Sterling is home to 32,411 people in Virginia. The foreign-born share is 46%. Few US cities rank higher on income. There are 5,943 people per square mile. Households here earn about 32% more than in Virginia as a whole. Median household income runs $123,303, well clear of the $82,259 US median.
At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $123,303, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.3
US median: 38.9
Average education
35% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Sterling
What changed most since 1990
White share85.9% → 25.7%(−60.2 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Hispanic share3.4% → 49.2%(+45.8 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree30.7% → 35.4%(+4.7 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Sterling's population equals 7.5% of Loudoun County's. Its number of households without a car equals 14% of the county's. Its number of people who work from home equals 3.9% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)33.2%(391)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)24.8%(292)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34%(400)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.5%(53)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1%(12)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,177 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Sterling, decade by decade
Sterling population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
20,512
$133,427
$375,131
30.7%
32.0
2010
27,822
$119,397
$503,356
35.6%
86.2
2020
30,337
$122,512
$458,999
35.9%
85.9
2024
32,411
$123,303
$526,000
35.4%
82.9
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
