MARYVILLE, Tenn. — A couple who lived in California for decades moved to East Tennessee earlier this year. Jerry Wernli said he and his wife settled on Maryville, after a years-long search for a new place to live.
Wernli, a year law enforcement veteran who spent more than 20 years on the force in California, said he and his wife chose East Tennessee because of the cost of living, geography and Tennessee's politics.
"Once we came out here in 2019, it really sung to us," Wernli said.
The Wernlis bought a house in Maryville. It was built in the 1950s, Wernli said, and he and his wife plan to fix it up.
"We saved our money and bought a house that is older and needed some remodeling," Wernli said. "I don't want to price anybody out of anything. I want to become part of the community."
U.S. Census data shows about 226,000 people moved to Tennessee in 2022. California had the second-highest number of people moving to the Volunteer state, with 22,565 people. Tennessee saw its largest number of people moving in from Florida.
The Census's analysis of the rate of people leaving Tennessee was not statistically different from the national average, though the number of people moving in was above average.
Estimates from the U.S. Census show, last year, 812,000 people left California, while 475,000 moved in.
"I don't miss the politics, I don't miss the beach, I don't miss the homelessness, I don't miss the cost of living out there," Wernli said. "Tennessee is awesome."
The U.S. Census estimates Tennessee's population is close to 7 million people and it's growing. The Census's 2022 estimates showed roughly 6 million Tennesseans stayed in their homes, while 650,000 moved, but stayed in Tennessee.