Population 56,987 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sterling
Household size in Sterling
| Period | Sterling | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.07 | 2.73 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.17 | 2.82 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.26 | 2.86 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.90 | 2.77 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.17 | +0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Sterling are large by national standards, averaging 2.90 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 3.07, 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 | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.7 | 37.0 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.5 | 37.6 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.6 | 38.5 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.8 | 39.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.1 | +2.2 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 35.8, Sterling is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children. The median age has climbed from 34.7 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the east, the oldest in the south.
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 | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 11.3% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.1% | 10.4% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.9% | 10.4% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Sterling than nationally: 9.9%, against 11.6%. The Washington area as a whole looks much the same. The single-parent share has edged up 0.8 points since 2006–10, 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 | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.4% | 34.0% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.3% | 36.6% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.7% | 36.8% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.1% | 36.3% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Sterling own their homes; 25.1% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 22.3% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share is up 5.8 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 8.7% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.5% | 7.3% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.6% | 6.6% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 5.9% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.1 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Sterling: just 4.9% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. The Washington area as a whole looks much the same. Vacancy has fallen 5.1 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1977 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1985 | 1978 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1985 | 1979 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1997 | 1982 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +13 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Sterling is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1997, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1985 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Sterling has newer homes than at least four in five Virginia 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 | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,649 | $1,470 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,712 | $1,583 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,061 | $1,907 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,328 | $2,236 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$679 | +$766 | +$600 | +$606 |
The median renter in Sterling pays $2,328 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $679 a month from 2006–10, a 41% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 28.2% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the south and lowest in the center.
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 | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.9% | 46.6% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 42.6% | 48.2% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 44.8% | 51.0% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 56.4% | 53.9% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +13.5 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Sterling is highly educated: nearly six in ten adults 25 and older (56.4%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 13.5 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the center.
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 | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.2% | 89.4% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.0% | 90.2% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.3% | 90.8% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.0% | 91.2% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +1.7 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Sterling is close to the national rate: 88.0% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the Washington area overall (91.2%). Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has edged up 0.9 points, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.4% | 5.9% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.9% | 6.9% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 4.8% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Sterling runs below the national rate: 4.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. The picture is much the same across the Washington area. 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 | 2.90 | 35.8 | 9.9% | 25.1% | 4.9% | 1997 | $2,328 | 56.4% | 88.0% | 4.3% |
| Dulles Town Center | 2.54 | 35.0 | 16.4% | 70.0% | 5.3% | 2003 | $2,460 | 60.1% | 96.3% | 5.5% |
| Dranesville | 3.19 | 39.9 | 8.4% | 12.8% | 3.2% | 1985 | $2,960 | 68.4% | 95.7% | 3.8% |
| Cascades | 2.75 | 40.2 | 5.0% | 26.7% | 4.9% | 1995 | $2,608 | 69.0% | 98.5% | 3.6% |
| Countryside | 2.92 | 37.0 | 9.9% | 25.7% | 5.1% | 1993 | $2,199 | 60.7% | 94.1% | 5.9% |
| Lowes Island | 2.89 | 39.6 | 3.7% | 7.9% | 4.1% | 1996 | $2,684 | 78.1% | 97.3% | 4.3% |
| Herndon | 3.18 | 36.6 | 9.5% | 33.4% | 5.3% | 1988 | $2,526 | 60.1% | 87.7% | 3.6% |
| McNair | 2.47 | 32.4 | 7.4% | 74.6% | 4.3% | 2004 | $2,368 | 68.1% | 96.2% | 2.4% |
| Great Falls | 3.08 | 45.9 | 3.6% | 5.0% | 3.4% | 1984 | $3,412 | 85.4% | 98.9% | 3.3% |
| Reston | 2.31 | 40.5 | 7.4% | 39.3% | 6.2% | 1987 | $2,294 | 72.1% | 95.9% | 4.5% |
| Ashburn | 2.84 | 40.5 | 6.8% | 29.9% | 3.4% | 2005 | $2,794 | 70.1% | 95.9% | 3.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Aspen Hill, MD · Carmichael, CA · Galveston, TX · Gallatin, TN · Union, NJ · Lancaster, OH · Liverpool, NY · Logan, UT · Meridian, MS · Methuen Town, 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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