Tool
Compare places
Put up to four U.S. cities, towns or census-designated places side by side on 29 figures: 22 measures from the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, each with its margin, and their 2025 population estimate, growth, density, new homes and housing costs against income. A filled square marks a figure that differs from the first place by more than both margins of error allow; without it, the survey cannot tell the two apart.
How do Sterling, IL compare?
| Figure | Sterling, IL |
|---|---|
| Residents, July 2025 (estimate) | 14,394 |
| Change since April 2020 | −3.2% |
| Residents counted in the 2020 Census | 14,764 |
| Residents per square mile (2020) | 2,483 |
| Homes permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 0.1 |
| Median home value ÷ median household income | 1.9 years of income |
| A year of median rent ÷ median income of all households (renters usually earn less) | 18.0% |
| Measure | Sterling, IL |
|---|---|
| Total population | 14,717±370 |
| Median age | 42.6±2.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 26.8%±3.0 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 65.2%±3.2 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 2.2%±1.0 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.2%±0.5 pts |
| Born outside the United States | 5.4%±1.6 pts |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 21.1%±3.0 pts |
| Median household income | $57,350±$4,755 |
| Per capita income | $36,040±$3,909 |
| People below the poverty line | 15.3%±3.7 pts |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8%±1.6 pts |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $108,700±$5,819 |
| Median gross rent | $859±$50 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 36.3%±8.0 pts |
| Owner-occupied homes | 65.1%±4.0 pts |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±0.5 pts |
| Worked from home | 5.8%±1.8 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 78.6%±3.4 pts |
| Public transportation | 0.3%±0.5 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 18.1 min±2.3 |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.9%±1.6 pts |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025; 2020 Census; Building Permits Survey 2025 · Check it at data.census.gov