Population 15,245 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sylva
Household size in Sylva
| Period | Sylva | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.15 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.36 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.30 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.19 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Sylva are small: just 2.19 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has crept up from 2.15 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only 22 have smaller 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 Sylva
| Period | Sylva | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.5 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.5 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.2 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.1 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.4 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Sylva is 43.1 years old, older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has dropped from 44.5 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. The youngest areas are in the south, the oldest in the northeast.
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 Sylva
| Period | Sylva | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.9% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.1% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Sylva (13.1%), a bit above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 5.7 points, even as the national share fell.
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 Sylva
Renters in Sylva
| Period | Sylva | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.2% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.9% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.7% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.9% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a third of households in Sylva rent their homes (34.9%), close to the national share of 34.8%. More than half of owners (53.5%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 3.8 points, mirroring the country.
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 Sylva
| Period | Sylva | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.8% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.1% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.3% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.1% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −8.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Sylva: 15.1% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 8.6 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Sylva
| Period | Sylva | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1985 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Sylva is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1985, against 1980 nationally. Even so, homes here are older than in North Carolina as a whole, where the median home dates to 1990. The median year built has moved up from 1978 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
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 Sylva
| Period | Sylva | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $603 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $716 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $738 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $888 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$285 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Sylva pays $888 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $285 a month since 2006–10, up 47%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 25.2% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southeast; the highest are in the northeast.
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 Sylva
Bachelor's degrees in Sylva
| Period | Sylva | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.3% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.9% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.8% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.5% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Sylva than nationally: 28.5% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has edged up 1.2 points, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the center 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 Sylva
| Period | Sylva | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.4% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.9% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.2% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.4% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.0 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Sylva is close to the national rate: 90.4% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 8.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Sylva
| Period | Sylva | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.2% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Sylva than nationally: unemployment was 3.4%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 1.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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).
Sylva 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sylva | 2.19 | 43.1 | 13.1% | 34.9% | 15.1% | 1985 | $888 | 28.5% | 90.4% | 3.4% |
| Webster | 2.62 | 34.2 | 25.3% | 53.0% | 7.5% | 1987 | $767 | 35.5% | 90.1% | 5.9% |
| Dillsboro | 2.16 | 48.7 | 9.7% | 40.2% | 34.5% | 1988 | $869 | 28.0% | 92.7% | 3.8% |
| Forest Hills | 1.69 | 23.5 | 6.7% | 73.4% | 14.9% | 2003 | $798 | 56.5% | 96.7% | 3.8% |
| Cullowhee | 2.14 | 26.4 | 8.5% | 64.9% | 14.2% | 1998 | $940 | 34.0% | 94.2% | 11.3% |
| East Laport | 2.18 | 41.7 | 5.7% | 50.1% | 16.7% | 1987 | $1,007 | 31.5% | 94.3% | 0.0% |
| Gay | 1.85 | 47.9 | 13.0% | 1.8% | 25.8% | 1981 | $810 | 20.1% | 98.8% | 0.0% |
| Barkers Creek | 2.23 | 51.8 | 12.0% | 5.6% | 40.3% | 1993 | $810 | 25.3% | 95.6% | 0.0% |
| Pumpkintown | 1.86 | 32.3 | 14.1% | 55.8% | 11.6% | 1989 | $814 | 29.8% | 93.1% | 1.4% |
| Speedwell | 2.37 | 41.5 | 2.8% | 53.8% | 22.6% | 1982 | $1,003 | 32.2% | 94.0% | 0.0% |
| Whittier | 2.34 | 46.9 | 11.3% | 27.0% | 25.6% | 1992 | $930 | 23.6% | 86.9% | 4.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Monticello, IN · Quinlan, TX · Purvis, MS · Pulaski, VA · Pulaski, TN · Princeton Meadows, NJ · Platteville, WI · Plaquemine, LA · New Carlisle, OH · New Albany, MS
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 Sylva. 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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