Sterling Heights, MI

Census Place

2024 Population

133,573

US Senator

Gary Peters

Democratic Party

US Senator

Elissa Slotkin

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

41.7

0.482% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

11.1%

4.28% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$79,909

1.89% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$274,300

Population & Diversity

Sterling Heights, MI is home to a population of 134k people, from which 93.2% are citizens.

As of 2024, 27.9% of Sterling Heights, MI residents were born outside of the country (37.3k people).

In 2024, there were 8.25 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (102k people) in Sterling Heights, MI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 12.3k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 9.92k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

93.2%

2024 Citizenship

93%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 93.2% of Sterling Heights, MI residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Sterling Heights, MI was 93%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Sterling Heights, MI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Sterling Heights, MI

White (Non-Hispanic)
102k ± 1.79k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
12.3k ± 1.46k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
9.92k ± 1.13k

3.01%

Hispanic Population

4.02k people

3.01% of the people in Sterling Heights, MI are hispanic (4.02k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Sterling Heights, MI as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Michigan.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
83,098 ± 7,048 people
India
80,532 ± 6,939 people
Iraq
55,181 ± 5,751 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Michigan was Mexico, the natal country of 83,098 Michigan residents, followed by India with 80,532 and Iraq with 55,181.

Foreign-Born Population

27.9%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

37.3k people

27.4%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

36.6k people

As of 2024, 27.9% of Sterling Heights, MI residents (37.3k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Sterling Heights, MI was 27.4%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Sterling Heights, MI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,290 ± 208
Gulf War (2001-)
605 ± 197
Gulf War (1990s)
379 ± 120

Sterling Heights, MI has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.13 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Sterling Heights, MI.

Economy

The economy of Sterling Heights, MI employs 63.9k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Sterling Heights, MI were Manufacturing (13,760 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (9,398 people), and Retail Trade (7,520 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($92,901), Utilities ($70,833), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($70,690).

Employment

Occupations

63.9k

2024 Value

± 2,052

−0.516%

1 Year decline

± 4.56%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Sterling Heights, MI declined at a rate of −0.516%, from 64.2k employees to 63.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Sterling Heights, MI, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (7,212 people), Sales & Related Occupations (6,003 people), and Production Occupations (5,694 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Sterling Heights, MI.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Michigan.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Michigan (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

63.9k

2024 Value

± 2,052

−0.516%

1 Year decline

± 4.56%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Sterling Heights, MI declined at a rate of −0.516%, from 64.2k employees to 63.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Sterling Heights, MI, are Manufacturing (13,760 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (9,398 people), and Retail Trade (7,520 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Sterling Heights, MI, though some of these residents may live in Sterling Heights, MI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$55,809

Median earning men ± $2,094

$38,166

Median earning women ± $1,817

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($98,750), Manufacturing ($77,686), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($70,845).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($70,437), Construction ($61,283), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($58,676).

Education

The student population of Sterling Heights, MI in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 22 male students and 138 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Sterling Heights, MI are Black or African American (594 and 65.9%), White (213 and 23.6%), Hispanic or Latino (38 and 4.21%), and Two or More Races (20 and 2.22%).

The largest universities in Sterling Heights, MI by number of degrees awarded are U.S. Truck Driver Training School (790 and 87.6%) and Paul Mitchell the School-Michigan (112 and 12.4%).

The most popular majors in Sterling Heights, MI are Truck, Bus, & Commercial Vehicle Operator & Instructor (790 and 87.6%), General Cosmetology (109 and 12.1%), and Cosmetology, Barber, & Nail Instructor (3 and 0.333%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 160 students enrolled in Sterling Heights, MI, 13.8% men and 86.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 90 records, of which 94.4% were women and 5.56% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Truck, Bus, & Commercial Vehicle Operator & Instructor

Most Common

723 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Certificate of less than 1 academic year recipients in Sterling Heights, MI was Truck, Bus, & Commercial Vehicle Operator & Instructor with 723 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Certificate of less than 1 academic year from schools in Sterling Heights, MI according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

U.S. Truck Driver Training School
790 degrees awarded
Paul Mitchell the School-Michigan
112 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was U.S. Truck Driver Training School with 790 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 612 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Sterling Heights, MI, which is 2.11 times more than the 290 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Black or African American students. These 594 degrees mean that there were 2.79 times more degrees awarded to Black or African American students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 213 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Sterling Heights, MI was $274,300 in 2024, which is 0.824 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $260,700 to $274,300, a 5.22% increase. The homeownership rate in Sterling Heights, MI is 75.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Sterling Heights, MI have an average commute time of 24.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Sterling Heights, MI is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$274,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$4,071

$39,206

Median Property Taxes

±$1,449

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Sterling Heights, MI the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Sterling Heights, MI compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

75.8%

Homeownership

2024

64%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 75.8% of the housing units in Sterling Heights, MI were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 76.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Sterling Heights, MI compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$79,909

Median Household Income

± $3,056

51.7k

Number of Households

± 1,824

In 2024, the median household income of the 51.7k households in Sterling Heights, MI grew to $79,909 from the previous year's value of $78,429.

The following chart displays the households in Sterling Heights, MI distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Sterling Heights, MI is from Michigan.

0.46

2024 Wage GINI in Michigan

0.462

2023 Wage GINI in Michigan

In 2024, the income inequality in Michigan was 0.46 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.474% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Michigan was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Michigan in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Michigan across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (72.6%)
Worked At Home (15.7%)
Carpooled (9.47%)

In 2024, 72.6% of workers in Sterling Heights, MI drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (15.7%) and those who carpooled to work (9.47%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

24.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Sterling Heights, MI have a shorter commute time (24.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.24% of the workforce in Sterling Heights, MI have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Sterling Heights, MI compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Sterling Heights, MI distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Sterling Heights, MI have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

11.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Sterling Heights, MI (14.7k out of 133k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 75+ and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Sterling Heights, MI is White, followed by Black and Asian.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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