United States › Sterling MICROPOLITAN AREA · 2010 ACS
Sterling Micro Sterling, CO · 1 counties · 22,709 residents · 1,839 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
With 22,709 people, Sterling is a metro area. 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median home value sits at $119,900. The average commute runs 17 minutes. The foreign-born share is 5%. Median rent is $603 a month.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Mid-age
median age 38.4
US median: 37.2
Less educated
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01
Population & growth from 36.5 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
17K 19K 20K 22K 23K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Sterling Age distribution, 2010
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Section 02
Income & economy $40,961
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $32,724 in 2000
US average: $52,703
from $16,721 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
from 23.3% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
from 12.2% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Workforce by industry, 2010
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 9.9%
Professional, scientific, technical 6.5%
Public administration 3.5%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.5%
Transportation & warehousing 1.5%
Education & health services 0.5%
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$119,900
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $86,200 in 2000
US average: $225,659
$603
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $451 in 2000
US average: $853
from 69.9% in 2000
32.1% rent
from 7.9% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
from 2.38 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
from 24.6% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
from 29.9% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
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.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 84.4%(17,310)
Hispanic / Latino 11.9%(2,439)
2010
White, non-Hispanic 78.2%(17,754)
Hispanic / Latino 15.6%(3,551)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 22 more ancestry groups with data from 14.6% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
from 82.3% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
from 5.3% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 11.5 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
from 75.2% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
from 11.3% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
from 5.8% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07
Work & employment from 15.5% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
from 26.0% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08
People & community from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
from 13.3% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
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 Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).
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.
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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 +27%
Home value $155,000 +29%
Population 20,938 +1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STERLING VS
Ruidoso
Income $53,303 +30%
Home value $233,200 +94%
Population 19,844 −4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STERLING VS
Raymondville
Income $54,180 +32%
Home value $73,600 −39%
Population 19,971 −3%
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STERLING VS
Elk City
Income $53,328 +30%
Home value $143,500 +20%
Population 22,159 +7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Sterling, CO? Sterling, CO has about 22,709 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Sterling, CO? The typical household in Sterling, CO earns about $40,961 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 $119,900, and the typical rent is about $603 a month.
How educated are people in Sterling, CO? About 18.0% 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 12.8% 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 5,142 residents, a change of about 29 percent over that period.
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