NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The secret’s out about Tennessee — it’s a pretty great place to live. And even more people are catching on, according to a mid-year migration study.
News 2 visited the Fesslers Lane U-Haul and Storage facility to catch up with some of the state’s newest residents. Christy Sheppard and her husband, Jake, were two of the dozens of customers at the store Tuesday morning.
“This year our word, [at] beginning of the year, we chose ‘explore.’ Our word was to explore and so we took the time to go to Arizona, we went to many states, we hit Tennessee, Texas, and we just felt that this is where our heart landed and we love the green, we love the texture to the land, and the people are very inviting,” Christy explained.
Just a few months later, she and Jake decided to pull the trigger and make the Volunteer State their home.
“Politically, I think we fit in here quite a bit, quite a bit more than where we come from, which is the west side of Washington state. Better school systems, the people are a lot more friendly than what we’re used to,” Jake said.
Jake and Christy are some of the many inbound residents, according to a study from moveBuddha. Researchers ranked Tennessee as number eight on the list of states people are moving to. The study found Tennessee was the perfect state for people looking for nature and affordable housing.
“A lot of people talked about moving to Florida, to Texas, to Colorado and that’s where you start seeing this shift to like Tennessee or the Carolinas, to places where there’s a lot more space,” said Kristen Klepac, Digital Representative for moveBuddha.
The trend isn’t exactly new. The migration story found in 2020, 2021, and so far in 2022, more people are moving into the state than leaving.
According to the data, Tennessee is one of the few states that has maintained consistently high inflow since 2020, landing on the top-10 list year after year:
- 2020: 176 moves in for every 100 out (#8)
- 2021: 190 moves in for every 100 out (#6)
- 2022: 180 moves in for every 100 out (#8)
Klepac also noted that Chattanooga is gaining national attention for its growth.
“For now, the numbers show the growth is continuing or at least constant. So, if it’s not going to increase, we anticipate there will be a steady stream of inflow continuing over the next year and perhaps even further,” Klepac said.
Amid shaky economic times, Klepac said fewer people are choosing to move; however, she still predicted Tennessee will continue to see growth in the near future.
“It’s great to hear that Tennessee is thriving right now during this unknown time, so we try not to live in fear but we’re grateful the state is a strong state,” Christy said.
Greater Nashville Realtors shared this statement weighing in on what this growth means for the housing market:
“It comes as no surprise Tennessee is a top destination for relocations. Tennessee offers residents beautiful scenery, world-class dining and entertainment and a booming tourism industry.
The Nashville job market continues to stand out across the nation. With companies like Amazon and Oracle making the move to the city, younger people and recent college graduates are seeing the opportunity to kickstart their careers.
One of the biggest draws; however, is the housing market. Historically, our median home sales price has been below the national average and is a more accessible market to people moving from out-of-state. Our accessible housing market mixed with the state’s business friendly environment and low taxes provide the perfect conditions for those looking to find a new place to call home.”
Blake Stewart, Marketing Communications Manager
