Population 2,877 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sterling
Household size in Sterling
| Period | Sterling | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.51 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.48 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.58 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.14 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Sterling average 2.58 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Household size has climbed from 2.44 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.1 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.2 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.5 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.0 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.1 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
Sterling skews older than the country: its median age is 43.0, against 40.1 nationally.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.7% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Sterling than nationally: 8.7%, against 11.6%.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.5% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.5% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Sterling is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 9.5% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 53.2% have no mortgage at all, 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
| Period | Sterling | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.6% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 27.0% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 24.9% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.0% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 23.0% of the housing in Sterling, 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
| Period | Sterling | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +3 | +6 |
Homes in Sterling are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. Homes here are newer than in Michigan overall, where the median home dates to 1972.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $584 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $611 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $732 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $807 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$224 | +$395 | +$606 |
Rent in Sterling runs $807 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 23.6% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under 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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.7% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.9% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Sterling have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 13.9%, 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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.6% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.3% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.5% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.4% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Sterling never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.8 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.4%, unemployment in Sterling is the same as the national rate. 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 | 2.58 | 43.0 | 8.7% | 9.5% | 23.0% | 1980 | $807 | 13.9% | 87.4% | 5.4% |
| Standish | 2.29 | 44.0 | 11.1% | 23.1% | 15.0% | 1974 | $751 | 13.7% | 86.6% | 5.9% |
| Omer | 2.37 | 51.2 | 6.7% | 9.2% | 25.7% | 1978 | $963 | 11.0% | 86.2% | 5.2% |
| Alger | 2.22 | 53.9 | 8.4% | 4.1% | 35.8% | 1984 | $813 | 15.2% | 90.0% | 10.9% |
| Bentley | 2.26 | 48.7 | 5.7% | 6.0% | 14.1% | 1978 | $782 | 14.7% | 87.1% | 3.3% |
| Skidway Lake | 2.03 | 52.6 | 9.6% | 18.0% | 42.6% | 1973 | $851 | 11.5% | 86.8% | 7.1% |
| Worth | 2.45 | 46.7 | 9.6% | 12.9% | 15.0% | 1974 | $832 | 13.6% | 89.4% | 5.5% |
| Twining | 2.47 | 47.4 | 9.4% | 12.3% | 28.3% | 1974 | $828 | 10.0% | 81.6% | 3.2% |
| Nine Mile | 2.26 | 46.7 | 7.6% | 9.3% | 11.7% | 1979 | $884 | 11.7% | 88.5% | 4.2% |
| Whites Beach | 2.49 | 46.6 | 16.0% | 11.8% | 28.4% | 1972 | $713 | 15.4% | 90.3% | 3.5% |
| Prescott | 2.44 | 46.7 | 13.5% | 9.8% | 45.2% | 1975 | $783 | 12.3% | 87.2% | 9.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Hudson, IA · Wild Rose, WI · White Springs, FL · Whitakers, NC · Vienna, IL · Verona, KY · Springville, TN · Shell Lake, WI · Reidville, SC · Holmes Beach, FL
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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