Population 174 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sweet Water
Household size in Sweet Water
| Period | Sweet Water | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.55 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.18 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.05 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.53 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
The average household in Sweet Water has 2.53 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. That is in line with the rest of Illinois.
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 Sweet Water
| Period | Sweet Water | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.1 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.3 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 54.1 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 47.6 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.5 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Sweet Water skews older: half of its residents are older than 47.6, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 44.1, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Sweet Water
| Period | Sweet Water | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.7% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.6% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.6% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.8% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in Sweet Water (10.8%), close to the national share of 11.6%.
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 Sweet Water
Renters in Sweet Water
| Period | Sweet Water | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.6% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.6% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.4% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −8.5 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 7.1% of households in Sweet Water rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 54.9% 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 Sweet Water
| Period | Sweet Water | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.2% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 4.9% of homes in Sweet Water are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing.
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 Sweet Water
| Period | Sweet Water | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1943 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1956 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1943 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1965 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +22 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Sweet Water is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1965, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Sweet Water
| Period | Sweet Water | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $440 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $574 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $735 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $567 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$128 | +$475 | +$606 |
The median renter in Sweet Water pays $567 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 24.2% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Sweet Water
Bachelor's degrees in Sweet Water
| Period | Sweet Water | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.2% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.6% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.4% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Sweet Water have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.9%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Sweet Water
| Period | Sweet Water | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 97.7% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.3% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.7% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.8% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Sweet Water: 95.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Sweet Water
| Period | Sweet Water | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.8% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.5% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.0% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Sweet Water has been low: just 2.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
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).
Sweet Water 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Water | 2.53 | 47.6 | 10.8% | 7.1% | 4.9% | 1965 | $567 | 23.9% | 95.8% | 2.0% |
| Greenview | 2.35 | 44.9 | 10.6% | 15.0% | 7.3% | 1965 | $748 | 20.4% | 94.8% | 1.5% |
| Fancy Prairie | 2.68 | 43.9 | 10.2% | 10.3% | 6.2% | 1972 | $757 | 36.9% | 96.2% | 1.1% |
| Hubly | 2.67 | 43.1 | 11.0% | 8.1% | 8.2% | 1966 | $621 | 25.9% | 96.8% | 1.2% |
| Athens | 2.47 | 40.0 | 10.4% | 18.0% | 5.3% | 1985 | $882 | 28.8% | 93.6% | 4.6% |
| Tice | 2.71 | 43.2 | 8.5% | 12.2% | 1.4% | 1993 | $948 | 31.8% | 93.5% | 4.5% |
| Middletown | 2.75 | 40.6 | 3.2% | 11.7% | 15.7% | 1971 | $724 | 36.6% | 94.9% | 1.9% |
| Petersburg | 2.23 | 44.8 | 10.8% | 24.9% | 5.5% | 1974 | $876 | 33.5% | 95.5% | 2.7% |
| Cantrall | 2.72 | 45.4 | 10.6% | 12.4% | 3.1% | 1981 | $1,058 | 34.4% | 96.1% | 0.4% |
| Williamsville | 2.46 | 44.4 | 7.5% | 11.0% | 3.1% | 1984 | $950 | 46.4% | 93.7% | 1.0% |
| Mason City | 2.17 | 47.1 | 8.3% | 20.1% | 11.8% | 1948 | $756 | 22.7% | 91.3% | 3.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Yellow Bluff, AL · Hays Mill, AL · Hazel Run, MN · Head Tide, ME · Heafford Junction, WI · Heartwell, NE · Heathsville, IL · Zittau, WI · Herr, IN · Haynesville, TX
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 Sweet Water. 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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