TENNESSEE, USA — A new 729 area code will be introduced in East Tennessee, including in the Tri-Cities region, officials said. The new 729 code is the latest sign of a growing state.
According to a 2022 study by the University of Tennessee, the state's population grew by 83,000 people in 2022. That was the largest since 2007, and the eighth-largest in state history. That made Tennessee the seventh fastest-growing state heading into 2023.
Gary Chesney, the mayor of Morristown, said he thinks the balance between nature and cityscape is what attracts newcomers to Tennessee.
"That's an attraction to people who want to get away from downtown Manhattan for example, or any larger city, who want to have a small city fee," said Chesney.
That same UT study projects that the state's population growth isn't stopping. Keeping housing prices low may be one issue as more people move into the area.
"Something we don't have control over is the price of houses — that's a supply and demand issue. The demand has driven the price up and the price of homes has gone up, especially for first-time home buyers," said Chesney.
This has led to the Tennessee Public Utility Commission introducing a new area code to help shoulder the burden of an influx of people. The new '729' area code will be assigned to new numbers when the available '423' area code numbers run out. They previously said that is expected to happen by the end of 2025.
People will also need to continue using ten-digit dialing, typing in the area code as well as the seven-digit phone number, to make calls.