Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 6,706, established in 1807.
Sweetwater earns a D, ranked 140th of 175 in Tennessee, mostly because of health and schools. Residents are less healthy than 95% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its public schools trail 80% of Tennessee towns on state tests and graduation. It also has a long history, with 7 places on the National Register. Sweetwater's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 94% of U.S. towns. 25% of residents are 65 or older in Sweetwater, above both the Tennessee town median (18%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Its National Register listings include Surprise Truss Bridge and First Presbyterian Church.
Where Sweetwater beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Sweetwater is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 677 in 1880, 6,312 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1827 and 4 maps from 1936 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sweetwater, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Sweetwater.
Sweetwater fares better on crime within Tennessee than nationally, but it has many renters stretched by housing costs.
19% of adults report frequent physical distress in Sweetwater. Sweetwater beats the Tennessee average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 23% of adults smoke cigarettes in Sweetwater.
| Sweetwater | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 19% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 41% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 29% | 23% |
| What stands out | Sweetwater | TN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 12.5% | 8.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.2% | 14.6% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.5% | 7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Sweetwater school district. Three of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Sweetwater High School, with 610 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetwater Primary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 589 | – |
| Sweetwater High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 610 | B− |
| Sweetwater ElementaryTop results in townGrades 3–4 | Grades 3–4 | 317 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests
At 28.5 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 54% of Tennessee’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 141 to 84 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Sweetwater is 2.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Sweetwater | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.8 per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 9.6 per 1,000 residents | 11.5 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 69% of U.S. communities. Since 1999, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Sweetwater.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
69.9% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 48.8% across Tennessee.
Sweetwater’s median rent is $619 a month. The typical Sweetwater home is worth about $261,000, up 2.8% in a year, 21% below the Tennessee typical home. 55% of Sweetwater households own their home.
| Sweetwater | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 66% | 73% |
| Median rent | $619 a month | $950 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Sweetwater has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 29° and about 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based in Sweetwater grew to 3,630 in 2023, 289 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Knoxville (10%), Vonore (8%) and Loudon (8%). Half commute less than 14 miles.
| Sweetwater | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $61,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 14% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Engleman Park | 0.1 mi | 6 |
| 2. Sweetwater Duck Park | — | 3 |
| 3. Friendship Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sweetwater. Close and well known come first.
Big draw26 mi National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National Park11.5M visitors a year
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaNeyland Stadium
5 mi CaveCraighead Caverns
40 mi LookoutSunsphere
15 mi LandmarkFort Loudoun
20 mi Ancient siteTanasiGreat Smoky Mountains National Park: Scott Basford, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Neyland Stadium: Neomrbungle, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Craighead Caverns: Brenda, CC BY 2.0 · Sunsphere: Ɱ, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Loudoun: The original uploader was LMUBill at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Tanasi: Brian Stansberry (photographer), CC BY 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Sweetwater
About 2 of every 100 Sweetwater residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
4 places in Sweetwater on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Sweetwater.
City in the United States
Sweetwater is a city in Monroe and McMinn Counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the most populous city in Monroe County. As of the 2020 census, its population was 6,312. Sweetwater is the home of the Craighead Caverns which contains the Lost Sea, the United States' largest underground lake. In 2022, TravelMag named Sweetwater one of Tennessee's "Ten Most Charming Cities".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Sweetwater grades D overall, better than 10% of U.S. towns and #140 of 175 in Tennessee. It grades D for health, C for safety and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
5 notable people were born here, including Jay W. Baker and Butch Baker.
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