Census-designated place · Colorado
Sterling Ranch, Colorado
Sterling Ranch, census-designated place, in Douglas County, Colorado. Sterling Ranch had 1,789 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 4,213 (±430). GEOID 0873943.
Residents, 2020 Census
1,789
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 4,213 ±430
Median household income
$206,719
±$20,102 (90% margin)
Colorado: $95,470
Median home value
$802,000
±$41,759 (90% margin)
Colorado: $539,400
Median gross rent
$3,500 or more
The survey's top or bottom value; no margin is published
Colorado: $1,761
Where is Sterling Ranch and what county is it in?
Sterling Ranch is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Douglas County, Colorado. It covers 5.5 square miles of land, 324 residents per square mile in 2020.
Sterling Ranch is in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 10 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Sterling Ranch, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 1,789 residents in Sterling Ranch, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 4,213 (±430). The survey estimate is more than double the 2020 count: in a place this small the survey reaches a few dozen households, and a few of them can move the estimate a long way.
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Sterling Ranch is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Sterling Ranch | Douglas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,213 ±430 | 377,150 | – |
| Households | 1,485 ±131 | 139,960 | – |
| Average household size | 2.84 ±0.20 | 2.69 | – |
| Housing units | 1,573 ±152 | 144,432 | – |
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 Ranch?
The median resident of Sterling Ranch is 36.9 years old; 28.0% are under 18 and 7.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 73.1%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 13.6%. 8.8% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Sterling Ranch | Douglas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.9 ±1.5 | 39.6 | – |
| Under 18 years | 28.0% ±3.3 pts | 23.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 7.3% ±2.0 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Male | 50.8% ±3.9 pts | 50.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 13.6% ±6.6 pts | 10.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 73.1% ±7.4 pts | 77.0% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 7.1% ±4.0 pts | 5.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.2% ±3.5 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 8.8% ±3.7 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 15.7% ±6.0 pts | 10.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.4% ±3.6 pts | 7.2% | – |
| With a disability | 9.9% ±4.3 pts | 8.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 3.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.4% ±1.5 pts | 97.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 75.0% ±5.9 pts | 62.0% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 28.6% ±5.9 pts | 22.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 76.5% ±7.5 pts | 85.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 13.8% ±7.5 pts | 4.6% | – |
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 Ranch earn?
Half of Sterling Ranch's 1,485 households earn less than $206,719 a year (±$20,102), against $149,594 in Douglas County and $95,470 in Colorado.
| Measure | Sterling Ranch | Douglas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $206,719 ±$20,102 | $149,594 | – |
| Mean household income | $264,954 ±$61,722 | $183,544 | – |
| Per capita income | $93,447 ±$21,073 | $69,608 | – |
| People below the poverty line | 2.0% ±1.5 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 2.9% ±3.6 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 1.4% ±1.7 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Households with a computer | 100.0% ±2.8 pts | 98.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 98.5% ±1.6 pts | 97.9% | – |
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 Ranch?
Owners occupy 91.3% of Sterling Ranch's occupied homes and renters 8.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $802,000 by its owner (±$41,759). The median renter pays $3,500 or more a month including utilities.
| Measure | Sterling Ranch | Douglas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $802,000 ±$41,759 | $713,600 | – |
| Median gross rent | $3,500 or more | $2,193 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 5.9% ±12.2 pts | 41.2% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $3,464 ±$180 | $2,893 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 91.3% ±6.9 pts | 77.4% | – |
| Renter-occupied homes | 8.7% ±6.9 pts | 22.6% | – |
| Housing units | 1,573 ±152 | 144,432 | – |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.3% ±5.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±27.4 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 83.3% ±6.7 pts | 73.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±2.7 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 58.6% ±7.5 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 38.0% ±7.8 pts | 21.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±2.7 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.1% ±1.8 pts | 2.4% | – |
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 Ranch work and get to work?
57.0% of Sterling Ranch's workers drive alone and 40.4% work from home. The average trip to work takes 28.9 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 4.2%.
| Measure | Sterling Ranch | Douglas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 78.8% ±4.2 pts | 71.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% ±2.7 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 57.0% ±7.7 pts | 61.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 1.7% ±1.2 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Walked | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 40.4% ±7.3 pts | 30.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.9 min ±4.6 | 27.1 min | – |
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 Ranch?
1 census tract lies mostly in Sterling Ranch, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 142.05Douglas County | 5,107 | $193,750 |
| Tract 142.08Douglas County | 2,379 | $186,250 |
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 Ranch) · Census block assignment files
How does Sterling Ranch compare with other places in Colorado?
Sterling Ranch ranks 6th of 218 places in Colorado with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 126th | 220 |
| Residents per square mile | 197th | 221 |
| Median household income | 6th | 218 |
| Per capita income | 12th | 220 |
| Median home value | 39th | 217 |
| Median gross rent | 1st | 200 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15th | 216 |
| Median age | 132nd | 220 |
| Owner-occupied share | 24th | 218 |
| Work from home | 6th | 176 |
| Travel time to work | 54th | 221 |
Sterling Ranch's figures with every place in Colorado (CSV)
Every place in Colorado, sortable · Compare Sterling Ranch 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 Ranch?
18 of the 57 figures for Sterling Ranch 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 Ranch 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.