Population 94,935 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sylmar
Household size in Sylmar
| Period | Sylmar | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.72 | 3.14 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.88 | 3.20 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.77 | 3.16 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.77 | 3.01 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | −0.13 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Sylmar is a place of big households: 3.77 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 3.72, even as the national average fell. Of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people, only 63 have larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Sylmar
| Period | Sylmar | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.4 | 35.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.4 | 36.7 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.8 | 38.0 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.8 | 39.5 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.3 | +4.0 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Sylmar is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 37.8, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 32.4 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Sylmar
| Period | Sylmar | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.5% | 14.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.9% | 14.1% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.6% | 12.5% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.2% | 12.3% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in seven households in Sylmar (15.2%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 4.4 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Sylmar
Renters in Sylmar
| Period | Sylmar | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.3% | 48.8% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.9% | 50.8% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.2% | 51.4% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 31.4% | 51.6% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +2.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over three in ten households in Sylmar rent their homes (31.4%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. About a third of owners (32.9%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the west; owners are most common in the southeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 4.1 points, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Sylmar
| Period | Sylmar | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 7.0% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.1% | 6.7% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 6.6% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 6.7% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Sylmar: just 5.0% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.8 points, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Sylmar
| Period | Sylmar | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1965 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1966 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1969 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Housing in Sylmar leans a little older: the median home dates to 1974, against 1980 nationally. Even so, homes here are newer than in the Los Angeles area overall, where the median home dates to 1969. The median year built has moved up from 1971 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the south has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Sylmar
| Period | Sylmar | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,384 | $1,328 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,491 | $1,415 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,734 | $1,755 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,175 | $2,279 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$791 | +$951 | +$931 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Sylmar costs $2,175 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $791 a month from 2006–10, a 57% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 39.2% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Rents run highest in the north and lowest in the center.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Sylmar
Bachelor's degrees in Sylmar
| Period | Sylmar | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.5% | 29.7% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.6% | 30.7% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.0% | 33.7% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.9% | 37.6% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +7.9 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Sylmar have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.9%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 4.4 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the southwest.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Sylmar
| Period | Sylmar | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 66.9% | 76.7% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 68.8% | 77.7% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 70.3% | 80.0% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 72.6% | 82.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | +5.4 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than a quarter of adults in Sylmar never finished high school, well above the national share: only 72.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 5.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Sylmar has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five California cities.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Sylmar
| Period | Sylmar | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 8.5% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.2% | 10.6% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 5.8% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 6.7% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Sylmar than nationally: unemployment was 7.3%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 1.5 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Sylmar compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sylmar | 3.77 | 37.8 | 15.2% | 31.4% | 5.0% | 1974 | $2,175 | 19.9% | 72.6% | 7.3% |
| San Fernando | 3.76 | 37.2 | 16.9% | 36.5% | 7.8% | 1954 | $1,815 | 14.8% | 64.4% | 7.0% |
| Mission Hills | 3.28 | 42.9 | 9.4% | 24.8% | 4.1% | 1961 | $2,533 | 24.2% | 78.6% | 4.8% |
| Pacoima | 4.26 | 36.2 | 18.1% | 41.1% | 4.4% | 1963 | $2,034 | 10.6% | 57.9% | 7.4% |
| Granada Hills | 2.98 | 44.8 | 7.8% | 26.8% | 5.1% | 1964 | $2,768 | 40.3% | 89.6% | 8.5% |
| North Hills | 3.35 | 36.2 | 17.3% | 60.6% | 4.3% | 1970 | $2,045 | 22.0% | 71.7% | 7.7% |
| Panorama City | 3.45 | 38.7 | 14.9% | 44.6% | 3.6% | 1963 | $2,064 | 21.6% | 71.4% | 8.0% |
| Sun Valley | 3.63 | 37.7 | 12.6% | 41.1% | 7.3% | 1963 | $2,259 | 22.9% | 70.1% | 8.2% |
| Northridge | 2.85 | 40.7 | 8.8% | 43.2% | 7.0% | 1978 | $2,733 | 48.0% | 90.5% | 5.6% |
| Sunland | 2.68 | 44.5 | 6.3% | 33.9% | 9.5% | 1960 | $2,028 | 31.0% | 87.5% | 6.7% |
| Newhall | 3.17 | 37.5 | 11.9% | 39.8% | 6.3% | 1980 | $2,357 | 33.6% | 85.0% | 5.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Denton, TX · Council Bluffs, IA · Cordova, TN · Daly City, CA · Danbury, CT · Dalton, GA · Davie, FL · Decatur, GA · Dallas, GA · Denver, CO
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Sylmar. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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