United States › Virginia › Sterling CITY · 2020 ACS
Sterling Virginia · 30,337 residents · 5.45 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS 2024 ACS
The short version
With 30,337 people, Sterling is a city in Virginia. The foreign-born share is 43%. Median rent is $1,868 a month. That is roughly 32% ahead of the Virginia median. Median household income runs $101,079, well clear of the $66,278 US median. Median home value sits at $378,700.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 35.6
US median: 38.8
Average education
36% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth 30,337
Unchangedsince 2019
from 30,271 in 2019
from 34.7 in 2019
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
19K 23K 26K 30K 34K 1990 2010 2020 2024 Sterling Age distribution, 2020
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Section 02
Income & economy $101,079
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2019
from $97,647 in 2019
US average: $66,278
$37,612
Unchangedsince 2019
from $37,557 in 2019
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 62.6% in 2019
US average: 43.9%
from 5.1% in 2019
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Professional, scientific, technical 5.3%
Public administration 3.1%
Arts, entertainment, food 2.2%
Transportation & warehousing 1.5%
Education & health services 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0%
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$378,700
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2019
from $359,000 in 2019
US average: $265,253
$1,868
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2019
from $1,812 in 2019
US average: $1,124
from 72.9% in 2019
28.8% rent
from 3.25 people in 2019
US average: 2.61
from 3.7 in 2019
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2019
White, non-Hispanic 32.5%(9,834)
Hispanic / Latino 41.2%(12,472)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 29.7%(9,025)
Hispanic / Latino 44.5%(13,497)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 34 more ancestry groups with data from 37.3% in 2019
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 80.1% in 2019
US average: 88.5%
from 13.7% in 2019
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 27.2 min in 2019
US average: 26.9
from 76.5% in 2019
US average: 75.1%
from 2.7% in 2019
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 5.1% in 2019
US average: 5.4%
from 79.1% in 2019
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 36.0% in 2019
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 41.5% in 2019
US average: 13.5%
from 16.8% in 2019
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 39.3%(5,243)
Women 15+
Never married 37.9%(4,779)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 16.8% in 2019
US average: 8.8%
Direct-purchase
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
US average: 2.3%
Any private
US average: 68.1%
Any public
US average: 35.2%
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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later) 28.4%(445)
Gulf War (1990s) 31.8%(498)
Share of the 1,568 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.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Sterling Head to head
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STERLING VS
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Sterling, Virginia? Sterling, Virginia has about 30,337 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Sterling, Virginia? The typical household in Sterling, Virginia earns about $101,079 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 $378,700, and the typical rent is about $1,868 a month.
How educated are people in Sterling, Virginia? About 35.9% 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 5.8% 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 9,825 residents, a change of about 48 percent over that period.
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