Sparta Electric Building · National Register of Historic Places
Sparta’s story
217 years in pictures
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1809Sparta is settled
SpartaTN
A town of 4,939, settled in 1809. A regional job hub with 5,377 jobs.
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Population
4,939
+1.5% since 2010
Typical home
$285K
+5.9% in a year
Household income
$50K
median
Median age
46.8
years
Jobs based here
5,377
A job hub
What makes Sparta stand out
The 3 things Sparta does most differently from other towns.
5,377jobs here
Work
5,377 jobs
based in Sparta, a regional job hub
27% of working residents work in town.
0 miof trails
Outdoors
#45 most walkable in TN
0.0 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves
0.2% of the town is conserved land.
100 U.S. towns● Sparta
Health
96% of U.S. towns are healthier
on CDC estimates
Better than TN on 1 measures, worse on 13.
A job hub
Every workday, about 4,862 people come to Sparta for work
Where Sparta’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
5,377jobs based in Sparta
27%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Sparta’s report card
Commute17 miHalf of commuters travel lessOutdoors0 miof trails · 0.2% conservedHealthD−Healthier than 4% of U.S. townsHousing$285K15% below the TN typical homeSchoolsBBeats 59% of TN districtsSafetyCLess crime than 27% of U.S. townsClimate88°/28°Summer high · winter low · 5″ snowHazards43/100Moderate risk of storm & flood damage
Now in Sparta
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Residents weigh in
Sparta is #156 of 158 in TN for “Most conserved land”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Sparta’s Town Square.
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The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sparta. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
About one in four working residents works right in Sparta
About one in 4 of Sparta’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Cookeville (19%), Chattanooga (2%) and Crossville (2%). Half commute less than 17 miles.
27%work in town
Where working residents work
In Sparta27%
Cookeville19%
Chattanooga2%
Crossville2%
Knoxville2%
17 mi
median commute distance
5,377
jobs based in Sparta
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Outdoors
0.2% of Sparta is conserved land
0.0 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.
0.2%conserved
0.2%
conserved · 10 of 4,282 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
#45
most walkable in TN
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pearson Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health
Healthier than 4% of U.S. towns
Sparta beats the Tennessee average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 13.
D−Health Grade
26 measures vs. Tennessee
1 better12 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Sparta | TN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79% | 76.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 26.4% | 14.6% |
Saint Thomas Highlands Hospital
1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
13th
percentile among TN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Housing
A typical Sparta home is worth about $285K
The typical Sparta home is worth about $285,000, up 5.9% in a year, 15% below the Tennessee typical home.
$285KZillow home value
Typical home value
Sparta$285K
Tennessee$334K
+5.9%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Schools
Sparta’s public schools outperform 59% of Tennessee districts
The public schools Sparta’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 59% of Tennessee’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
BSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodland Park Elementary | PK–5 | 509 | B |
| Findlay Elementary | PK–5 | 413 | A |
| White Co Middle School | 6–8 | 827 | B− |
| White County High School | 9–12 | 1,014 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduationAll 4 schools →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 27% of U.S. towns
Sparta reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 73% report less.
CSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Sparta2.2
Tennessee5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Sparta25.5
Tennessee16.6
U.S.15.5
27th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
40th
percentile among TN towns
11
violent crimes reported in 2025
127
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Sparta has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
5″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter30–50°
Spring46–70°
Summer65–86°
Fall47–71°
Oct 23
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 43% of U.S. communities.
43risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
2
paid flood claims since 2017
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
About Sparta
City in Tennessee, United States
Sparta is a city in and the county seat of White County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 5,001 in 2020. The Calfkiller River flows through the city. Seven sites in Sparta are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1809
- Population
- 4,998
- Area
- 6.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 922 ft
- ZIP code
- 38583
- Area code
- 931
More about Sparta
Still missing for Sparta:archive photosupcoming events