CITY
Sterling
Virginia · 32,411 residents · 5.45 sq mi
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Part of the Washington metro area
Notable rankings
#105Most foreign-born residentsof 6,82646.5%The short version
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
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
Section 01
Population & growth
Land area
5.45 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
202432K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 57.3%(2,354)
5 to 95.9%(1,912)
10 to 146.7%(2,167)
15 to 196.7%(2,165)
20 to 246.7%(2,166)
25 to 3416.2%(5,260)
35 to 4416.1%(5,222)
45 to 5412%(3,888)
55 to 6411.3%(3,659)
65 to 747.1%(2,317)
75 to 842.8%(913)
85 and over1.2%(388)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$123,303
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2023
from $125,753 in 2023
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
72.5%
−0.8 ptssince 2023
from 73.3% in 2023
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Wholesale trade13.9%
Information7.6%
Finance & insurance5.9%
Retail trade5.6%
Professional, scientific, technical5.4%
Other services4.6%
Public administration3.5%
Arts, entertainment, food2.3%
Transportation & warehousing1.2%
Education & health services0.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.2%
Construction0.2%
Manufacturing0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$526,000
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2023
from $508,400 in 2023
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
4.3
+6%since 2023
from 4.0 in 2023
2010 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
36
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2023
White, non-Hispanic28%(8,739)
Black6.3%(1,956)
Hispanic / Latino49.9%(15,596)
Asian13.5%(4,220)
Other2.4%(740)
2024
White, non-Hispanic25.7%(8,328)
Black7.2%(2,343)
Hispanic / Latino49.2%(15,942)
Asian15.1%(4,902)
Other2.8%(896)
83
+2%since 2023
from 81 in 2023
2011 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Central American35.3%(11,438)
Salvadoran28.5%(9,234)
South American6.8%(2,207)
Honduran4%(1,309)
Bolivian2.6%(840)
Peruvian2.5%(795)
Guatemalan2.4%(794)
Mexican1.8%(586)
Ecuadorian1%(340)
Puerto Rican0.8%(261)
Colombian0.4%(135)
Cuban0.3%(105)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0.2%(78)
Nicaraguan0.2%(63)
Venezuelan0.2%(54)
Argentine0.1%(30)
Dominican0.1%(21)
Chilean0%(13)
Costa Rican0%(11)
Panamanian0%(9)
Asian origin
Pakistani4.2%(1,348)
Vietnamese3.3%(1,082)
Asian Indian2.5%(797)
Filipino1.4%(464)
Bangladeshi1%(311)
Thai0.6%(197)
Chinese0.4%(128)
Laotian0.3%(107)
Mongolian0.3%(96)
Japanese0.2%(78)
Korean0.1%(47)
Taiwanese0.1%(38)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Burmese0.1%(38)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0%(15)
Ancestry
English5.3%(1,725)
German5.1%(1,642)
Irish5%(1,614)
American2.5%(814)
Subsaharan African2.5%(802)
Arab2.2%(725)
Lebanese1.8%(587)
Italian1.8%(586)
Polish1.1%(349)
French1%(337)
Scottish1%(327)
Norwegian0.4%(141)
+ 32 more ancestry groups with data
Iranian0.4%(124)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(121)
Dutch0.4%(114)
Ukrainian0.3%(104)
Egyptian0.3%(99)
Swedish0.3%(82)
West Indian0.3%(82)
Bulgarian0.2%(77)
Greek0.2%(75)
British0.2%(71)
Welsh0.2%(67)
Croatian0.2%(64)
Belgian0.2%(54)
Australian0.2%(53)
French Canadian0.2%(52)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0.2%(50)
Ethiopian0.1%(47)
Nigerian0.1%(46)
Danish0.1%(39)
Hungarian0.1%(33)
Swiss0.1%(33)
Jamaican0.1%(31)
Czech0.1%(24)
Lithuanian0.1%(21)
Russian0%(16)
Ghanaian0%(14)
Slovak0%(13)
Finnish0%(11)
Slovene0%(11)
Canadian0%(10)
Romanian0%(8)
Moroccan0%(5)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
78.0%
−1.0 ptssince 2023
from 79.1% in 2023
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
79.8%
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
97.7%
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married39.3%(5,243)
Married50.1%(6,696)
Widowed2.5%(336)
Divorced8.1%(1,080)
Women 15+
Never married37.9%(4,779)
Married47.2%(5,957)
Widowed4.7%(599)
Divorced10.2%(1,288)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
9.0%
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
1.8%
US average: 2.2%
Any private
60.7%
US average: 67.1%
Any public
28.5%
US average: 36.7%
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)
Gulf War (1990s)24.8%(292)
Vietnam era34%(400)
Korean War4.5%(53)
World War II1%(12)
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
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Sterling, Virginia?
Sterling, Virginia has about 32,411 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Sterling, Virginia?
The typical household in Sterling, Virginia earns about $123,303 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Sterling, Virginia expensive?
In Sterling, Virginia, the median home is worth about $526,000, and the typical rent is about $2,138 a month.
How educated are people in Sterling, Virginia?
About 35.4% of adults age 25 and over in Sterling, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Sterling, Virginia?
About 8.0% of people in Sterling, Virginia live below the federal poverty line.
Has Sterling, Virginia grown since 1990?
Yes, Sterling, Virginia has grown since 1990. The population has added about 11,899 residents, a change of about 58 percent over that period.
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VirginiaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024