Population 128 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Sweetgum
Household size in Sweetgum
| Period | Sweetgum | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.92 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.27 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.31 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.12 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.20 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Sweetgum is a place of small households, averaging 2.12 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 1.92, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Sweetgum
| Period | Sweetgum | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 51.3 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 51.6 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 52.8 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.9 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −4.3 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Sweetgum skews older: half of its residents are older than 46.9, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Sweetgum
| Period | Sweetgum | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.9% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 17.5% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.1% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in eight households in Sweetgum (13.1%), a bit above 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 Sweetgum
Renters in Sweetgum
| Period | Sweetgum | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.7% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.7% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −8.8 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 7.8% of households in Sweetgum rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Nearly two-thirds of owners (63.6%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 Sweetgum
| Period | Sweetgum | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 35.7% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 33.7% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.5% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −16.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Sweetgum: 12.5% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. The picture is much the same across North Carolina.
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 Sweetgum
| Period | Sweetgum | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +7 | +6 |
The typical home in Sweetgum was built around 1979, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in North Carolina overall, where the median home dates to 1990.
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 Sweetgum
| Period | Sweetgum | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $540 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $581 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $570 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $555 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$15 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Sweetgum pays $555 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 24.0% 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 Sweetgum
Bachelor's degrees in Sweetgum
| Period | Sweetgum | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.7% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 26.7% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +18.5 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Sweetgum than nationally: 26.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
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 Sweetgum
| Period | Sweetgum | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 69.3% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.7% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.5% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.3% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +20.9 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Sweetgum have finished high school as nationally: 90.3%, against 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 Sweetgum
| Period | Sweetgum | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 27.6% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.0% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −10.1 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
The survey found almost no one in Sweetgum out of work and looking, against 5.4% of the labor force nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Sweetgum 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetgum | 2.12 | 46.9 | 13.1% | 7.8% | 12.5% | 1979 | $555 | 26.7% | 90.3% | 0.0% |
| Milltown | 2.26 | 45.9 | 10.5% | 15.8% | 29.3% | 1992 | $522 | 21.8% | 88.2% | 3.4% |
| Robbinsville | 2.34 | 44.8 | 10.4% | 18.1% | 22.5% | 1987 | $636 | 15.4% | 87.7% | 4.6% |
| Andrews | 2.05 | 47.3 | 16.8% | 27.2% | 18.6% | 1986 | $751 | 17.2% | 89.0% | 6.0% |
| Rhodo | 1.96 | 49.8 | 28.6% | 3.1% | 19.6% | 1985 | $726 | 25.4% | 95.5% | 7.9% |
| Santeetlah | 2.47 | 46.4 | 7.6% | 16.7% | 34.5% | 1992 | $663 | 21.2% | 86.5% | 5.4% |
| Lake Santeetlah | 2.41 | 49.4 | 4.4% | 6.9% | 34.4% | 1989 | $723 | 10.0% | 86.3% | 7.2% |
| Coalville | 2.65 | 49.3 | 5.7% | 11.3% | 28.7% | 1986 | $964 | 19.5% | 89.4% | 10.2% |
| Yellow Creek | 2.37 | 54.5 | 2.5% | 16.5% | 56.2% | 1979 | $898 | 22.6% | 77.0% | 8.2% |
| Topton | 1.79 | 58.7 | 6.6% | 16.5% | 44.6% | 2001 | $820 | 35.5% | 96.3% | 4.7% |
| Almond | 2.17 | 41.9 | 6.2% | 38.1% | 48.4% | 1995 | $814 | 20.4% | 92.0% | 23.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Tabernacle, TN · Harpersville, TX · Harryhogan, VA · Hathaway, MT · Sunshine, WY · Surveyor, PA · Swedetown, MI · Syre, MN · Tab, IN · Harper, WV
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 Sweetgum. 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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