CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

25.78° N · 80.39° W · GEOID 1270345

Sweetwater

Miami-Dade County, Florida · part of the Miami, FL metro

FloridaSweetwater, FLSweetwaterSweetwater

The short answer

Sweetwater is home to 20,085 people. Median household income is $54,967 a year and median rent is $1,771 a month, 38.7% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). That is above the usual 30% line for cost burden. The median home is valued at $294,200, about 5.3x annual median household income.

What sets Sweetwater apart is how tight household budgets are. After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $31,900 a year, less than in 97% of places its size. Also notable: Population change slowed in the latest estimate: -1.2% from 2024 to 2025, against +2.3% a year before that.

10OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Sweetwater scores better than 10% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 355th of 474 in Florida.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%10
Economy 20%40
Safety 20%36
Amenities 15%35
Education 10%24
Commute 10%27
Growth 5%89
Median gross rent
$1,771
30% above the median place
Median household income
$54,967
32% below the median place
Median home value
$294,200
8% below the median place
Unemployment
4.4%
11% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Sweetwater

  • HousingOwning with a mortgage costs about $47 a month less than the median rent, a rarer pattern than in 95% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Sweetwater

Miami-Dade County loses about 18.7 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in67,097
Moved out107,355
Net−40,258

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Broward County, FL16,82129,098−12,277
Palm Beach County, FL2,6344,446−1,812
Lee County, FL1,1613,807−2,646
Orange County, FL1,5243,362−1,838
Hillsborough County, FL1,2462,603−1,357
New York County, NY2,031

Within Florida, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within FloridaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$127K
Leavers$78K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Miami-Dade County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
5.2% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.3% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Miami-Dade County report $127,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $78,100, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$70,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,771 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,724 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $294,200.
Getting to work
29 minutes each way on average; 8.2% work from home; 3.3% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Rosemead, CA matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
5.2%
9% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people8
-18.7
below the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8
$127,200
80% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSweetwaterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year15.2%9% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.3%36% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-18.7below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$127,20080% above
Income of households moving out8County figure$78,10811% above
02

What it costs to live here

The median rent takes 38.7% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 99% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Sweetwater38.7%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$70,840
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
38.7%
90% above the median place
Home price to income
5.3x
41% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
39%
over the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$31,900
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Sweetwater, $1,771 a month, and local prices for everything else (105.7 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Sweetwater, but easier on the budget

Places that match Sweetwater on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Rosemead, CA6429.9% vs 38.7%$18,700Compare
Midway City, CA5429.0% vs 38.7%$14,500Compare
Rowland Heights, CA5027.6% vs 38.7%$28,900Compare
San Gabriel, CA4925.4% vs 38.7%$34,300Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Sweetwater.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Sweetwater? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
42.1%
37% below the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
63.8%
26% above the median place
Property tax rate1
0.6%
31% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureSweetwaterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,77130% above
Rent to income138.7%90% above
Property tax rate10.6%31% below
Home price to income15.3x41% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure114.213% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,56459% above
HUD area median income4County figure$89,80016% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,86543% below
Median home value1$294,2008% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure2.8%13% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure79.5%54% above
Homeownership142.1%37% below
Renters paying 30%+163.8%26% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,7248% below
Vacant homes15.1%28% below
Median year built119810% above
03

Work and pay

OpenStreetMap shows 28.7 bus and rail stops per square mile, more than in 96% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Income per person1
$24,017
40% below the median place
Median household income1
$54,967
32% below the median place
Works from home1
8.2%
34% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Poverty rate16.3% +51%
Mean commute29 min +16%
Unemployment4.4% −11%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureSweetwaterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$54,96732% below
Income per person1$24,01740% below
Unemployment14.4%11% below
Average annual pay6County figure$81,81824% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure5.4%46% above
Jobs6County figure1,276,535above (median 150,665)
Poverty rate116.3%51% above
Mean commute129 min16% above
Works from home18.2%34% below
Commutes by transit1County figure3.3%292% above
04

Who lives here

Born abroad is 74.8%, above the median place (median 8.8%).

