Population 12,781 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sweetwater
Household size in Sweetwater
| Period | Sweetwater | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.46 | 2.40 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 2.46 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.63 | 2.55 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.39 | 2.47 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | +0.06 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Sweetwater are small: just 2.39 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has edged down from 2.46 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Sweetwater
| Period | Sweetwater | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.2 | 40.0 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.8 | 41.0 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.7 | 41.6 | 39.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.4 | 41.6 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.8 | +1.6 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Sweetwater are younger than 41.4 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 43.2, even as the national median rose. Residents skew youngest in the northwest and oldest in the northeast.
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 Sweetwater
| Period | Sweetwater | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 9.6% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 9.4% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.9% | 9.8% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.4% | 9.4% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Sweetwater than nationally: 14.4%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 4.8 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Sweetwater has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Tennessee cities.
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 Sweetwater
Renters in Sweetwater
| Period | Sweetwater | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.8% | 28.6% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 31.0% | 31.2% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.6% | 31.1% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.6% | 29.6% | 33.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Sweetwater is about as common as it is nationally: 32.6% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in the wider Knoxville area (29.6%). Among homeowners, 46.6% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 3.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Sweetwater
| Period | Sweetwater | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.6% | 9.9% | 11.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 11.3% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.7% | 11.7% | 11.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 9.9% | 10.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.2 pts | −0.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Sweetwater than nationally: 6.4%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 5.2 points, as it has nationally. Sweetwater has a lower vacancy rate than at least four in five Tennessee cities.
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 Sweetwater
| Period | Sweetwater | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1980 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1981 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1985 | 1982 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1988 | 1985 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +5 | +6 | +6 |
Sweetwater has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1988, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1978 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the center has the oldest housing.
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 Sweetwater
| Period | Sweetwater | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $519 | $707 | $761 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $633 | $787 | $837 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $710 | $882 | $961 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $656 | $1,212 | $1,286 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$137 | +$505 | +$526 | +$606 |
Rent in Sweetwater runs $656 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $137 a month from 2006–10, a 26% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 29.1% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Only one other Tennessee city with 5,000+ people has lower rents.
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 Sweetwater
Bachelor's degrees in Sweetwater
| Period | Sweetwater | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 26.7% | 23.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.3% | 27.7% | 25.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.3% | 30.0% | 27.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.5% | 33.5% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +6.8 pts | +7.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Sweetwater have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 15.5%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 4.7 points, as it has 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 Sweetwater
| Period | Sweetwater | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 70.9% | 84.6% | 83.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.3% | 86.9% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.3% | 88.9% | 87.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.0% | 90.9% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +14.0 pts | +6.3 pts | +6.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in seven adults in Sweetwater never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 14.0 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Sweetwater has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five 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 Sweetwater
| Period | Sweetwater | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 7.0% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 8.2% | 9.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 4.9% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.3% | 3.6% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −10.0 pts | −3.4 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Sweetwater has been low: just 3.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 10.0 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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).
Sweetwater 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetwater | 2.39 | 41.4 | 14.4% | 32.6% | 6.4% | 1988 | $656 | 15.5% | 85.0% | 3.3% |
| Northpoint | 2.07 | 43.3 | 24.4% | 50.2% | 4.3% | 1990 | $631 | 15.0% | 83.7% | 2.6% |
| Riddles Store | 2.55 | 37.5 | 20.1% | 37.3% | 8.4% | 1994 | $715 | 10.7% | 86.7% | 1.0% |
| Philadelphia | 2.80 | 44.6 | 10.2% | 17.4% | 13.9% | 1991 | $796 | 12.8% | 81.7% | 5.9% |
| Hiwassee College | 2.09 | 49.1 | 14.4% | 29.3% | 1.7% | 1995 | $913 | 19.6% | 92.9% | 2.0% |
| Rockville | 2.35 | 49.5 | 8.4% | 29.4% | 11.4% | 1995 | $767 | 21.1% | 87.9% | 3.4% |
| Gudger | 2.36 | 42.7 | 11.5% | 19.6% | 7.7% | 1994 | $653 | 14.4% | 87.6% | 8.9% |
| Mount Vernon | 2.60 | 43.8 | 14.5% | 14.8% | 12.5% | 1989 | $745 | 9.0% | 79.0% | 5.3% |
| Niota | 2.58 | 43.9 | 11.5% | 16.2% | 13.6% | 1996 | $792 | 16.1% | 88.0% | 1.4% |
| Erie | 2.74 | 45.0 | 8.2% | 9.5% | 12.7% | 1996 | $771 | 16.0% | 87.4% | 0.2% |
| Madisonville | 2.47 | 43.2 | 12.9% | 30.3% | 6.0% | 1989 | $788 | 14.5% | 84.4% | 5.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Moundsville, WV · Milton, DE · Mission Hills, CA · Mitchellville, MD · Monaca, PA · Monmouth, OR · Morrow, OH · Moss Bluff, LA · Mounds View, MN · Milan, MI
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 Sweetwater. 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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