The Town FilesSweetser, Indiana
Town in Grant County · population 1,075 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $153,400
- Household income
- $80,625
- Jan low / Jul high
- 18° / 84°
- Snow a year
- 25 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 21
- Median age
- 40.2
Sweetser is a town of 1,075 people in Grant County, Indiana. The median home is worth $153,400, close to the typical Indiana town ($150,400). It ranks better for retirees than 89% of Indiana towns, easier by car than 82% of Indiana towns, better for families than 81% of Indiana towns.
How Sweetser ranks
Percentile among Indiana towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Indiana towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Sweetser is worth $153,400, close to the typical Indiana town ($150,400). Homes cost about 1.9 times the median household income of $80,625, which is more affordable than 83% of Indiana towns. Median rent is $1,063 a month. 80.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sweetser | Typical Indiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $153,400 | $150,400 |
| Median rent | $1,063 | $888 |
| Median household income | $80,625 | $61,953 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.9× | 2.5× |
| Homeownership | 80.6% | 73.4% |
| Median year built | 1969 | 1966 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Sweetser
| People | Sweetser | Typical Indiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.2 | 38.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 13.1% | 17.1% |
| Under 18 | 25.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.9% | 17.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Veterans | 9.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.3% | — |
| Work from home | 6.3% | 6.2% |
| Average commute | 21.5 min | 24.7 min |
| Homes with broadband | 97.1% | 89.2% |
Weather in Sweetser
July highs average 83.8°F and January lows 17.7°F. About 41.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 24.5 inches of snow (typical Indiana town: 21.1 in). Expect about 14 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 126 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
21 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sweetser since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Indiana town. 13 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 11, 1965 about 7.3 miles from the town center and killed 17. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 26 deaths and 889 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 27, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 46 times; the largest was 2.25 inches on July 5, 1961.
Severe weather in Grant County since 1996
Grant County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 25, 2026 | Flood | DR-4933: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| August 15, 2026 | Flood | EM-3651: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3641: Severe Winter Storm |
| April 15, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4704: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| April 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4515: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Grant County
Grant County had 27,333 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,883 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Sweetser itself the ACS puts it at 0.7%.
Public schools in Sweetser
1 public school with 252 students, about 18.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetser Elementary School | 3-4 | 252 | 18.0 |
Towns near Sweetser
- Swayzee, IN5.3 mi · 918 people · home $121,000
- Marion, IN5.7 mi · 28,310 people · home $85,300
- Converse, IN5.8 mi · 1,161 people · home $103,800
- La Fontaine, IN7.6 mi · 798 people · home $96,300
- Jonesboro, IN9.4 mi · 1,516 people · home $79,500
- Gas City, IN10.6 mi · 6,157 people · home $119,300
- Greentown, IN12.1 mi · 2,370 people · home $123,400
- Fairmount, IN12.2 mi · 2,682 people · home $103,200
Sweetser questions
Is Sweetser, Indiana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sweetser scores better for retirees than 89% of Indiana towns and quieter than 72%. 13.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.2).
How much does a house cost in Sweetser?
The median owner-occupied home in Sweetser is valued at $153,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $80,625, so homes cost about 1.9 times income. Median rent is $1,063 a month.
What is the weather like in Sweetser?
July highs average 83.8°F and January lows 17.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 41.8 inches of precipitation a year and 24.5 inches of snow.
Does Sweetser get tornadoes?
21 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sweetser since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 11, 1965. The typical Indiana town has had 23.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)