Labor – Week Ending 7-25-2026
Labor Statistics Initial Unemployment Claims MONTH BLOUNT KNOX LOUDON JAN 313 5,551 582 FEB 168 4,110 393 MAR 173 3,744 353 APR 139 3,524 307 MAY 239 4,784 410 JUN 159 4,589 421 JUL 109 3,752 411 Blount County Total Unemployment Claims Blount County Unemployment by Age (Week Ending July 25, 2026) Source: TN Dept. […]
Tourism/Hospitality – August 2026
Hotel/Motel Taxes (Gross) Total Blount County Tax Receipts YTD Received: $3,749,590 Source: Blount County Clerk’s Office (blounttn.org/309/County-Clerk) Great Smoky Mountains National Park Total Park Visitors 2026 Total Visitors: 5,274,8922025 Total Visitors: 11,527,939 Total Overnight Stays Source: National Park Service (irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSReports/Park%20Specific%20Reports/Park%20YTD%20Version%201?Park=GRSM)
Clayton RV properties join 39-park operator
Kevin and Chelly Clayton have entered a long-term investment partnership with Nashville-based Streamside RV Resorts & Campgrounds involving four Townsend tourism businesses. The agreement, announced in a July 29 release, covers Little Arrow Outdoor Resort, Little Arrow Base Camp RV Park, River Rat Tubing & Rafting and Burger Master. Financial terms and ownership stakes were […]
LeConte Lodge recreation building project changes mountain landscape after 50 years
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has begun demolishing the recreation building at LeConte Lodge, launching a reconstruction project complicated by the lack of road access to one of the park’s busiest backcountry destinations. Once finished, the project will replace a major draw for several thousand of the park’s more than 10 million annual visitors. In […]
Consumer/Retail – August 2026
FUEL PRICES Knoxville Metro MONTH REGULAR DIESEL JAN $2.455 $3.240 FEB $2.427 $3.290 MAR $2.955 $3.290 APR $3.862 $5.456 MAY $4.226 $5.211 JUN $3.769 $4.945 JUL $3.269 $4.478 AUG $3.548 $4.977 YTD Avg $/Gal. $3.314 $4.361 Knoxville Metro Prices Over Time National Average This Month Regular $4.012/gallon Diesel $5.308/gallon Source: AAA (gasprices.aaa.com/?state=TN) CONSUMER PRICE INDEX […]
Blount County governments bid for South Plant
Blount County, Alcoa and Maryville are prepared to spend about $20 million for control of the former Alcoa South Plant — and potentially more to determine what replaces it. The three governments have approved a cooperative agreement supporting a bid for the 162.5-acre industrial property. The agreement would also divide future development and operating costs […]
‘It’s hard to survive on 20%’: Maryville hemp shop closes under new law
Charlie Wear locked the door at Dreaming Tree Alternative Wellness Solutions for the last time July 3, ending a nine-year run and adding a Blount County name to the list of Tennessee hemp retailers pushed out of business by the state’s new cannabinoid law. At first Wear opened the shop in the Mill Plaza shopping […]
Real Estate – August 2026
Blount County Mortgage Rates 15 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage RATE 1-YR CHANGE 52-WK AVG 52-WK RANGE 6.01% 26.00% 5.62% 5.35% – 6.04% 30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage RATE 1-YR CHANGE 52-WK AVG 52-WK RANGE 6.69 0.06% 6.32% 5.98% – 6.69% Source: Freddie Mac (freddiemac.com/pmms) New Home Construction > $200K $200-399K $400-699K +$700K 1 13 13 […]
ADJ Travel Company opens first storefront in downtown Maryville
ADJ Travel Company is putting down roots in downtown Maryville, opening its first brick-and-mortar office after four years of operating as a home-based agency. Owner Adrian Jones signed a lease effective Aug. 1 for a downtown storefront that most recently housed Cassio’s Tattoo Gallery at 223 W. Broadway. The deal came together fast after an […]