Courtesy of Michael Ekstrum
- Tennessee's population grew by 82,988 people in 2022, the largest amount in one year since 2007.
- People who recently moved to the state cite its affordability and slower pace of life as draws.
- Four recent relocators share the positives and negatives to life in the southern state.
James Ballard did some quick math and realized he could no longer afford to live in Clearwater.
The 50-year Florida resident decided to pack up and move to Memphis, Tennessee, for a more manageable mortgage payment while on a fixed income.
"There's a song by Tom T. Hall called, 'That's How I Got to Memphis,'" Ballard told Insider.
"I never thought it would happen to me, but it did," he quipped about his new state of residency.