Population 2,198 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sterling
Household size in Sterling
| Period | Sterling | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.64 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.02 | 2.61 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.53 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.15 | 2.55 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.51 | −0.02 | −0.03 |
Households in Sterling are large by national standards, averaging 3.15 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.64, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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
| Period | Sterling | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.1 | 40.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.4 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.9 | 42.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.7 | 42.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.4 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Sterling are younger than 38.7 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is younger than in Connecticut as a whole, where the median age is 42.1.
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
| Period | Sterling | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 11.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 11.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 19.7% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Sterling: 15.5% of all households, against 11.6% nationally.
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
Renters in Sterling
| Period | Sterling | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.9% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.2% | 33.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +7.9 pts | +2.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 18.2% of households in Sterling rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 28.5% have no mortgage at all, well below 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
| Period | Sterling | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.5% | 8.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 0.9% | 10.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −8.5 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 4.9% of homes in Sterling are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing.
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
| Period | Sterling | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1985 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1964 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +4 | +6 |
Sterling has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1989, versus 1980 nationally.
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
| Period | Sterling | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $842 | $1,127 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,136 | $1,218 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,114 | $1,380 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,734 | $1,702 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$892 | +$575 | +$606 |
The median renter in Sterling pays $1,734 a month for rent and utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Connecticut as a whole looks much the same. Rent takes 34.9% 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
Bachelor's degrees in Sterling
| Period | Sterling | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.1% | 35.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 37.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.5% | 39.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.3% | 42.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | +6.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Sterling have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.3%, against 35.6% nationally.
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
| Period | Sterling | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.9% | 88.1% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.3% | 89.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.6% | 90.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.0% | 91.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | +3.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Sterling have finished high school (92.0%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Connecticut.
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
| Period | Sterling | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 9.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 6.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 5.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Sterling: 6.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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 compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling | 3.15 | 38.7 | 15.5% | 18.2% | 4.9% | 1989 | $1,734 | 19.3% | 92.0% | 6.7% |
| Moosup | 2.76 | 36.3 | 8.0% | 20.0% | 5.2% | 1975 | $1,020 | 15.6% | 96.1% | 2.0% |
| Oneco | 2.69 | 41.5 | 9.2% | 12.8% | 2.9% | 1992 | $1,503 | 15.1% | 93.0% | 9.9% |
| Vaughn Hollow | 3.06 | 45.6 | 5.3% | 5.4% | 3.9% | 1981 | $1,812 | 33.4% | 89.0% | 1.7% |
| South Killingly | 2.70 | 47.6 | 8.3% | 7.0% | 4.8% | 1977 | $1,118 | 31.1% | 86.8% | 5.0% |
| Central Village | 2.45 | 39.3 | 10.0% | 32.5% | 1.9% | 1945 | $1,232 | 16.3% | 89.8% | 10.2% |
| Wauregan | 2.56 | 34.2 | 11.3% | 37.4% | 3.1% | 1962 | $1,345 | 21.9% | 95.5% | 3.1% |
| Greene | 2.82 | 44.6 | 3.8% | 3.0% | 4.2% | 1984 | $2,476 | 33.1% | 93.1% | 5.3% |
| East Brooklyn | 2.65 | 40.5 | 19.1% | 21.2% | 9.8% | 1971 | $1,104 | 14.2% | 87.5% | 9.1% |
| Danielson | 2.44 | 39.6 | 14.3% | 33.0% | 6.6% | 1961 | $1,129 | 22.5% | 89.6% | 12.1% |
| Plainfield | 2.44 | 43.6 | 16.0% | 29.2% | 4.8% | 1962 | $1,253 | 14.2% | 89.5% | 5.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Pequea, PA · Hudson, IN · Andrews, IN · La Fontaine, IN · Lake Lotawana, MO · Logan, AL · Louisville, IL · Madbury, NH · Martin, MI · Mentmore, NM
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. 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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