Fly fishing on the South Santiam, 2009
Sweet Home’s story
152 years in pictures
Census counts: 202 in 1910, 9,828 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 2 maps from 1951 on.
- 1874Sweet Home is settled
Photo: Sword Fern · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
10,308
2025 Census estimate · +4.8% since 2020
Typical home
$348K
−0.9% in a year
Household income
$57K
median
Median age
42.4
years
Jobs based here
1,834
A commuter town
TownGrade
D−
#135 of 142 in OR
Is Sweet Home a good place to live?
Sweet Home earns a D−, 135th among Oregon's 142 graded towns, mostly because of incomes and safety. The median household income is $57K, and 19% of residents live below the poverty line. Its crime rate is higher than 80% of U.S. towns, with 28 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. What it does well: 2% of its land is conserved. Among 142 Oregon towns, just 4 have a higher typical journey to work than Sweet Home. The biggest park or preserve is Quarry Park, at 153 acres. Only 6 of the 142 Oregon towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Sweet Home.
What makes Sweet Home stand out
Where Sweet Home beats most towns.
A growing town
Sweet Home has grown 15% since 2010
8,925 counted in 2010 and 9,828 in 2020; an estimated 10,308 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Sweet Home grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Sweet Home is from typical.
Jobs & incomeD−Open →SafetyC−Open →HealthLess healthy than 78% of U.S. towns; Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital 14.4 miles awayC−Open →Cost of livingCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 11.1 of 20B+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →SchoolsCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors5 miles of trailsB+Open →History2 notable people born hereC−Open →Civic life3.4 library visits per resident; 4.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market58 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 42.4; 11% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Sweet Home: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sweet Home, and how to reach them.
PowerPacific Power15.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Sweet Home water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpSweet Home SanitationTrash haulerTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Oregon you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLinn County Clerk, Elections OfficeLinn County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2023
ZIP code9738697386 99%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Oct 2, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sweet Home.
Sweet Home fares better on crime within Oregon than nationally and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has commutes longer than most of Oregon.
SafetyC−
For safety, Sweet Home earns a C−
At 35.8 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 66% of Oregon’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 367 to 224 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Sweet Home’s property offense rate is 18.9 per 1,000 residents, above both the Oregon town median (15.2) and the median of U.S. towns (9.9). The violent offense rate in the town is 2.7 per 1,000 residents.
20%of U.S. towns report more crimeC−Safety Grade
| Sweet Home | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 18.9 per 1,000 residents | 15.2 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Sweet Home2.7
Oregon3.2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Sweet Home18.9
Oregon21.8
U.S.15.5
20th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
34th
percentile among OR towns
28
violent crimes reported in 2025
196
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
SchoolsC
Sweet Home’s public schools trail 66% of Oregon districts
The largest public high school is Sweet Home High School, with 752 students. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. Its public schools are run by Sweet Home SD 55.
34%of OR districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Home Junior High SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 358 | C+ |
| Sweet Home High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 752 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
HealthC−
Sweet Home stands out in Oregon and nationally: a larger share of its adults have been diagnosed with depression
Against the 7,998 U.S. towns with household incomes like Sweet Home’s, it is less healthy than 61%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
Among adults in Sweet Home, 74% had a checkup this year. Just over two in five adults have obesity in the town, above both Oregon’s towns (35%) and U.S. towns (35%).
22%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Sweet Home | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 27% | 23% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
26 measures vs. Oregon
0 better11 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | Sweet Home | OR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.5% | 6.8% |
| More smokers | 16.4% | 12% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.3% | 12.5% |
Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital
14.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
11th
percentile among OR towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of Sweet Home’s workers commute out
The average commute for its 3,980 working residents takes 33.3 minutes, against 23 across Oregon.
Most people who work leave Sweet Home to do it: just 16% work in town. Jobs based in Sweet Home grew to 1,834 in 2023, 276 more than in 2013. For half of commuters, work is under 27 miles away. The top destinations are Albany (9%), Salem (7%) and Lebanon (7%).
16%work in town
| Sweet Home | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 9.5% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Sweet Home16%
Albany9%
Salem7%
Lebanon7%
Eugene6%
27 mi
median commute distance
1,834
jobs based in Sweet Home
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 71% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade C
Homes in Sweet Home are worth about $348K, by Zillow’s estimate
Homes sold in Sweet Home spent a median 58 days on the market. For Sweet Home, the going rate for rent is $1,213 a month. Bidding over the asking price: 54% of homes sold here.
$348KZillow home value
| Sweet Home | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 67% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,213 a month | $1,415 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Sweet Home$348K
Oregon$493K
Market temperature
58
days on market
100.9%
sale-to-list price
−0.9%
value change, 1 year
13
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsB+
1.6% of the land in Sweet Home is protected from building
Trails run 4.6 miles in 11 parks and preserves. The trail density for Sweet Home comes to 0.8 miles per square mile.
#71for trails in OR
| Sweet Home | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.6% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
1.6%
conserved · 60 of 3,691 acres
4.6 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Quarry Park | 0.8 mi | 153 |
| 2. Hobart Natural Area | — | 23 |
| 3. Outdoor Event Center | — | 19 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Expect mild winters and pleasant summers in Sweet Home
Sweet Home’s typical July afternoon high is 82°F.
82°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter34–48°
Spring40–61°
Summer50–79°
Fall42–64°
Oct 28
typical first frost
Apr 12
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
82°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Sweet Home faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
On expected storm and flood damage, Sweet Home sits above 51% of U.S. communities. 61% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by earthquakes at 23%. Since 1996, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out here.
51risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesHeat waves
2
paid flood claims since 1996
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sweet Home
20pages on Sweet Home
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 66% of OR districts · 5 schoolsSafetyC−2.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than OR on 0 of 26 CDC measuresCost of livingC$348K typical home · down 0.9% in a yearWork & commuteD−$57K median household income · 1,834 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 51% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Sweet Home; the nearest are
Linn-Benton Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Albany24 mi$7,317 in-state tuitionOregon State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Corvallis30.4 mi$14,400 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Sweet Home residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
A commuter town
84% of working residents leave Sweet Home for work
Where Sweet Home’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,834jobs based in Sweet Home
16%of working residents work in town
27 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Sweet Home
City in Oregon, United States
Sweet Home is a city in Linn County, Oregon, United States, with a population of 9,828 at the 2020 census. Sweet Home is referred to as the 'Gateway to the Santiam Playground' due to its proximity to nearby lakes, rivers and the Cascade Mountains.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1893
- Area
- 5.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 535 ft
- ZIP code
- 97386
- Area code
- 458, 541
Questions about Sweet Home
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sweet Home, OR a good place to live?
It grades C− for health, C− for safety and C for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Sweet Home, OR expensive?
That is 4.6 years of the area's median household income ($76,329 across the Albany, OR metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
What is Sweet Home, OR known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Joe Kent and Robert T. Oliver.