Sylvania is a town in DeKalb County, Alabama, home to about 1,925 people across 8.5 square miles. Its ZIP code is 35988, and parts of 35968 and 35978 are in Sylvania too.
Homes sold for a median of $195 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Mostly Sylvania
Mostly Fort Payne; part is in Sylvania
Mostly Henagar; part is in Sylvania
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Sylvania. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Sylvania’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)88 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (Lovell Field) (CHA)47 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Atlanta, GA95 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL513 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Sylvania; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Sylvania had 1,790 residents in the 2020 census, up 51% since 2000.
It’s the 228th largest of 591 towns in Alabama by population.
DeKalb County grew from 23,558 residents in 1900 to 71,608 in 2020.
DeKalb County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 91°F in summer, and winter lows average 32°F. About 58.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Ft Payne, AL weather station (9 miles away).
20,004 jobs at 1,165 businesses in DeKalb County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
1 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Sylvania.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Mental health providers | 1 |
|---|---|
| Pharmacies | 2 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (1 nearby)
Grocery stores
Libraries
Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by DeKalb County. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvania SchoolSylvania | Pre-K–12 | 915 | Public | 1.9 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Fort Payne, Henagar, Pine Ridge, Rainsville and Ider.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.