Born abroad1
74.8%
above the median place (median 8.8%)
High school or higher1
76.6%
17% below the median place
No health insurance1
16.3%
155% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size3.0 +19%
Median age43.8 +12%
Bachelor's or higher21.4% −33%
Homes with broadband90.1% −2%
All 9 people measures
MeasureSweetwaterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population120,0852302nd largest
Population change since 202077.6%above (median 1.1%)
Median age143.812% above
Bachelor's or higher121.4%33% below
High school or higher176.6%17% below
Household size13.019% above
Born abroad174.8%above (median 8.8%)
No health insurance116.3%155% above
Homes with broadband190.1%2% below
05

Life in Sweetwater

OpenStreetMap shows 1 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 96% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

194 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 5 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents1.0 −90%
Playgrounds per 10k1.5 −84%
Grocery stores per 10k0.5 −76%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k13.4 +21%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −90%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi28.7 136.6×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Biscayne National Park 23 miles
  • Everglades National Park 38 miles
  • Big Cypress National Preserve 45 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars22.2 +7%
Shops39.5 +30%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.9 +44%
Doctors' offices and clinics33.8 +67%
Child care centers2.8 +22%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site11
23.3
24% below the median place
Public school students14
335,631
above the median place (median 4,897)
Public schools14
530
above the median place (median 9)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureSweetwaterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14County figure530above (median 9)
Public school students14County figure335,631above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher14County figure19.426% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure22.27% above
Shops per 10k9County figure39.530% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure5.944% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure33.867% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.822% above
Parks per 10k101.090% below
Playgrounds per 10k101.584% below
Grocery stores per 10k100.576% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1013.421% above
Libraries per 10k100.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails100.290% below
Transit stops per sq mi1028.7above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1123.324% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles11350% above
National Register listings12County figure194above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 210, 10% above the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
210
10% above the median place
Property crime per 100k
1,883
55% above the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

January average low15
58°F
128% above the median place
Average temperature15
76°F
39% above the median place
Hurricane risk16
100.0
41% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureSweetwaterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure91°F5% above
January average low15County figure58°F128% above
Average temperature15County figure76°F39% above
Annual precipitation15County figure57.5 in31% above
Natural hazard risk16County figure99.68% above
Hurricane risk16County figure100.041% above
Tornado risk16County figure98.721% above
Wildfire risk16County figure96.858% above
Heat wave risk16County figure99.310% above
Median air quality index17County figure479% above
Good air days17County figure56.4%18% below
08

Sweetwater in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 39% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 39% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Sweetwater does better than 10% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 75%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,771/mo (2024)$2,280/mo$1,870 to $2,780/mo+4.3%
Median household income$54,967 (2024)$70,500$59,500 to $83,500+4.2%
Median home value$294,200 (2024)$430,000$312,000 to $592,000+6.5%
Population20,828 (2025)22,16021,250 to 23,100+1.2%

The median home would be worth 6.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.4 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Sweetwater

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Margate, FL$1,750$62,450Compare
Pinellas Park, FL$1,631$63,432Compare
Marlow Heights, MD$1,657$55,502Compare
Orange City, FL$1,607$57,800Compare
Orange City, FLMarlow Heights, MDPinellas Park, FLMargate, FLSweetwater, FLSweetwaterMargatePinellas ParkMarlow HeightsOrange CitySweetwaterMargatePinellas ParkMarlow HeightsOrange City

Places built like Sweetwater

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Sweetwater performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Sweetwater, FL38.7%6.6%/yr7.6%
Kendall West, FL31.2%3.7%/yrn/aCompare
Hialeah Gardens, FL35.7%4.1%/yr-1.3%Compare
Fountainebleau, FL38.7%4.9%/yrn/aCompare
Country Club, FL30.3%9.3%/yrn/aCompare
North Miami Beach, FL33.2%7.6%/yr5.8%Compare
Palm Springs, FL32.4%6.9%/yr5.3%Compare

Common questions

Is Sweetwater a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 10 out of 100, better than 10% of the places we rate and 355th of 474 in Florida. Owning with a mortgage costs about $47 a month less than the median rent, a rarer pattern than in 95% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 9 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Sweetwater expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 38.7% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $294,200.

What salary do you need to live in Sweetwater?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $70,840 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Sweetwater safe?

There were 210 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Sweetwater?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Margate, FL, Pinellas Park, FL, Marlow Heights, MD and Orange City, FL.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Sweetwater with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Sweetwater itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/sweetwater-florida

Citytistics. “Sweetwater, Florida.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/sweetwater-florida/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.