Population 7,747 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sterling
Household size in Sterling
| Period | Sterling | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.73 | 2.59 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.73 | 2.62 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.84 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.50 | 2.56 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.23 | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Sterling has 2.50 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has dropped from 2.73 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the west and smallest in the northeast.
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 | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.1 | 39.1 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.4 | 39.8 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.6 | 40.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 49.1 | 41.1 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.9 | +2.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Sterling skews older: half of its residents are older than 49.1, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 43.1 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.8% | 10.8% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.0% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.1% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.1% | 11.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in twelve households in Sterling (9.1%), below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 4.3 points, even as the national share fell.
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 | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 32.4% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 34.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.9% | 34.9% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.5% | 34.2% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 13.5% 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. About three in ten owners (30.9%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southwest and least common in the northeast. The renter share is up 2.3 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.9% | 9.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 2.8% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 8.5% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 1.4% | 6.8% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Sterling: just 1.4% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy is down 2.4 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only six of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have a lower vacancy rate.
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 | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1961 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1962 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1964 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1965 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Sterling was built around 1981, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in the Worcester area overall, where the median home dates to 1965. The median year built has moved up from 1972 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the southeast.
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 | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $862 | $930 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,098 | $1,008 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,157 | $1,155 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,750 | $1,549 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$888 | +$619 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in Sterling pays $1,750 a month for rent and utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $888 a month since 2006–10, up 103%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 30.8% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the north; the most affordable are in the southeast.
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 | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 54.6% | 33.1% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 49.7% | 34.5% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 53.6% | 36.5% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 48.3% | 39.8% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | −6.3 pts | +6.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Sterling: 48.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree has fallen 6.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.6% | 88.4% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.0% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.3% | 90.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.6% | 90.9% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | +2.5 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Sterling is above the national rate: 92.6% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma has fallen 3.0 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate rose. Compared with other Massachusetts cities, though, Sterling has a lower share of high school graduates than most.
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 | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.4% | 7.7% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.3% | 8.8% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.5% | 5.1% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Sterling than nationally: unemployment was 3.9%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 1.5 points, in line with the national trend. 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 | 2.50 | 49.1 | 9.1% | 13.5% | 1.4% | 1981 | $1,750 | 48.3% | 92.6% | 3.9% |
| West Sterling | 2.50 | 48.7 | 5.4% | 10.5% | 5.1% | 1977 | $1,725 | 55.3% | 95.4% | 2.0% |
| Lancaster | 2.60 | 45.4 | 5.8% | 14.8% | 3.3% | 1979 | $2,205 | 51.4% | 97.0% | 8.7% |
| Clinton | 2.33 | 40.9 | 9.0% | 45.2% | 4.2% | 1957 | $1,635 | 36.5% | 91.6% | 5.7% |
| Ponakin Mill | 2.32 | 39.5 | 1.0% | 14.7% | 2.0% | 1978 | $2,344 | 47.0% | 88.7% | 1.7% |
| West Boylston | 2.29 | 46.3 | 7.0% | 22.1% | 5.5% | 1968 | $1,210 | 43.2% | 92.8% | 4.5% |
| Princeton | 2.64 | 46.2 | 5.3% | 5.6% | 8.4% | 1975 | $908 | 59.3% | 99.4% | 0.4% |
| Leominster | 2.43 | 44.3 | 9.3% | 37.8% | 5.8% | 1969 | $1,311 | 33.9% | 90.1% | 6.5% |
| Jefferson | 2.70 | 40.9 | 5.7% | 17.6% | 4.4% | 1977 | $1,570 | 62.6% | 97.9% | 5.3% |
| Boylston | 2.49 | 48.7 | 5.3% | 20.5% | 2.1% | 1973 | $1,951 | 52.9% | 95.2% | 3.6% |
| Morningdale | 2.48 | 46.1 | 4.8% | 24.3% | 3.5% | 1979 | $1,993 | 62.4% | 97.1% | 4.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Akron, NY · Atkins, AR · Alpine, TX · Almont, MI · Alma, GA · Allentown, NJ · Allendale, NJ · Albertson, NY · Albany, KY · Alamo Heights, TX
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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