Evangelical Lutheran School · National Register of Historic Places
Sylvan Grove’s story
154 years in pictures
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1872Sylvan Grove is settled
Sylvan GroveKS
A town of 281, settled in 1872.
Evangelical Lutheran School · Photo: SharonPapierdreams · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
281
2025 Census estimate · −2.8% since 2020
Typical home
$169K
+9.7% in a year
Household income
$54K
median
Median age
47.4
years
Jobs based here
124
Balanced
Is Sylvan Grove a good place to live?
Sylvan Grove has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Evangelical Lutheran School and Behrhorst Brothers Hardware. Sylvan Grove has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
281 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Sylvan Grove: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sylvan Grove, and how to reach them.
PowerWestern Coop Electric Assn14.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Sylvan Grove water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Sylvan Grove’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Kansas you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLincoln County ClerkLincoln County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP code6748167481 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sylvan Grove.
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Kansas overall
Adults 18 to 34 are nearly one in ten residents (23% statewide); people 65 and older are 25% of residents (17% statewide). Sylvan Grove has lost 2.8% of its people since 2020, down to 281 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. In Sylvan Grove, the age of the median resident is 47.4 years, above both Kansas’ towns (38.1 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). The bachelor’s-degree share among adults 25 and older is 33%, against 36% across Kansas.
47.4median age · KS 37.4
| Sylvan Grove | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.4 years | 38.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 29% | 29% |
Sylvan GroveKansasUnited States
Ages · share of residents
24%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma1%
High school28%
Some college25%
Associate’s12%
Bachelor’s31%
Graduate2%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 44% and 68% women
The Census survey reached too few of Sylvan Grove’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±12.2 points. Across Kansas, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Sylvan Grove | KS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.1% | 12.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 23.6% | 11.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.2% | 10.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.1% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16.2% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.8% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.2% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.4% | 8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.4% | 25.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.1% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.8% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 30.8% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 2.4% | 13.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
Housing
A home in Sylvan Grove is worth about $169K, on Zillow’s estimate
For households in Sylvan Grove, the share who live in a home they own is 85%. In Sylvan Grove, the median rent is $643 a month, against $975 a month in Kansas’ towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. Values rose 9.7% in the 12 months to September 2026.
$169KZillow home value
| Sylvan Grove | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $643 a month | $975 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 85% | 72% | 73% |
Typical home value
Sylvan Grove$169K
Kansas$246K
+9.7%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: high risk in Sylvan Grove, mostly inland flooding
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Sylvan Grove after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2011. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 74% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts just over a third of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 27% to hail.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHailTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Expect four seasons and hot summers in Sylvan Grove
Sylvan Grove’s typical July afternoon high stands at 93°F.
13″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–44°
Spring41–67°
Summer65–90°
Fall43–69°
Oct 17
typical first frost
Apr 21
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
With 1.3 jobs for every working resident, Sylvan Grove draws in 118 commuters
Among residents in Sylvan Grove, 21% live below the poverty line. Commuting out is the norm locally: 6% of working residents work locally. The average trip to work for Sylvan Grove comes to 14 minutes. Jobs based in the town fell to 124 in 2023, 29 fewer than in 2013.
6%work in town
| Sylvan Grove | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.3% | 15% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Sylvan Grove6%
Lincoln Center21%
Salina10%
Minneapolis4%
Ellsworth4%
35 mi
median commute distance
124
jobs based in Sylvan Grove
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
A larger share of adults have high blood pressure in Sylvan Grove than in most of Kansas or the rest of the country
In Sylvan Grove, 79% of adults had a checkup this year. Only 8 of the 151 Kansas towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Sylvan Grove. Of 32 CDC measures, Sylvan Grove beats the Kansas average on 1 and trails it on 8.
| Sylvan Grove | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 34% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Kansas
1 better23 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Sylvan Grove | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.8% | 77.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.6% | 6.7% |
Ellsworth County Medical Center
20.8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sylvan Grove
15pages on Sylvan Grove
The big questions
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Sylvan Grove; the nearest are
Fort Hays Tech North CentralCommunity college · Public · Beloit35.9 mi$7,350 in-state tuitionFort Hays State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Hays51.9 mi$5,923 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Sylvan Grove residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
About Sylvan Grove
City in Lincoln County, Kansas
Sylvan Grove is a city in Lincoln County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 291.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,444 ft
- ZIP code
- 67481
- Area code
- 785
Questions about Sylvan Grove
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sylvan Grove, KS a good place to live?
Sylvan Grove has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.