Editing Grainger County, Tennessee (section)

=== Economic hardship ===
Unlike neighboring counties such as Jefferson, Hamblen, and Knox, Grainger County does not have county-wide [[Zoning|zoning ordinances]],<ref name="landuse"/> which has led to the [[Urban sprawl|uncontrolled and controversial development]] of RV campgrounds in predominately residential areas.<ref name="landuse">{{cite news |last1=Wolfe |first1=Tracey |title=Land use regulations must be considered |url=https://www.graingertoday.com/opinion/land-use-regulations-must-be-considered/article_4873bd84-2937-11eb-b6a0-ef6369bde27f.html |access-date=December 6, 2020 |work=Grainger Today |date=November 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206190548/https://www.graingertoday.com/opinion/land-use-regulations-must-be-considered/article_4873bd84-2937-11eb-b6a0-ef6369bde27f.html |archive-date=December 6, 2020}}</ref><ref name="germancreek">{{cite news |last1=Wolfe |first1=Tracey |title=German Creek homeowners fighting commercial development |url=https://www.graingertoday.com/news/german-creek-homeowners-fighting-commercial-development/article_e2c195b8-2938-11eb-94c6-af5296718d6a.html |access-date=December 6, 2020 |work=Grainger Today |date=November 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206190626/https://www.graingertoday.com/news/german-creek-homeowners-fighting-commercial-development/article_e2c195b8-2938-11eb-94c6-af5296718d6a.html |archive-date=December 6, 2020}}</ref>

In 2010, it was reported that nearly two-thirds of Grainger County residents [[commuting|commute]] to cities in surrounding counties such as [[Morristown, Tennessee|Morristown]] and [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]] for work.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Grainger County 2010 Census Report|url=http://www.etdd.org/wp-content/uploads/Grainger-Count-2010-Census-Report.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.etdd.org/wp-content/uploads/Grainger-Count-2010-Census-Report.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|last=East Tennessee Development District|date=April 1, 2012|website=ETDD.org|access-date=May 8, 2020}}</ref> With this, Grainger County was reported as one of five counties in the East Tennessee Development District region experiencing significant [[rural flight|out-migration]] of young college-educated adults leaving Grainger County for [[Urban area|urban economic hubs]] such as [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]] and [[Morristown, Tennessee|Morristown]],<ref name="ceds2019">{{Cite journal|date=January 14, 2020|title=2019 Annual Report|url=http://www.etdd.org/wp-content/uploads/2019-Annual-CED-Report_Submitted.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.etdd.org/wp-content/uploads/2019-Annual-CED-Report_Submitted.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|journal=Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy|via=East Tennessee Development District}}</ref> due to the lack of employment opportunities in the county.<ref name="ceds2020">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=December 2020|title=2020 Annual Report: Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy|url=http://www.etdd.org/wp-content/uploads/2020-CEDS-Report.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.etdd.org/wp-content/uploads/2020-CEDS-Report.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|access-date=January 2, 2020|website=East Tennessee Development District}}</ref>

In the fiscal year 2020, Grainger County was recognized as one of twenty-four counties in the state of Tennessee at risk of becoming economically distressed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tn.gov/transparenttn/open-ecd/openecd/tnecd-performance-metrics/openecd-long-term-objectives-quick-stats/distressed-counties.html|title=Distressed Counties|last=State of Tennessee|first=Transparent Tennessee|website=TN.gov|access-date=March 16, 2020}}</ref>