Is Kingsport in the Goldilocks Zone?

Almost 13 years ago, I wrote a column, mostly tongue-in-cheek, about how most of us would like to stay in the Goldilocks Zone in our personal lives but don't get to live there very much. Here's how I led into it: "Astronomers and exo-biologists (scientists who study extra-terrestrial life, of which there is not much to study so far), as well as some science fiction fans, are familiar with the term, 'The Goldilocks Zone.' The Goldilocks Zone is the orbital zone around a star that is considered most conducive for the evolution and survival of living organisms. "Obviously, the term is taken from the children's story, 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears.' In the story, Goldilocks stumbles upon the bears' home, and goes from chair to chair, soup bowl to soup bowl, and bed to bed, until she finds one of each that is 'just right.' "So, in our solar system, Venus is too hot, like Papa Bear's soup. Mars, like Mama Bear's soup, is too cold. And Earth, like Baby Bear's porridge, is 'just right.' It's a pretty simple concept, although scientists disagree about its application and to a certain extent about its validity." I recalled that column recently after reading one of Jeff Fleming's excellent columns about how the Tri-Cities in general and Kingsport in particular are in a good position when compared to other regions and cities. Jeff notes that when one considers the whole picture — employment opportunities, affordable housing, comparatively low cost of living, good education, and available recreation — the region as a whole and our fair city in it, rate pretty highly. That made me wonder: Do we here in Kingsport live in the Goldilocks Zone? An excellent case can be made that we do. (I note Jeff used that exact term in one of his recent posts.) Some will deny that assertion. As I myself wrote recently, Kingsport has its share of Debbie Downers whose principal hobby seems to be complaining about everything. Far from believing they live in the Goldilocks Zone, they will insist they are living in a perpetually declining and sad community. That's nonsense, of course. The evidence, as lawyers are fond of saying, is to the contrary. Take the rate of growth, for example. Jeff has posited that the ideal rate of sustainable growth for a city is from 5% to 10% annually. By that metric, Johnson City — which is growing by about 10% per year — is at the upper end of the Goldilocks Zone, while Kingsport and Bristol sit just inside it at about 5% every year. This contrasts with Nashville and its surrounding communities, including Murfreesboro, which have experienced an explosion of growth over the past several years. Such rapid growth has stressed everything from their housing inventory (and a corresponding spike in housing prices) to road congestion. By that standard, much of Middle Tennessee is too hot, some other, mostly rural, communities are too cold, and the Tri-Cities is "just right." Goldilocks would love it here. Now take affordability, which is now a popular political buzzword but a real factor in people's lives and decision-making. Tennessee does not have an income tax, which benefits the entire state in attracting new businesses and residents. But all communities in Tennessee are not created equal in terms of other costs. In terms of housing costs, Kingsport is very competitive. Our city does not have as much construction of new, high-end homes as some of our neighbors. But we do have an inventory of existing homes, some of them newly renovated, and our median housing price is consistently below that of our competitors. That matters to someone seeking to relocate from, say, Nashville or Charlotte, North Carolina, both of which have contributed significantly to our influx of new residents. Quality education? We have it. Reasonable local tax rates? Check. Sound local government? Kingsport qualifies. Sound state government, too, for that matter, which has been important to some of our newbies. Low crime rate? Certainly. Sound industry? You know we have it. Another factor that is frequently understated, if not underestimated: drivability. Kingsport is one of the most drivable cities I know, and Johnson City and Bristol aren't bad. Practically everything we want or need is either very close or relatively close. That includes not only shopping and dining, but access to medical care. If we want something we can't get here, we can usually find it in Bristol or Johnson City. Compared to trucking across Atlanta or even Knoxville, the drives ain't bad. If we're not in the Goldilocks Zone, we're pretty close. Bob Arrington is a Kingsport attorney. You can email him at r_arrington@chartertn.net.