Tennessee. Residents here enjoy a mild four seasons of weather, and the southern hospitality of the community makes it very easy to settle in.”

Hunter said he wouldn’t be surprised to be a slight pullback after two years of record regionwide population growth, but he thinks the region has “a long runway … with people wanting to move here or just stay here and not look to move elsewhere.”

Homebuilding may be on the verge or catching up with that demand. Figures from the City of Johnson City show a total of 339 single-family home permits were generated in 2024. That’s a 73% increase from 2023’s 196 permits, and it’s 60% higher than the annual average of 212 for the 2021-2023 period.

Hunter said that trend was encouraging.

“Because of the influx of people that have moved over the past several years, we’ve not necessarily had built housing ready and so it looks like they’re coming online in order to alleviate that stress.”