ZIP Code 35988 — Sylvania town, AL Demographics & Data

ZIP code 35988 covers Sylvania, AL in DeKalb County with a population of about 2,376.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 34.5 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 256, 938; U.S. House district AL-4; the HUNTSVILLE - DECATUR (FLOR) media market.

Median household income in ZIP 35988 is about $53,036 — about 29% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 8.9%; unemployment rate near 8.4%; 22.8% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 10.9 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Manufacturing, Healthcare, and Other services; about 2.2% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 13.0 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $128,800 — about 63% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $465 (about 60% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 66.9% (about 1.5 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 35988 in Sylvania, AL, a household would need roughly $35,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $827. That sits below the local median household income ($53,036), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Sylvania town, AL as Relatively Low (composite score 80.4), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (81.7) and wildfire (73.8). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Sylvania town, AL show little to no average snow and around 58.0 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 76 for ZIP 35988 (Sylvania town, AL) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.