What it's like to live in Sterling
Sterling is a small city in Illinois with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Sterling deals with household incomes below the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, a population that has been shrinking, and cold, harsh winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Low college degree attainment
- Shrinking population
- Cold, harsh winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Sterling compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Sterling
Based on Sterling's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,718
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $34,360 a year
- 42% of Sterling renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$21,740
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $10,870
- Homes cost 1.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 39% below US
$859/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $859 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $108,700. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $108,700 · 42% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.6% county unemployment
Unemployment in Whiteside County is 4.6%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Whiteside County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 22% below US
256 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1148/100k · Sterling Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 30% below US
18 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 18.1 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 17°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 1.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 41% below US
21% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 21%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
11 public schools inside the boundary
There are 11 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Herbert Hoover National Historic Site (86 miles away).
Bottom line
Sterling's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($859/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Sterling
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