Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety34#614/924
Economy22#725/925
Housing46#496/925
Health17#772/925
Healthcare16#772/923
Environment72#259/917
Education5#878/925
Infrastructure12#816/925
Community28#665/925
Leisure & amenities35#599/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Sweetwater, TX micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Distance to an emergency room · low2.9 mi
99/100Texas 5.5 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · low1.9×
98/100Texas 3.6×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
93/100Texas 5.1 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Average commute time · low18.3 min
89/100Texas 26.7 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Comfortable days · high31.1%
86/100Texas 30.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · high9.9 /10k
85/100Texas 4.0 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Traffic deaths · high45.7 /100k
1/100Texas 14.1 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.0 /10k
1/100Texas 1.2 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Public transit commuters · low0.0%
3/100Texas 0.9%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Grocery stores · low0.7 /10k
4/100Texas 1.1 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · high177 mi
4/100Texas 43 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Lack of reliable transportation · high14.2%
5/100Texas 10.5%United States 8.3%2022Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedImproving
0.1 /1k (2021) → 0.4 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+417%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Violent crime rateWorsening
188 /100k (2020) → 469 /100k (2025)
+150%5 yearsUS 389 /100k → 328 /100k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
41.3% (2010 & 2021) → 62.2% (2022 & 2024)
+21 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Homicide rateImproving
6.1 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Gyms and fitness centersWorsening
0.7 /10k (2020) → 0.0 /10k (2025)
−100%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Primary care physiciansImproving
34 /100k (2019) → 55 /100k (2022)
+63%3 yearsUS 77 /100k → 76 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Sweetwater, TX micropolitan area improved on 13 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 9 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved13

Pharmacies+56%1.4 /10k → 2.1 /10k
Uninsured−6.7 points22.9% → 16.2%
Restaurants+23%7.5 /10k → 9.2 /10k
Homicides−100%5.5 /100k → 0.0 /100k
Traffic deaths−27%62.8 /100k → 45.7 /100k

Declined6

Violent crime+150%188 /100k → 469 /100k
Poverty+6.4 points16.1% → 22.5%
Gyms−100%0.7 /10k → 0.0 /10k
Child poverty+8.6 points20.4% → 29.1%
Overdose deaths+7.8%11.6 /100k → 12.5 /100k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Sweetwater, TX micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.1 /10k2020	5.0 /10k2025	+22%	Improved	77%
Average commute time	17.4 min2015-2019	18.3 min2020-2024	+0.9 min	Within the margin of error	33%
Average weekly wage	$8942020	$1,1532025	+29%	Improved	90%
Bachelor's degree or higher	15.2%2015-2019	16.0%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Broadband subscriptions	72.8%2015-2019	82.9%2020-2024	+10 points	Improved	62%
Child poverty rate	20.4%2015-2019	29.1%2020-2024	+8.6 points	Declined	1%
Distance to an airport	110 mi2020	110 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	11.6 /100k2020	12.5 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+7.8%	Declined	23%
Effective property tax rate	1.58%2015-2019	1.40%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	68%
Firearm deaths	16.2 /100k2020	17.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+5.6%	Declined	40%
Grocery stores	0.7 /10k2020	0.7 /10k2025	+4.3%	Little change	66%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.7 /10k2020	0.0 /10k2025	−100%	Declined	1%
High school diploma or higher	82.3%2015-2019	84.1%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Within the margin of error	55%
Home price to income ratio	1.7×2015-2019	1.9×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	77%
Homicide rate	5.5 /100k2020	0.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−100%	Improved	95%
Income adjusted for local prices	$50,6812019	$68,5782024	+35%	Improved	74%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4792015-2019	0.4802020-2024	+0.001	Within the margin of error	51%
Median household income	$45,5372015-2019	$50,7472020-2024	+11%	Improved	2%
New business applications	5.6 /1k2020	8.5 /1k2025	+51%	Improved	58%
Pharmacies	1.4 /10k2020	2.1 /10k2025	+56%	Improved	100%
Poverty rate	16.1%2015-2019	22.5%2020-2024	+6.4 points	Declined	0%
Property crime rate	1,268 /100k2020	1,204 /100k2025	−5.1%	Improved	9%
Public libraries	0.7 /10k2019	0.7 /10k2024	+4.9%	Little change	86%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	84%
Rent as share of income	27.7%2015-2019	28.5%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Rent-burdened households	43.5%2015-2019	44.7%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	47%
Restaurants and bars	7.5 /10k2020	9.2 /10k2025	+23%	Improved	94%
Suicide rate	18.2 /100k2020	18.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+2.7%	Little change	55%
Traffic deaths	62.8 /100k2015-2019	45.7 /100k2020-2024	−27%	Improved	93%
Unemployment rate	6.0%2020	3.7%2025	−2.3 points	Improved	30%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	22.9%2015-2019	16.2%2020-2024	−6.7 points	Improved	99%
Violent crime rate	188 /100k2020	469 /100k2025	+150%	Declined	1%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Sweetwater, TX micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Sweetwater, TX micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Sweetwater, TX micropolitan area itself moved −3.7 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

