Population 19,409 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sterling
Household size in Sterling
| Period | Sterling | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.50 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.60 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.36 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.34 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.17 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Sterling are small: just 2.34 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.50, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.2 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.2 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.8 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.5 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.3 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Sterling is 42.5 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 40.2 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the southwest and oldest in the northwest.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.8% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.8% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in Sterling (11.8%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 2.9 points, a much bigger shift than 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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.4% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.2% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.4% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.7% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Sterling rent their homes (28.7%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Nearly half of owners (47.1%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southeast and least common in the northwest.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Sterling: 12.4% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged up 1.2 points, even as the national rate fell.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1957 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1960 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1962 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1959 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Sterling is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1959, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the south has the oldest housing. Sterling has older homes than the great majority of Illinois cities.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $614 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $707 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $699 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,005 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$391 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Sterling runs $1,005 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $391 a month since 2006–10, up 64%, roughly in step with the nation. The typical renter here spends 32.5% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.4% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.5% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.0% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Sterling: 23.0% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 3.1 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the southeast.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.8% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.4% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.3% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +11.6 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Sterling is above the national rate: 93.3% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 11.6 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Sterling runs below the national rate: 4.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 3.2 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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 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 | 2.34 | 42.5 | 11.8% | 28.7% | 12.4% | 1959 | $1,005 | 23.0% | 93.3% | 4.0% |
| Rock Falls | 2.36 | 43.2 | 14.7% | 25.2% | 11.4% | 1963 | $963 | 14.5% | 87.9% | 5.3% |
| Galt | 2.67 | 38.5 | 6.3% | 7.6% | 22.1% | 1952 | $1,036 | 14.9% | 91.5% | 4.4% |
| Como | 2.59 | 44.0 | 7.9% | 9.8% | 14.5% | 1960 | $1,023 | 15.5% | 90.8% | 5.3% |
| Yeoward Addition | 2.56 | 44.9 | 6.7% | 5.6% | 4.8% | 1974 | $1,139 | 20.6% | 96.1% | 2.8% |
| Nelson | 2.13 | 50.6 | 6.1% | 19.1% | 21.4% | 1968 | $828 | 23.5% | 93.0% | 6.4% |
| Penrose | 2.61 | 45.8 | 6.2% | 10.7% | 6.0% | 1966 | $935 | 25.3% | 98.7% | 5.5% |
| Coleta | 2.51 | 51.1 | 16.7% | 8.4% | 10.6% | 1962 | $858 | 14.2% | 86.7% | 3.9% |
| Round Grove | 2.35 | 45.3 | 6.5% | 13.4% | 13.9% | 1964 | $929 | 18.8% | 91.9% | 3.1% |
| Woosung | 2.47 | 42.4 | 6.9% | 16.3% | 12.0% | 1971 | $888 | 22.4% | 94.7% | 2.2% |
| Harmon | 2.45 | 47.6 | 3.6% | 16.4% | 11.2% | 1955 | $814 | 16.9% | 96.5% | 4.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Charleston, IL · Walled Lake, MI · Wade Hampton, SC · Voorhees, NJ · Vincent, CA · Chesterton, IN · Cheney, WA · Chehalis, WA · Chatham, NJ · Charlestown, MA
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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