Sweetwater, Idaho Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 163, Sweetwater'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

Sweetwater is a small community located in Idaho, within Nez Perce County. The total population is 163. It ranks as the 201st most populous out of 232 Census-designated places in Idaho.

Age Demographics

The median age in Sweetwater is 53.5 years. This is 43% higher than the state median of 37.3 years. Only 6.1% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Sweetwater is $126,875. This is 63% higher than the state median of $77,800. It is also 57% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 4.3%. This is 59% lower than the state poverty rate of 10.6%. This exceptionally low poverty rate indicates strong economic prosperity across the community. The survey records no unemployed residents in Sweetwater, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $192,300. Housing costs are 54% lower than the state median of $418,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.5x, Sweetwater is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 79.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 10% higher than the state average of 72.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Sweetwater is White (non-Hispanic), making up 54.6% of the population.

Education

33.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 5% higher than the state rate of 31.8%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 86.9%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Sweetwater, Idaho 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 Idaho state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 232 Census-designated places in Idaho. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.