14,454 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

5,886 households (±219)

Sweetwater, TX micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k25%1,489
$25k–50k24%1,405
$50k–75k18%1,062

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

5,886 households (±219)

Sweetwater, TX micropolitan area
United States share

Own68%4,008
Rent32%1,878

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

6,233 workers (±274)

Sweetwater, TX micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone81%5,047
Carpool11%671
Public transit0.0%0

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Sweetwater, TX micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Sweetwater, TX has 342 employer establishments, 240 for every 10,000 residents (0.97× the US rate of 248), with 5,011 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,107. The Census Bureau also counts 1,021 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 342; 1,021 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 240; US 248
Paid employees: 5,011
Average annual pay: $52,107; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Sweetwater, TX by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	31	21.8	1.19×About typical	483	$18,484	13
Religious organizations	20	14	2.53×More than typical	95	$16,316	—
Limited-service restaurants	15	10.5	1.31×More than typical	315	$18,083	4
Specialty trade contractors	15	10.5	0.68×Fewer than typical	169	$68,249	71
Full-service restaurants	13	9.1	1.19×About typical	167	$18,946	7
Gasoline stations	13	9.1	2.82×More than typical	255	$28,043	—
Traveler accommodation	12	8.4	4.67×More than typical	179	$19,022	—
Ambulatory health care services	10	7	0.34×Fewer than typical	50	$46,320	141
Insurance agencies and brokerages	10	7	1.60×More than typical	33	$41,333	13
Truck transportation	10	7	1.39×More than typical	143	$72,483	24
Automotive repair and maintenance	9	6.3	1.25×Too few to compare	51	$41,784	26
Building equipment contractors	9	6.3	1.05×Too few to compare	40	$55,850	7

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 14,243 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated -$13.6K on contracts performed in Sweetwater, TX micropolitan area: -$0.96 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: -$13.6K; −139% vs FY2025
Per resident: -$0.96; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

LUDLUM MEASUREMENTS INC-$13.6K0.0%

Spending by fiscal year

140.9KFY2017
2.4MFY2018
1MFY2019
766.4KFY2020
18.1KFY2021
483.6KFY2022
367.6KFY2023
144.9KFY2024
34.7K

What was bought

Largest awards

NEAR BACKGROUND SURVEY METERS (NBSMS)$743.4K
LUDLUM MEASUREMENTS INC· Nolan County, TX· Other equipment & supplies· Aug 17, 2022 – Oct 21, 2025· N0016722C0005

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $83.7M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Sweetwater, TX micropolitan area: $5,926 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $83.7M; +5.9% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,926; US $12,955
Loan face value: $2.9M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 2.5%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$49.9M60%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$8.3M9.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$7.7M9.2%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$6.3M7.6%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$3.2M3.8%
10.912 · Environmental Quality Incentives Program$2.2M2.6%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$1.2M1.4%
64.110 · Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Death$860.7K1.0%

Top recipients (organizations)

HOUSING AUTHORTY OF SWEETWATER$1.7M2.1%
SWEETWATER, TX
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$721K0.9%
AUSTIN, TX
OXO FAMILY LLC$449.2K0.5%
SWEETWATER, TX
FOUR PACES FAMILY LTD$448.7K0.5%
SWEETWATER, TX
MICHAEL JOHN MASSEY FAMILY RVO$215.7K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$67M80%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$9.6M11%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Natural Resources Conservation Service$2.2M2.6%
Department of Agriculture
Farm Service Agency$1.2M1.4%
Department of Agriculture
Railroad Retirement Board$1.2M

Assistance by fiscal year

76.5MFY2021
91.6MFY2022
97MFY2023
129.9MFY2024
79MFY2025
83.7MFY2026

County aggregates

93%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Sweetwater, TX

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Nolan CountyCentral county2114,117

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

SweetwaterPrincipal city10,385

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Texas

Areas based in Texas, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Abilene, TX37

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M45020

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Sweetwater, TX micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Sweetwater, TX

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Texas

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved13

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Largest awards