The Town FilesSweetwater, Florida
City in Miami-Dade County · population 19,363 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $294,200
- Household income
- $54,967
- Jan low / Jul high
- 59° / 91°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 62
- Median age
- 43.8
Sweetwater is a city of 19,363 people in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The median home is worth $294,200, below the typical Florida town ($331,600). It ranks more of a college town than 99% of Florida towns, more walkable than 97% of Florida towns, easier by car than 87% of Florida towns.
How Sweetwater ranks
Percentile among Florida towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Florida towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Sweetwater is worth $294,200, below the typical Florida town ($331,600). Homes cost about 5.4 times the median household income of $54,967, which is more affordable than 27% of Florida towns. Median rent is $1,771 a month. 42.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sweetwater | Typical Florida town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $294,200 | $331,600 |
| Median rent | $1,771 | $1,569 |
| Median household income | $54,967 | $71,140 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.4× | 4.5× |
| Homeownership | 42.1% | 73.5% |
| Median year built | 1981 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.7% | — |
Who lives in Sweetwater
| People | Sweetwater | Typical Florida town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.8 | 42.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.8% | 20.2% |
| Under 18 | 17.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.4% | 28.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 16.3% | 11.3% |
| Veterans | 0.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 74.8% | — |
| Work from home | 8.2% | 13.5% |
| Average commute | 29.0 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.1% | 92.4% |
Weather in Sweetwater
July highs average 91.1°F and January lows 58.5°F. About 69.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Florida town: 0.0 in). Expect about 93 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
62 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sweetwater since 1950, compared with 35 for the typical Florida town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 17, 1959 about 7.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on February 18, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 55 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on June 15, 2012.
Severe weather in Miami-Dade County since 1996
Miami-Dade County has been included in 43 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, other, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| October 11, 2024 | Hurricane | DR-4834: Hurricane Milton |
| October 7, 2024 | Hurricane | EM-3622: Hurricane Milton |
| December 13, 2022 | Hurricane | DR-4680: Hurricane Nicole |
| November 8, 2022 | Tropical Storm | EM-3587: Tropical Storm Nicole |
| September 29, 2022 | Hurricane | DR-4673: Hurricane Ian |
Jobs and pay in Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County had 1,257,569 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $77,609 a year. Unemployment was 1.8% in 2023; in Sweetwater itself the ACS puts it at 4.4%.
Towns near Sweetwater
- Tamiami, FL2.2 mi · 54,212 people · home $482,100
- Fountainebleau, FL2.7 mi · 59,870 people · home $320,200
- Doral, FL2.8 mi · 75,874 people · home $562,800
- Westchester, FL3.4 mi · 56,384 people · home $508,700
- Westwood Lakes, FL4.3 mi · 11,373 people · home $518,500
- Olympia Heights, FL4.9 mi · 12,873 people · home $557,500
- Kendale Lakes, FL5.6 mi · 55,646 people · home $404,500
- Coral Terrace, FL5.8 mi · 23,142 people · home $582,900
Sweetwater questions
Is Sweetwater, Florida a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sweetwater scores better for retirees than 18% of Florida towns and quieter than 4%. 16.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.8).
How much does a house cost in Sweetwater?
The median owner-occupied home in Sweetwater is valued at $294,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $54,967, so homes cost about 5.4 times income. Median rent is $1,771 a month.
What is the weather like in Sweetwater?
July highs average 91.1°F and January lows 58.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 69.7 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Sweetwater get tornadoes?
62 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sweetwater since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 17, 1959. The typical Florida town has had 35.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)