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Broad Street, Downtown Kingsport, TNPhoto: AppalachianCentrist · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Kingsport

Kingsport runs its own hospital

Kingsport’s city government spent $200.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $3,564 per resident. It also runs a hospital ($9.8 million), counted separately. Census Bureau figures.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$200.1M
year to June 30, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$3,564
In 2022: $3,214, more than 70% of 23 similar cities
Long-term debt
$257.9M
end of FY2024, reported
City staff, 2025
2,009
full-time, hospital & welfare staff apart (2,009 in all) · March payroll $10.0M · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$1,645
0.70% of home value · TN 0.50%

What stands out about how Kingsport is run

Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.

Runs a hospital$9.8 million for a hospital the city runs in 2024, shown apart from day-to-day spending.Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $3,214 per resident, more than 70% of 23 similar cities.Runs its own schoolsThe schools are part of the city budget, not a separate district.Agendas posted onlineMeetings, agendas and minutes from the city’s own portal.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2024 budget

About $3,564 per resident a year, or $9.76 a day

Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 51% of day-to-day spending.

Where the money comes from
From the state 26%From other local governments 18%Property taxes 16%Fees & charges 15%Sales taxes 7%Utility sales 7%Interest, fines & other 5%From the federal government 5%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Schools included

Kingsport runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Tennessee cities that run their own schools.

Not in the receipt.Building projects $47.5 million; interest on debt $8 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $267.4 million.
Why the hospital is apart.The Census Bureau counts the hospital it runs in the city’s books ($9.8 million, 5% of all operations). Only 135 of the 11,301 towns and cities of 2,500+ run one (Census finance files), so it is shown here and left out of every per-resident comparison.
Compared with similar places

$3,214 per resident in 2022: more than 70% of them

Kingsport’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,214 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 23 Tennessee cities that run their own schools: the median was $2,910, and the middle half spent $2,300–$3,382. Kingsport spent more than 70% of them.

Middle half of the group, $2,300–$3,382Median $2,910Kingsport

Includes sewer and trash ($13.6 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
23

Tennessee cities that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Kingsport itself left out).

Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 15% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Kingsport reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$173.9 million
2023$190.5 million
2024$200.1 million

Per resident: 2022: $3,214 · 2023: $3,427 · 2024: $3,564.

City staff
2,009

full-time in March 2025 (hospital, health & welfare left out), up from 1,912 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,645 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.70% of the home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Kingsport$1,645
Tennessee$1,442
Mount Carmel$1,265
Orebank$1,086
Sullivan Gardens$929
Colonial Heights$923
Bloomingdale$787
$1,645
typical bill a year
0.70%
effective rate
$234,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Kingsport’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Tax bills are one input to Kingsport’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Kingsport →

Meetings

Recent meetings

From Kingsport’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

No upcoming meetings are posted yet.

Recent meetings

Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Kingsport

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See kingsporttn.gov for Kingsport’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Kingsport yet.kingsporttn.gov ↗
Who works for Kingsport

One full-time city employee for every 28 residents, not counting hospital, health & welfare staff

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (56,150).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Schools1,240 + 499 pt
Police130
Fire119 + 1 pt
Sewer & trash80
Roads & transportation72 + 1 pt
Parks & libraries71 + 3 pt
Administration & buildings66 + 3 pt
Water & other utilities20
Courts, inspections & corrections14
Housing & development1
Other196 + 1 pt
2,009
full-time
508
part-time
$10.0M
payroll for March 2025
$119.5M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$56,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
118
sworn police officers
112
full-time firefighters
Estimates.Kingsport didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Kingsport City School District

Kingsport’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Kingsport, so this money is part of the budget above.

Schools in Kingsport →
$13,088
per pupil · TN $13,059
7,653
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $13,088 per pupil, $7,721 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 44%State 41%Federal 15%

Tennessee districts overall: 40% local, 44% state, 16% federal.

Also serving Kingsport

Sullivan County School District · $12,103 per pupil

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Kingsport’s votes are counted by county

Tennessee reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Kingsport alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Sullivan County’s results.

President · Sullivan County’s results75,541 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican77.0%58,154 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat22.0%16,624 votes

Others: 1.0% (763 votes).

Most votes in Sullivan County: Donald J Trump

Tennessee: Trump 64.2%, Harris 34.5%

The county’s page

95% of Kingsport lies in Sullivan County; the rest in Hawkins County. Every 2024 race in Sullivan County is on the county’s page.

Sullivan County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.

Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.

Who represents Kingsport

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Kingsport.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: kingsporttn.gov ↗
  2. 2
    Tennessee HouseKingsport is split between 3 districts
    Bud HulseyJohn CrawfordTimothy Hill
  3. 3
    Tennessee SenateState senator
    Bobby Harshbarger
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Bill Lee
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Diana Harshbarger
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Tennessee
    Marsha BlackburnBill Hagerty
Find your state legislators by address ↗

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Kingsport compares with the towns next door

Kingsport spent $3,214 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $117. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Colonial Heights: unincorporated, no town budgetBloomingdale: unincorporated, no town budgetSullivan Gardens: unincorporated, no town budgetOrebank: unincorporated, no town budgetMount Carmel: $117 per resident (2022)Colonial HeightsBloomingdaleSullivan GardensOrebankMount CarmelKingsport
Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Mount Carmel$117$1,265
Kingsport$3,214$1,645

Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).

Reach Kingsport’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websitekingsporttn.gov ↗

Questions about Kingsport’s government

How much does Kingsport spend per resident?

About $3,564 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. Kingsport also runs a hospital ($9.8 million), counted separately. In 2022, the last full count, its $3,214 was more than 70% of 23 Tennessee cities that run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Kingsport?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,645 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.70% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see kingsporttn.gov.

Who runs Kingsport’s government?

See kingsporttn.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Kingsport yet.

How did Kingsport vote in 2024?

Tennessee counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Kingsport alone. Sullivan County, where 95% of Kingsport lies, voted Trump 77.0%, Harris 22.0% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Kingsport?

2,009 full-time and 508 part-time employees in March 2025 (plus 0 full-time hospital, health & welfare staff), with a March payroll of $10.0M (about $119.5M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Kingsport in the state legislature?

Kingsport is split among 3 State House districts, so your address decides. The Tennessee Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 4 (Bobby Harshbarger). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Kingsport’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →