Town · Alabama

Sylvan Springs, Alabama

Sylvan Springs, town, in Jefferson County, Alabama. Sylvan Springs had 1,600 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 4.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,653 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,490 (±233). GEOID 0174424.

Residents, July 2025 estimate

1,600

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,653 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,490 ±233

Median household income

$81,927

±$17,198 (90% margin)
Alabama: $63,999

Median home value

$217,000

±$17,872 (90% margin)
Alabama: $209,900

Median gross rent

$1,313

±$166 (90% margin)
Alabama: $1,007

Where is Sylvan Springs and what county is it in?

Sylvan Springs is a town in Jefferson County, Alabama. It covers 9.3 square miles of land, 177 residents per square mile in 2020.

Sylvan Springs is in the Birmingham, AL metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 7 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).

Sylvan Springs (marked with a dot) in Jefferson County, Alabama. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files

How many people live in Sylvan Springs, and is it growing?

The Census Bureau estimates that 1,600 people lived in Sylvan Springs on July 1, 2025, down 4.1% since 2020, while Alabama grew 3.3%. The 2020 Census counted 1,653 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,490 (±233).

  • July 2020→2021 −17 (1,647)
  • 2021→2022 −20 (1,627)
  • 2022→2023 −14 (1,613)
  • 2023→2024 −2 (1,611)
  • 2024→2025 −11 (1,600)
ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (counts) with the change from 2015-2019
Measure Sylvan SpringsJefferson CountyAlabama Change since 2015-2019
Total population 1,490 ±233 667,755 5,086,768 −400
Households 613 ±96 269,883 1,997,247 no clear change
Average household size 2.43 ±0.19 2.40 2.48 −0.50
Housing units 619 ±97 310,789 2,337,265 no clear change

Sylvan Springs's population since 2000

From 1,465 in 2000 to 1,600 in 2025: up 9.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Sylvan Springs as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.

  • 2000 Census 1,465
  • 2005 (estimate) 1,503
  • 2010 Census 1,542
  • 2015 (estimate) 1,532
  • 2020 Census 1,653
  • 2025 (estimate) 1,600

Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Sylvan Springs?

The median resident of Sylvan Springs is 44.0 years old; 19.3% are under 18 and 20.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 87.6%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 4.6%.

Age, origin, education and moves, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure Sylvan SpringsJefferson CountyAlabama Change since 2015-2019
Median age 44.0 ±4.4 37.7 39.3 no clear change
Under 18 years 19.3% ±4.6 pts 22.9% 22.2% –
65 years and over 20.4% ±5.0 pts 16.8% 17.8% –
Male 53.2% ±5.6 pts 47.5% 48.6% –
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.5% ±3.5 pts 5.5% 5.6% –
White alone, not Hispanic 87.6% ±5.1 pts 47.5% 63.4% no clear change
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic 4.5% ±3.0 pts 42.1% 25.6% –
Asian alone, not Hispanic 0.7% ±0.7 pts 1.9% 1.4% –
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic 0.2% ±0.3 pts 0.1% 0.3% –
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±2.6 pts 0.1% 0.0% –
Two or more races, not Hispanic 4.6% ±2.6 pts 2.3% 3.3% –
Some other race alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±2.6 pts 0.5% 0.4% –
Born outside the United States 0.3% ±0.3 pts 4.9% 4.0% –
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) 1.1% ±1.0 pts 7.6% 6.0% –
Civilian veterans (age 18+) 8.8% ±3.9 pts 5.7% 7.7% –
With a disability 18.0% ±3.9 pts 15.4% 16.5% –
No health insurance coverage 6.5% ±3.7 pts 9.4% 9.2% no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+) 94.0% ±2.8 pts 91.2% 88.6% –
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) 21.7% ±5.2 pts 36.2% 28.4% no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) 10.7% ±3.7 pts 14.8% 11.1% –
Lived in the same house a year earlier 85.0% ±7.0 pts 87.1% 88.3% –
Moved from another state in the past year 4.1% ±3.7 pts 1.9% 2.4% –

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov

What do households in Sylvan Springs earn?

Half of Sylvan Springs's 613 households earn less than $81,927 a year (±$17,198), against $66,388 in Jefferson County and $63,999 in Alabama. In 2015-2019 it was $86,601 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 10.7% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; 2015-2019 dollars adjusted with the R-CPI-U-RS
Measure Sylvan SpringsJefferson CountyAlabama Change since 2015-2019
Median household income $81,927 ±$17,198 $66,388 $63,999 no clear change
Mean household income $88,591 ±$9,473 $99,682 $88,898 –
Per capita income $36,625 ±$3,777 $41,013 $36,087 no clear change
People below the poverty line 10.7% ±5.7 pts 15.7% 15.6% –
Children under 18 below the poverty line 18.1% ±14.8 pts 21.8% 21.3% –
Households receiving SNAP 3.1% ±2.7 pts 14.2% 13.7% –
Households with a computer 95.6% ±3.2 pts 95.4% 93.7% –
Households with a broadband subscription 91.2% ±5.8 pts 90.4% 87.5% –

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What does housing cost in Sylvan Springs?

