Population 19,076 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sparta
Household size in Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.59 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.64 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.64 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.47 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.11 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Sparta run small, averaging 2.47 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.59, a much bigger shift than nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the south.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.7 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.7 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.9 | 39.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.8 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.1 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Sparta skews older than the country: its median age is 43.8, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 41.7, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the east.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.9% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Sparta (9.9%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged down 1.3 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Sparta
Renters in Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.5% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.8% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.7% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.5% | 33.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Sparta is largely a place of homeowners: only 24.5% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 55.1% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 11.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.6% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.2% | 11.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.6% | 10.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Sparta is the same as the national rate: 9.6% of homes are empty. Vacancy has fallen 3.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1983 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Sparta was built around 1982, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Tennessee overall, where the median home dates to 1986. The median year built has moved up from 1979 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the south.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $579 | $761 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $580 | $837 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $665 | $961 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $819 | $1,286 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$239 | +$526 | +$606 |
Rent in Sparta runs $819 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $239 a month since 2006–10, up 41%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 25.6% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southwest and lowest in the northeast.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Sparta
Bachelor's degrees in Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 23.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 25.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 27.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.9% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +7.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Sparta have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 14.9%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 3.2 points, in line with the national trend. Sparta has a lower share of college graduates than the great majority of Tennessee cities.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 74.8% | 83.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.2% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.3% | 87.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.6% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in seven adults in Sparta never finished high school, more than nationally: 84.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 9.8 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Sparta has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Tennessee cities.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 9.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Sparta than nationally: unemployment was 7.1%, against 5.4%. Of the 202 Tennessee cities with 5,000+ people, only 18 have higher unemployment. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.8 points, mirroring the country.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Sparta compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparta | 2.47 | 43.8 | 9.9% | 24.5% | 9.6% | 1982 | $819 | 14.9% | 84.6% | 7.1% |
| Findlay | 2.45 | 36.4 | 12.1% | 28.8% | 5.1% | 1989 | $790 | 18.4% | 92.4% | 3.2% |
| Yankeetown | 3.02 | 30.4 | 12.9% | 20.8% | 15.1% | 1982 | $378 | 5.2% | 79.4% | 4.6% |
| Cassville | 2.35 | 51.7 | 5.0% | 12.1% | 4.4% | 1983 | $757 | 15.4% | 76.6% | 5.4% |
| Lost Creek | 2.70 | 40.6 | 3.9% | 13.3% | 8.3% | 1983 | $1,035 | 16.2% | 80.4% | 4.8% |
| Yateston | 2.23 | 51.5 | 8.9% | 28.9% | 18.8% | 1973 | $910 | 17.5% | 89.1% | 3.3% |
| Doyle | 2.78 | 38.3 | 13.3% | 19.0% | 8.5% | 1984 | $909 | 12.1% | 83.5% | 3.1% |
| River Hill | 2.77 | 39.4 | 4.1% | 13.6% | 5.9% | 1984 | $995 | 17.1% | 79.3% | 4.3% |
| Clarktown | 1.83 | 56.6 | 3.9% | 12.2% | 25.1% | 1975 | $1,035 | 7.7% | 89.2% | 6.9% |
| Board Valley | 2.58 | 43.1 | 10.9% | 13.4% | 12.0% | 1987 | $735 | 23.8% | 86.5% | 7.7% |
| Fanchers Mills | 2.46 | 48.8 | 5.5% | 12.1% | 10.0% | 1991 | $754 | 18.5% | 84.0% | 5.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Cottage Lake, WA · Sudbury, MA · Sturgis, MI · Streetsboro, OH · Stoughton, WI · Sterling, IL · St. John, IN · St. Albans, WV · Spring Creek, NV · Spanish Lake, MO
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Sparta. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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