Other Assets (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2009	Jun. 30, 2013
Other Assets.
Net deferred tax asset	$ 14,554,000	$ 12,538,000
Cash surrender value of life insurance other than BOLI	10,949,000	9,614,000
Other real estate owned and other foreclosed property	5,592,000	7,364,000
Investments in tax credit related ventures	5,506,000	7,329,000
Core deposit intangible	2,151,000
Mortgage servicing rights (MSRs)	1,832,000	2,088,000
Other short term receivables	1,624,000	1,289,000
Goodwill	682,000	682,000
Investment in bank in expansion market	520,000	520,000
FDIC prepaid assessment		1,732,000	6,458,000
FDIC prepaid assessment returned				1,420,000
Common securities of S.Y. Bancorp Capital Trust II		900,000
Other	8,414,000	7,351,000
Total	51,824,000	51,407,000
Period for which estimated insurance assessments were required to be prepaid by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)			3 years
Estimated fair values of MSRs	3,953,000	2,702,000
Total outstanding principal balances of loans serviced for others	435,339,000	374,079,000
Changes in net carrying amount of finite-lived intangible MSRs
Balance at beginning of period	2,088,000	1,630,000
Originations	776,000	1,274,000
Amortization	(1,032,000)	(816,000)
Balance at end of period	$ 1,832,000	$ 2,088,000