Population 1,843 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sterling
Household size in Sterling
| Period | Sterling | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.55 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.71 | 2.60 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.85 | 2.63 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.55 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.00 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
The average household in Sterling has 2.55 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Oklahoma as a whole looks much the same.
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 | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.9 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.7 | 37.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.5 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.6 | 38.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.7 | +0.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.6, Sterling is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.9, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.0% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.5% | 12.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.1% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.3% | 12.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Sterling: 15.3% 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 | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.0% | 31.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.0% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.1% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 11.4% | 34.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −18.6 pts | +2.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Sterling is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 11.4% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly half of owners (47.8%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 12.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.6% | 13.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.5% | 11.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Sterling is close to the national rate: 10.5% of homes are empty, against 9.6%.
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 | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1976 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1987 | 1979 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Sterling are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1983, 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 | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $518 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $648 | $805 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,094 | $897 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $701 | $1,127 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$183 | +$411 | +$606 |
Rent in Sterling runs $701 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 27.8% of the typical renter's income, just 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 | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.5% | 24.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.3% | 24.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.0% | 26.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.0% | 28.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | +4.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Sterling have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.0%, 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 | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.7% | 86.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.9% | 87.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.9% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.3% | 89.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.5 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Sterling is above the national rate: 93.3% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%.
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 | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.8% | 6.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 5.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.9% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.0 pts | −1.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Sterling has been strong: just 0.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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 | 2.55 | 45.6 | 15.3% | 11.4% | 10.5% | 1983 | $701 | 19.0% | 93.3% | 0.9% |
| Fletcher | 2.88 | 36.8 | 10.4% | 19.6% | 7.7% | 1990 | $1,255 | 30.1% | 95.5% | 3.9% |
| Elgin | 2.86 | 36.5 | 9.2% | 19.0% | 8.3% | 2004 | $1,295 | 32.8% | 94.5% | 5.8% |
| Central High | 2.62 | 41.6 | 4.3% | 14.6% | 3.4% | 1992 | $1,032 | 32.5% | 94.9% | 1.9% |
| Cyril | 2.72 | 36.7 | 11.7% | 23.6% | 20.4% | 1970 | $729 | 23.4% | 93.2% | 13.0% |
| Rush Springs | 2.79 | 38.2 | 12.8% | 25.7% | 17.8% | 1975 | $743 | 22.7% | 90.4% | 4.8% |
| Lakeside Village | 2.90 | 37.9 | 8.9% | 12.4% | 13.1% | 2004 | $1,144 | 27.3% | 91.3% | 7.1% |
| Edgewater Park | 2.96 | 38.2 | 8.8% | 10.4% | 12.0% | 2004 | $1,133 | 27.5% | 91.5% | 8.8% |
| Porter Hill | 2.72 | 42.5 | 7.1% | 13.7% | 15.2% | 2000 | $1,238 | 27.9% | 89.2% | 1.6% |
| Marlow | 2.55 | 39.7 | 7.8% | 22.2% | 11.7% | 1976 | $970 | 23.2% | 91.9% | 2.4% |
| Apache | 2.66 | 40.0 | 9.1% | 19.8% | 19.2% | 1978 | $884 | 25.4% | 93.0% | 4.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rural Valley, PA · Eden, WI · Emmett, MI · Fosters, MI · Garden Valley, ID · Goshen, AL · Konawa, OK · Martin, SD · Minneota, MN · Montville, OH
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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