The Town FilesSweetwater, Tennessee
City in Monroe County · population 6,312 (2020 Census) · spans 2 counties
- Median home
- $178,400
- Household income
- $45,451
- Jan low / Jul high
- 28° / 89°
- Snow a year
- 3 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 7
- Median age
- 40.8
Sweetwater is a city of 6,312 people in Monroe County, Tennessee. The median home is worth $178,400, below the typical Tennessee town ($204,650). It ranks better for cycling than 97% of Tennessee towns, better transit than 87% of Tennessee towns.
How Sweetwater ranks
Percentile among Tennessee towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Tennessee towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Sweetwater is worth $178,400, below the typical Tennessee town ($204,650). Homes cost about 3.9 times the median household income of $45,451, which is more affordable than 42% of Tennessee towns. Median rent is $619 a month. 55.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sweetwater | Typical Tennessee town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $178,400 | $204,650 |
| Median rent | $619 | $863 |
| Median household income | $45,451 | $57,917 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.9× | 3.7× |
| Homeownership | 55.1% | 69.7% |
| Median year built | 1976 | 1980 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Sweetwater
| People | Sweetwater | Typical Tennessee town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.8 | 40.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 24.8% | 18.4% |
| Under 18 | 23.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.7% | 18.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 14.6% | 14.2% |
| Veterans | 8.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.6% | — |
| Work from home | 6.9% | 8.2% |
| Average commute | 20.0 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 87.5% | 88.2% |
Weather in Sweetwater
July highs average 89.1°F and January lows 27.6°F. About 57.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 3.3 inches of snow (typical Tennessee town: 3.5 in). Expect about 46 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 99 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sweetwater since 1950, compared with 16 for the typical Tennessee town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on November 30, 2016 about 6.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 30, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 18 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on June 16, 1980.
Severe weather in Monroe County since 1996
Monroe County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| February 6, 2026 | Winter Storm | DR-4898: Severe Winter Storm |
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3635: Severe Winter Storm |
| April 2, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3625: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| May 17, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4712: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornado |
| April 24, 2020 | Severe Storm | DR-4541: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Monroe County
Monroe County had 15,485 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $49,323 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Sweetwater itself the ACS puts it at 2.7%.
Public schools in Sweetwater
5 public schools with 2,082 students, about 16.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetwater High School | 9-12 | 582 | 17.1 |
| Sweetwater Primary School | PK-2 | 579 | 15.6 |
| Brown Intermediate School | 5-6 | 323 | 17.9 |
| Sweetwater Jr High School | 7-8 | 311 | 16.4 |
| Sweetwater Elementary | 3-4 | 287 | 16.9 |
Towns near Sweetwater
- Madisonville, TN8.3 mi · 5,132 people · home $234,400
- Loudon, TN11.2 mi · 5,991 people · home $244,200
- Athens, TN12.5 mi · 14,084 people · home $225,000
- Tellico Village, TN13.5 mi · 7,311 people · home $517,200
- Lenoir City, TN18.2 mi · 10,117 people · home $252,400
- Etowah, TN18.5 mi · 3,603 people · home $190,800
- Kingston, TN18.7 mi · 5,953 people · home $220,000
- Rockwood, TN21.7 mi · 5,444 people · home $128,700
Sweetwater questions
Is Sweetwater, Tennessee a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sweetwater scores better for retirees than 63% of Tennessee towns and quieter than 55%. 24.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.8).
How much does a house cost in Sweetwater?
The median owner-occupied home in Sweetwater is valued at $178,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $45,451, so homes cost about 3.9 times income. Median rent is $619 a month.
What is the weather like in Sweetwater?
July highs average 89.1°F and January lows 27.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 57.6 inches of precipitation a year and 3.3 inches of snow.
Does Sweetwater get tornadoes?
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sweetwater since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on November 30, 2016. The typical Tennessee town has had 16.
- 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)