United States › Sterling MICROPOLITAN AREA
Sterling Micro Sterling, IL · 1 counties · 54,121 residents (2025 est.) · 684 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 home to 54,947 people. 20% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Home values have risen by half since 2000, reaching $127,100. 77% of homes are owner-occupied. At a median age of 43.0, this is an older place than the country as a whole. The foreign-born share is 3%.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 43.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
20% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
More affordable
home values down 8%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 60,653 in 2000
54,121 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 89 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
from 38.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
54K 56K 58K 60K 61K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Sterling Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $67,500
−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,354 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $19,296 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 23.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 8.5% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.411 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 2.6%
Transportation & warehousing 2.6%
Education & health services 1.4%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.7%
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$127,100
−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $75,700 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$856
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $463 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 74.5% in 2000
23.1% rent
from 6.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.43 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 20.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 44.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.2 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 88.9%(53,946)
Hispanic / Latino 8.8%(5,347)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 80.9%(44,454)
Hispanic / Latino 13.3%(7,319)
from 28 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 44 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
+ 29 more ancestry groups with data from 11.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 79.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 3.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 13.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 83.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 9.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 8.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 63.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 76.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 12.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 25.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 2.4% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 13.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 10.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 75.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 88.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 88.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 93.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 5.1% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 34.9%(7,793)
Women 15+
Never married 26.1%(5,944)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 10.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 57.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 16.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 22.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 18.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 3.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 71.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 38.6% 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) 12.6%(436)
Gulf War (1990s) 18.3%(634)
Share of the 3,468 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
Fairmont
Income $67,370 same
Home value $166,700 +31%
Population 55,584 +3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STERLING VS
Kerrville
Income $69,395 +3%
Home value $321,200 +153%
Population 54,037 same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STERLING VS
Gloversville
Income $66,533 −1%
Home value $163,100 +28%
Population 52,216 −4%
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STERLING VS
Enterprise
Income $68,353 +1%
Home value $188,600 +48%
Population 56,953 +5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Sterling, IL? Sterling, IL has about 54,947 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Sterling, IL? The typical household in Sterling, IL earns about $67,500 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Sterling, IL expensive? In Sterling, IL, the median home is worth about $127,100, and the typical rent is about $856 a month.
How educated are people in Sterling, IL? About 20.5% of adults age 25 and over in Sterling, IL hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Sterling, IL? About 12.0% of people in Sterling, IL live below the federal poverty line.
Has Sterling, IL grown since 1990? Yes, Sterling, IL has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 5,239 residents, a change of about -9 percent over that period.
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