A legend states that the town's name originated from settlers’ descriptions of area springs. Sweetwater was established in the 1850s on a series of lots sold by Isaac Lenoir, a local politician and son of the founder of Lenoir City. Sweetwater was officially incorporated in 1875.
Geography
Sweetwater is located at . The city lies along Sweetwater Creek, which flows northeast for several miles before emptying into the Watts Bar Lake impoundment of the Tennessee River. The creek's drainage has created a lowland area known as Sweetwater Valley, which is surrounded by low hills. Sweetwater is centered along U.S. Route 11 between its junction with State Route 68 to the south and State Route 322 to the north. Interstate 75 passes along the western boundary of Sweetwater. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all land. Sweetwater is located in a valley amidst the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, and is surrounded by farmland.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,586 people, 2,315 households, and 1,537 families residing in the city. The population density was 810.1 people per square mile. There were 2,511 housing units at an average density of 364.2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 89.72% White, 7.32% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.91% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.95% of the population. There were 2,315 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.87. In the city, the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,323, and the median income for a family was $35,269. Males had a median income of $29,982 versus $23,075 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,746. About 11.5% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
As of 1989, most of the economy consists of agriculture business. In addition some light industry is located in Sweetwater, including a chemical factory, a hosiery mill, and a stove plant. A new Walmart Supercenter opened on September 11, 2013 and added 200 jobs to the Sweetwater area. A Rural King store opened in Feb 2018. Sweetwater also boasts a vibrant downtown district. The Nationally recognized Main Street community boasts restaurants, a coffee shop, retail stores and clothing boutiques. Sweetwater is home to the Lost Sea, the world's largest cave, which drives tourists to the area all year long.
