Population 1,468 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sterling County
Household size in Sterling County
| Period | Sterling County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.58 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.78 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.61 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.59 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | +1.01 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Sterling County is a place of big households: 3.59 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 2.58 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change. Only three of Texas' 254 counties have larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Sterling County
| Period | Sterling County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.0 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.8 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.8 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.1 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | −9.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Sterling County is young: half of its residents are under 32.1, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. Of Texas' 254 counties, only 13 are younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Sterling County
| Period | Sterling County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.6% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 24.2% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.8% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Sterling County than nationally: 12.8%, against 11.6%. Texas as a whole looks much the same.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Sterling County
Renters in Sterling County
| Period | Sterling County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.0% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.5% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.4% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.3% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 22.3% of households in Sterling County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About half of owners (50.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Sterling County
| Period | Sterling County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.4% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.5% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 22.6% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.9% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Sterling County: 23.9% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Sterling County
| Period | Sterling County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +12 | +8 | +6 |
The typical home in Sterling County was built around 1983, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Texas overall, where the median home dates to 1992.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Sterling County
| Period | Sterling County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $615 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $661 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $850 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $952 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$337 | +$639 | +$606 |
The median renter in Sterling County pays $952 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 45.4% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Sterling County
Bachelor's degrees in Sterling County
| Period | Sterling County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.7% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.6% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.5% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.5% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Sterling County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 24.5%, against 35.6% nationally. Compared with other Texas counties, though, Sterling County has a higher share of college graduates than most.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Sterling County
| Period | Sterling County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.5% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.2% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.4% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.0% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.5 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in six adults in Sterling County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 84.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Sterling County
| Period | Sterling County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 0.0% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 0.3% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.9% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.1% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Sterling County has been low: just 2.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Sterling County has lower unemployment than the great majority of Texas counties. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Sterling County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling County | 3.59 | 32.1 | 12.8% | 22.3% | 23.9% | 1983 | $952 | 24.5% | 84.0% | 2.1% |
| Glasscock County | 2.31 | 40.0 | 7.3% | 31.5% | 9.9% | 1979 | $642 | 28.7% | 88.4% | 1.0% |
| Coke County | 2.06 | 48.3 | 8.7% | 28.9% | 26.0% | 1975 | $663 | 23.9% | 88.4% | 6.6% |
| Runnels County | 2.58 | 42.4 | 12.3% | 25.0% | 23.3% | 1961 | $908 | 19.2% | 86.7% | 4.9% |
| Ector County | 2.64 | 32.4 | 17.4% | 35.3% | 7.6% | 1987 | $1,233 | 18.3% | 78.3% | 5.6% |
| Coleman County | 2.42 | 49.0 | 9.9% | 22.8% | 29.7% | 1969 | $715 | 19.1% | 88.0% | 7.2% |
| Brown County | 2.48 | 42.8 | 11.6% | 31.7% | 19.7% | 1977 | $939 | 20.3% | 87.7% | 5.1% |
| Winkler County | 2.71 | 38.0 | 14.1% | 14.0% | 14.3% | 1969 | $895 | 10.3% | 73.5% | 3.7% |
| Comanche County | 2.58 | 44.2 | 13.8% | 19.6% | 22.1% | 1977 | $853 | 20.8% | 83.6% | 6.8% |
| Loving County | 1.22 | 86.2 | 11.6% | 88.9% | 18.2% | 1938 | $1,403 | 33.8% | 90.3% | 0.0% |
| Hamilton County | 2.59 | 44.8 | 6.6% | 21.3% | 27.4% | 1966 | $896 | 27.2% | 89.3% | 6.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Tripp County, SD · Claiborne County, MS · Clark County, ID · Clark County, KS · Clark County, SD · Clay County, NE · Toole County, MT · Towner County, ND · Traill County, ND · Traverse County, MN
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Sterling County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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