United States › Sterling MICROPOLITAN AREA
Sterling Micro Sterling, CO · 1 counties · 20,654 residents (2025 est.) · 1,839 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Sterling is a metro area of 20,892 people. 20% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Density works out to 11 people per square mile. Getting to work takes 17 minutes on average. 6% of people across the metro were born outside the United States. The median household earns $51,829, about 37% below the national median.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.2
US median: 38.9
Less educated
20% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 56%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 20,504 in 2000
20,654 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 11 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
from 36.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
17K 19K 20K 22K 23K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Sterling Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $51,829
−13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $32,724 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $16,721 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 23.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 12.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.419 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 10.6%
Professional, scientific, technical 4.2%
Public administration 2.1%
Transportation & warehousing 1.3%
Education & health services 1.3%
Arts, entertainment, food 1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$245,300
+56%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $86,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$1,013
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $451 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 69.9% in 2000
33.7% rent
from 7.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.38 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 24.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 29.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.9 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 84.4%(17,310)
Hispanic / Latino 11.9%(2,439)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 75.5%(15,779)
Hispanic / Latino 17.2%(3,596)
from 40 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 22 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 21 more ancestry groups with data from 14.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 82.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 5.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 11.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 75.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 11.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 5.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 8.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 67.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 70.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 15.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 26.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 13.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 13.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 18.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 77.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 91.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 81.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 93.2% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 6.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 39.4%(3,879)
Women 15+
Never married 25.1%(1,989)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 18.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 46.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 16.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 20.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 24.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 3.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 60.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 42.1% in 2020
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) 27.9%(335)
Gulf War (1990s) 14.5%(174)
Share of the 1,199 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
In this metro
Largest cities What's inside
1 component county Drill deeper
Metros similar to Sterling Head to head
Compare Sterling side by side STERLING VS
Arkadelphia
Income $52,034 same
Home value $155,000 −37%
Population 20,938 +1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STERLING VS
Ruidoso
Income $53,303 +3%
Home value $233,200 −5%
Population 19,844 −4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STERLING VS
Raymondville
Income $54,180 +5%
Home value $73,600 −70%
Population 19,971 −3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STERLING VS
Elk City
Income $53,328 +3%
Home value $143,500 −42%
Population 22,159 +7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Sterling, CO? Sterling, CO has about 20,892 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Sterling, CO? The typical household in Sterling, CO earns about $51,829 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Sterling, CO expensive? In Sterling, CO, the median home is worth about $245,300, and the typical rent is about $1,013 a month.
How educated are people in Sterling, CO? About 20.1% of adults age 25 and over in Sterling, CO hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Sterling, CO? About 15.8% of people in Sterling, CO live below the federal poverty line.
Has Sterling, CO grown since 1990? Yes, Sterling, CO has grown since 1990. The population has added about 3,325 residents, a change of about 19 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here 