Owners occupy 83.0% of Sylvan Springs's occupied homes and renters 17.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $217,000 by its owner (±$17,872). The median renter pays $1,313 a month including utilities, and 55.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Home values are owners' own estimates.
Measure Sylvan SpringsJefferson CountyAlabama Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied) $217,000 ±$17,872 $240,000 $209,900 no clear change
Median gross rent $1,313 ±$166 $1,193 $1,007 +$376
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent 55.6% ±21.6 pts 43.5% 39.9% –
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage $1,582 ±$93 $1,619 $1,433 –
Owner-occupied homes 83.0% ±6.8 pts 63.9% 70.2% −10.0 pts
Renter-occupied homes 17.0% ±6.8 pts 36.1% 29.8% –
Housing units 619 ±97 310,789 2,337,265 no clear change
Homeowner vacancy rate 0.6% ±0.8 pts 1.2% 1.1% –
Rental vacancy rate 0.0% ±30.9 pts 7.0% 7.2% –
Single-family detached homes 92.6% ±4.2 pts 68.6% 69.1% –
Mobile homes 7.4% ±4.2 pts 3.1% 12.3% –
Built 2020 or later 0.3% ±0.5 pts 1.2% 2.3% –
Built 2010 to 2019 3.4% ±2.3 pts 7.6% 10.9% –
Built 1939 or earlier 1.9% ±2.0 pts 10.3% 4.9% –
Households with no vehicle 0.5% ±0.7 pts 7.0% 5.4% –

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov

How many new homes is Sylvan Springs building?

Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Sylvan Springs in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 0.6 per 1,000 residents against 3.7 across Alabama.

  • 2019 1 units
  • 2020 (6 months) 2 units
  • 2021 2 units
  • 2022 0 units
  • 2023 0 units
  • 2024 0 units
  • 2025 1 units

Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Sylvan Springs work and get to work?

83.9% of Sylvan Springs's workers drive alone and 9.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 31.4 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.5%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (workers 16 and over)
Measure Sylvan SpringsJefferson CountyAlabama Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+) 56.8% ±7.2 pts 61.5% 58.3% –
Unemployment rate 3.5% ±2.2 pts 4.7% 4.7% no clear change
Drove alone to work 83.9% ±5.3 pts 77.3% 80.6% –
Carpooled 4.7% ±4.2 pts 8.2% 8.0% –
Public transportation 0.3% ±0.5 pts 0.6% 0.3% –
Walked 0.0% ±5.7 pts 1.6% 1.1% –
Worked from home 9.7% ±4.2 pts 11.1% 8.8% –
Mean travel time to work 31.4 min ±3.8 24.1 min 25.5 min no clear change

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What census tracts are in Sylvan Springs?

No census tract lies mostly in Sylvan Springs; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).

Census tracts in Sylvan Springs, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
TractResidents, 2020-2024Median household incomeMedian home valueShare of tract in Sylvan Springs
Tract 123.02Jefferson County4,021 $80,882 $202,90017%
Tract 124.03Jefferson County4,271 $57,292 $155,3001%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Sylvan Springs) · Census block assignment files

How does Sylvan Springs compare with other places in Alabama?

By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Sylvan Springs is the 8,520th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 220th-most populous of 463 in Alabama.

Sylvan Springs ranks 58th of 305 places in Alabama with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.

Sylvan Springs's rank in Alabama (1 = highest): by population among the state's incorporated places with a 2025 estimate; by the other measures among places of 1,000+ residents with a reliable estimate
MeasureRankOf
Population, July 2025 estimate220th463
Growth 2020-2025 (PEP)217th257
Residents per square mile268th311
Median household income58th305
Per capita income82nd311
Median home value92nd304
Median gross rent37th274
Poverty rate206th258
Bachelor's degree or higher127th295
Median age73rd309
Owner-occupied share74th310
Work from home58th138
Travel time to work58th310

Sylvan Springs's figures with every place in Alabama (CSV)

Every place in Alabama, sortable · Compare Sylvan Springs with other places

Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed

How reliable are the figures for Sylvan Springs?

20 of the 57 figures for Sylvan Springs on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.

The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections

Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Sylvan Springs are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Sylvan Springs.