Sweet Water, Alabama Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 216, Sweet Water's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Sweet Water is a small community located in Alabama, within Marengo County. The total population is 216. It ranks as the 504th most populous out of 592 Census-designated places in Alabama.

Age Demographics

The median age in Sweet Water is 37.1 years. This is 6% lower than the state median of 39.3 years. With 30.6% of the population under 18, Sweet Water has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community. 13.4% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Sweet Water is $52,411. This is 18% lower than the state median of $63,999. It is also 35% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 3.7%. This is 76% lower than the state poverty rate of 15.6%. This exceptionally low poverty rate indicates strong economic prosperity across the community. The survey records no unemployed residents in Sweet Water, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $161,600. Housing costs are 23% lower than the state median of $209,900. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.1x. 87.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 25% higher than the state average of 70.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Sweet Water is White (non-Hispanic), making up 72.2% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 15.3%. The Black or African American population (2.3%) is well below the state average of 25.6%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (15.3% vs 5.6%).

Education

28.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is about the same as the state rate of 28.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 94.4%. Notably, 15.1% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Sweet Water, Alabama is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Alabama state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 592 Census-designated places in Alabama. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.