Census-designated place · Alaska
Sterling, Alaska
Sterling, census-designated place, in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska. Sterling had 6,323 people in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±691). GEOID 0273070.
Residents, 2020-2024
6,323
±691 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 5,918
Median household income
$102,415
±$26,142 (90% margin)
Alaska: $92,788
Median home value
$353,400
±$39,407 (90% margin)
Alaska: $352,900
Median gross rent
$1,248
±$480 (90% margin)
Alaska: $1,419
Where is Sterling and what county is it in?
Sterling is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska. It covers 77.8 square miles of land, 76 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Sterling, and is it growing?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Sterling's population at 6,323 (±691). The 2020 Census counted 5,918 residents.
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Sterling is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Sterling | Kenai Peninsula Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 6,323 ±691 | 60,413 | +1,154 |
| Households | 2,718 ±297 | 24,371 | +704 |
| Average household size | 2.32 ±0.23 | 2.40 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 3,828 ±285 | 32,836 | +411 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Sterling?
The median resident of Sterling is 46.8 years old; 18.5% are under 18 and 27.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 90.5%, then non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 3.4%. 3.4% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Sterling | Kenai Peninsula Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.8 ±7.3 | 41.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.5% ±4.4 pts | 22.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 27.7% ±4.7 pts | 20.0% | – |
| Male | 50.9% ±3.0 pts | 52.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.0% ±1.8 pts | 4.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 90.5% ±2.9 pts | 77.5% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.1 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 1.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 3.4% ±1.5 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.6% ±1.6 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.4% ±1.6 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 3.7% ±2.2 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 14.1% ±4.4 pts | 10.0% | – |
| With a disability | 17.7% ±4.8 pts | 17.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 9.6% ±3.9 pts | 11.5% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 97.0% ±1.7 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 29.2% ±5.8 pts | 29.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 9.5% ±3.5 pts | 10.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.9% ±3.8 pts | 88.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.0% ±1.6 pts | 2.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Sterling earn?
Half of Sterling's 2,718 households earn less than $102,415 a year (±$26,142), against $80,538 in Kenai Peninsula Borough and $92,788 in Alaska. In 2015-2019 it was $103,242 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 4.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Sterling | Kenai Peninsula Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $102,415 ±$26,142 | $80,538 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $146,736 ±$37,921 | $105,973 | – |
| Per capita income | $64,024 ±$15,815 | $44,190 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 4.6% ±2.4 pts | 11.8% | −7.6 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 9.4% ±8.0 pts | 14.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 1.7% ±1.5 pts | 9.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.1% ±1.8 pts | 95.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.8% ±4.1 pts | 89.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Sterling?
Owners occupy 86.6% of Sterling's occupied homes and renters 13.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $353,400 by its owner (±$39,407). The median renter pays $1,248 a month including utilities, and 33.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Sterling | Kenai Peninsula Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $353,400 ±$39,407 | $323,200 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,248 ±$480 | $1,184 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 33.7% ±19.9 pts | 38.4% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,050 ±$255 | $1,904 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 86.6% ±5.0 pts | 77.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 13.4% ±5.0 pts | 23.0% | – |
| Housing units | 3,828 ±285 | 32,836 | +411 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.1% ±1.3 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 2.0% ±3.3 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 92.9% ±3.1 pts | 82.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.2% ±1.9 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.7% ±3.0 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 12.5% ±3.9 pts | 13.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±0.6 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.4% ±3.8 pts | 4.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Sterling work and get to work?
61.7% of Sterling's workers drive alone and 14.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 30.1 minutes.
| Measure | Sterling | Kenai Peninsula Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 53.3% ±4.8 pts | 56.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% ±4.0 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 61.7% ±9.4 pts | 65.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 15.0% ±7.8 pts | 12.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 2.4% ±2.6 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 14.6% ±6.7 pts | 10.5% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 30.1 min ±5.7 | 20.7 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Sterling?
1 census tract lies mostly in Sterling, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Sterling) · Census block assignment files
How does Sterling compare with other places in Alaska?
Sterling ranks 15th of 69 places in Alaska with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 16th | 71 |
| Residents per square mile | 40th | 71 |
| Median household income | 15th | 69 |
| Per capita income | 4th | 71 |
| Median home value | 20th | 66 |
| Median gross rent | 33rd | 62 |
| Poverty rate | 54th | 57 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31st | 69 |
| Median age | 11th | 71 |
| Owner-occupied share | 10th | 68 |
| Work from home | 11th | 50 |
| Travel time to work | 16th | 69 |
Sterling's figures with every place in Alaska (CSV)
Every place in Alaska, sortable · Compare Sterling with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Sterling?
14 of the 57 figures for Sterling on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Sterling are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.