Objective To investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia in the elderly aged 60 years and above living in the old town of Xiangtan City and to construct a prediction model for its risk factors. Methods The community residents≥60 years old were recruited through convenience sampling from 5 communities (Xinsi Village, Xinwu Village, Quanxintang, Leigongtang, Batang Community) in the old town of Xiangtan City from July to November 2021 to screen the prevalence of sarcopenia. Bioelectrical impedance analyzer InbodyS10 was used to measure muscle mass. Muscle strength was measured by grip dynamometer, limb circumference was measured, 6-meter walking speed was observed, and physical function was assessed by short physical performance battery. Basic information and suspected risk factors were collected through on-site survey questionnaires. SPSS statistics 19.0 was used for statistical analysis. Data comparison between two groups was perfomed using t test, Wilcoxon test, χ² test or Fisher exact probability test depending on data type. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the factors related to sarcopenia. R4.2.2 software and RMS package were used to create a risk column chart prediction model for sarcopenia, and draw the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to evaluate the predictive performance of the column chart model. Results A total of 556 elderly patients were included in the study, including 276 males and 280 females. There were 87 (15.65%) patients with sarcopenia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR=1.141,95%CI 1.088-1.201) was the risk factor for sarcopenia, while, body mass index (OR=0.732,95%CI 0.627-0.852), thigh circumference (OR=0.899,95%CI 0.832-0.961) and calf circumference (OR=0.871,95%CI 0.761-0.992) were protective factors for the occurrence of sarcopenia. According to these 4 variables, a prediction model was constructed, and the area under the ROC curve of the model was 0.895. Conclusion The prevalence of sarcopenia is quite high in the elderly in the old urban area of Xiangtan City, and the males have a higher prevalence than the females. Advanced age is a risk factor, while larger body mass index, thicker thigh and calf circumferences are protective factors for the occurrence of sarcopenia. Our prediction model shows a good predictive capacity for occurrence of sarcopenia.