U.S. Census data: Johnson City population tops 70,000 people

Johnson City has officially topped 70,000 residents and is the eighth-most populous city in Tennessee.According to U.S. Census Bureau figures released Thursday by the Tennessee State Data Center, Johnson City gained 7,894 residents between 2010 and 2020, seeing a 12.5% increase. The city's total population is now 71,046.This is slightly slower than the rate of increase Johnson City saw between 2000 and 2010. At that time, the city grew by 7,683 residents from 55,469 to 63,152, or 13.85%.The city's population growth is, however, faster than the state at large, which jumped by 8.9% from 6,346,105 people in 2010 to 6,910,840 in 2020.Compared to the 345 other incorporated communities in Tennessee, Johnson City saw the 15th-largest increase in total residents, beating out both Kingsport and Bristol. Kingsport, meanwhile, had the highest percentage increase of the three cities.Kingsport had the 17th-highest increase in population and grew by 7,237 people, more than double the number of residents it added between 2000 and 2010: 3,300. Kingsport grew by 15% between 2010 and 2020 and 7.35% between 2000 and 2010. Kingsport's 2020 population totaled 55,442.Bristol, Tennessee, grew by 445 residents between 2010 and 2020, rising 1.67%. That's slower than the rate of increase it saw from 2000 and 2010, when it jumped from 24,821 to 26,702 or 7.58%.Jonesborough saw a 16% increase in its total population, the largest growth among municipalities in Northeast Tennessee. Its population in 2020 — 5,860 people — is 809 residents more than it had in 2010. The town grew by 883 people between 2000 and 2010. Jonesborough Town Administrator Glenn Rosenoff said the increase is a testament to the town's focus on citizens' needs, wants and desires, and that he expects the town to maintain its growth for the next 10 years. Mayor Chuck Vest said it's nice to see their expectations for growth reflected in the census."We are proud Jonesborough is the fastest-growing city in Northeast Tennessee," Vest said. "With the growth we've seen in building permits and revenue, we knew Jonesborough was attracting new residents so it's nice to see our expectations realized."City Manager Pete Peterson said Johnson City's population increase is in line with expectations. The city provides updates to the state during the 10 years between census counts, he said, and officials knew Johnson City's population was around 67,000 about a year ago."It didn't really surprise us that we showed up at 71,000 with the U.S. Census," he said.Updated population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau will help determine the amount of federal money Johnson City and other local governments in Northeast Tennessee receive. The numbers will also impact legislative districts, school funding, state appropriations and highway improvements."The census data is used by a lot of different entities to make apportionment decisions, so as we've said all along, it's critical that everybody participates in the census so we make sure we're fairly represented," Peterson said.That urgency, Peterson said Tuesday, is magnified by the fact that Middle Tennessee is growing at a rate that's "exponentially faster than the rest of the state." Peterson said Tuesday he thinks it's probable that east and west Tennessee could lose elected representation and funding as population growth in the middle of the state continues to outstrip its neighbors.After looking at the data Thursday, Peterson said Middle Tennessee does appear to be maintaining its commanding lead in population growth."Cities in Middle Tennessee are growing much, much faster than other areas of the state," he said.The five cities with the largest population changes between 2010 and 2020 were all in Middle Tennessee. Metro Nashville saw the largest increase in population, growing by 88,225 people, or 14.67%, between 2010 and 2020. The next four municipalities on the list — Murfreesboro, Clarksville, Spring Hill and Franklin — saw a combined increase of 119,743 people.Press Staff Writer Jonathan Roberts contributed to this report.