PlainZIP

Sylvania, AL · standard

ZIP Code 35988

DeKalb County, Alabama - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

1,940
61/sq mi
$53,684
Median income
$158,500
Median home value
22.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Sylvania pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

19th pct
household income, US ZIPs
29th pct
home value, US ZIPs
61
people per sq mi
65%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 35988 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 35988 covers 31.6 square miles in Sylvania, DeKalb County, Alabama (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,940 residents on file, a density of 61 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 35988 reports a modest median household income of $53,684 (12% below the Alabama average), while per-capita income is $25,340. Local economic indicators show a 9.5% poverty rate alongside 7.7% unemployment. Median home value sits at $158,500 (11% below the state average), median rent at $691 a month, and owner-occupancy at 64.9%.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 22.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 34.2, and the average commute is 26 minutes. Beyond these figures, 6 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing DeKalb County, letting you compare 35988 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 35988

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Sylvania, AL

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 35988.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 35988, Sylvania, AL · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

1,940

Population

31.6

Area (sq mi)

61

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 35988?

34.2

Median Age

43.2%

Male

56.8%

Female

8.5%

Foreign-Born

White 77.8%
African American 1.6%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native 2.6%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.2%
Hispanic or Latino 14.5%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$53,684

Median Household Income

-12% vs state

$25,340

Per Capita Income

9.5%

Poverty Rate

7.7%

Unemployment Rate

25.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 35988 ranks nationally

Sylvania, AL household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$53,684 19th percentile higher than 19% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 58.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 22.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

874

Total Housing Units

794

Occupied Units

80

Vacant Units

2.98

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 64.9%
Renter 35.1%

$158,500

Median Home Value

-11% vs state

$691

Median Rent

1985

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 22 business establishments in ZIP 35988, employing approximately 204 people with a combined annual payroll of $8,353,000.

22

Businesses

204

Employees

$8.4M

Annual Payroll

3

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Manufacturing 4 18.2%
Wholesale trade 4 18.2%
Other services (except public administration) 4 18.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 35988 vs 35986 →

ZIP 35988 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 35988 ranks #7 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 35988 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 35988 ranks #6 of 7 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
35986 Rainsville, AL 7,744 4.6 mi
35968 Fort Payne, AL 4,575 5.2 mi
35765 Pisgah, AL 4,013 9.1 mi
35978 Henagar, AL 5,390 7.1 mi
35744 Dutton, AL 2,570 7.1 mi
35971 Fyffe, AL 4,914 11.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in DeKalb County

35967 standard
Fort Payne, AL
Pop: 16,630
35962 standard
Crossville, AL
Pop: 8,300
35986 standard
Rainsville, AL
Pop: 7,744
35978 standard
Henagar, AL
Pop: 5,390
35971 standard
Fyffe, AL
Pop: 4,914
35968 standard
Fort Payne, AL
Pop: 4,575

Related Areas

DeKalb County Sylvania, AL Alabama

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 35988 in? ▼
ZIP code 35988 (Sylvania) is located in DeKalb County, Alabama. DeKalb County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/dekalb-al.
What is the population of ZIP code 35988? ▼
ZIP code 35988 in Sylvania, AL has a population of 1,940 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 35988? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 35988 is $53,684, which is 30% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 35988? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 35988 is $158,500, which is 43% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 35988? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 35988 is White at 77.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 14.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 35988? ▼
ZIP code 35988 has 22 business establishments employing approximately 204 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 35988? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 35988 are: Manufacturing (4), Wholesale trade (4), Other services (except public administration) (4). There are 3 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 35988? ▼
In ZIP code 35988, 58.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 22.7% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 35988? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 35988 is 25.5 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 35988? ▼
In ZIP code 35988, approximately 64.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 35.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 35988? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 35988 is 9.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.