Sylvan Beach is a
village
A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
in
Oneida County, New York
Oneida County ( ) is a county in the state of New York, United States. As of February 26, 2024, the population was 226,654. The county seat is Utica. The name is in honor of the Oneida, one of the Five Nations of the Iroquois League or '' ...
, United States; in the southeastern end of the
Town of Vienna. It is twenty-two miles west of downtown
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
. At the 2010 census, the population of Sylvan Beach was 897.
History
Before European exploration began, the area was used by
Native Americans, mostly for its supply of fish. Many of the areas surrounding Oneida Lake have actually been bearers of artifacts that have helped us learn more about Native Americans. The Oneidas and the Onondagas, of the Iroquois Confederacy chose to settle in the Oneida Lake region.
The community was founded around 1840. Public transportation, in the form of railroads and ferries, made the village a desirable resort community since the 19th century. The Village of Sylvan Beach was incorporated in 1971.
The
Sylvan Beach Union Chapel
Sylvan Beach Union Chapel is a historic interdenominational church building located at Sylvan Beach in Oneida County, New York. It opened on July 3, 1887, and worship services have been held there every summer since then.National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 2009.
Geography
Sylvan Beach is located at (43.204358, -75.726428).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the village has a total area of , of which is land and (3.95%) is water.
Sylvan Beach is on the eastern shore of
Oneida Lake
Oneida Lake is the largest lake entirely within New York state, with a surface area of .
The lake is located northeast of Syracuse and near the Great Lakes. It feeds the Oneida River, a tributary of the Oswego River (New York), Oswego River, which ...
and is adjacent to the
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east–west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigability, navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, ...
, which made the village a convenient shipping port for all of the lake in the 1820s.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2018, there were 896 people, 495 households, and 284 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 847 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.76%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.75%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.19%
Native American, 0.28%
Asian, 0.37% from
other races, and 0.65% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population.
There were 495 households, out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.1 males. In the city's population, 49.5% are males and 50.5% are females.
The median income for a household in the village was $30,978, and the median income for a family was $35,250. Males had a median income of $30,250 versus $18,625 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the village was $15,876. About 13.2% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 25.1% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.
The total amount of housing is 946. Of those, 34.4% of those homes are used for recreational, seasonal, or occasional use (which is 325 homes). 46.6% of houses in the beach are vacant, which adds up to 441 homes. 2.7% of homes are for rent and 2.0% are for sale totaling 45 homes.
Recreation

The village is home to a mile long beach, bandstand, a wide variety of restaurants and shops, casino, hotel-style villas for rent, amusement park, camping facilities and marinas, Situated on the eastern shore of
Oneida Lake
Oneida Lake is the largest lake entirely within New York state, with a surface area of .
The lake is located northeast of Syracuse and near the Great Lakes. It feeds the Oneida River, a tributary of the Oswego River (New York), Oswego River, which ...
, the village attracts many boaters and fishing enthusiasts. The summer is best time for visitors with many different events going on and many places to eat. In the summer, every Tuesday "Bikes at the Beach", Wednesday night summer concert series, Thursday night Classic Cars at the Beach and Pirates Weekend, Canal Fest, Jeeps at the Beach, Corvettes at the Beach to name a few.
References
External links
Past history of Sylvan Beach* https://www.villageofsylvanbeach.org/
*
* https://sylvanbeachny.com/
*
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Villages in New York (state)
Utica–Rome metropolitan area
Villages in Oneida County, New York
Tourist attractions in Oneida County, New York