Sterling, IL

Census Place

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2022 Population

14,852

0.449% 1-year decline

US Senator

Dick Durbin

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tammy Duckworth

Democratic Party

2022 Median Age

0.703% 1-year increase

2022 Poverty Rate

15.1%

0.567% 1-year decrease

2022 Median Household Income

$49,007

2.57% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$102,400

11.2% 1-year growth

About

In 2022, Sterling, IL had a population of 14.9k people with a median age of 43 and a median household income of $49,007. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Sterling, IL declined from 14,919 to 14,852, a −0.449% decrease and its median household income grew from $47,778 to $49,007, a 2.57% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Sterling, IL are White (Non-Hispanic) (65.8%), White (Hispanic) (14.5%), Two+ (Hispanic) (7.55%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.06%), and Other (Hispanic) (3.55%).

None of the households in Sterling, IL reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.4% of the residents in Sterling, IL are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Sterling, IL are Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Sterling (26 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2022, the median property value in Sterling, IL was $102,400, and the homeownership rate was 62%.

Most people in Sterling, IL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 17.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Sterling, IL was 2 cars per household.

United States Illinois Whiteside County, IL Sterling, IL Whiteside, Stephenson, Lee, Jo Daviess & Carroll Counties PUMA, IL

Population & Diversity

Sterling, IL is home to a population of 14.9k people, from which 96.4% are citizens. As of 2022, 5.18% of Sterling, IL residents were born outside of the country (770 people).

In 2022, there were 4.54 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (9.78k people) in Sterling, IL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.15k White (Hispanic) and 1.12k Two+ (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

96.4%

2022 Citizenship

96.5%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 96.4% of Sterling, IL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Sterling, IL was 96.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Sterling, IL

White (Non-Hispanic)
9.78k ± 491
White (Hispanic)
2.15k ± 502
Two+ (Hispanic)
1.12k ± 352

26.6%

Hispanic Population

3.96k people

26.6% of the people in Sterling, IL are hispanic (3.96k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Sterling, IL as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

5.18%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

770 people

5.02%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

749 people

As of 2022, 5.18% of Sterling, IL residents (770 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Sterling, IL was 5.02%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
452 ± 178
Korea
184 ± 103
Gulf War (2001-)
96 ± 79

Sterling, IL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.46 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Sterling, IL employs 7.16k people. The largest industries in Sterling, IL are Manufacturing (1,398 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,016 people), and Retail Trade (862 people), and the highest paying industries are Construction ($91,750), Utilities ($87,232), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($85,339).

Employment

Occupations

7.16k

2022 Value

± 659

−1.9%

1 Year decline

± 13.1%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Sterling, IL declined at a rate of −1.9%, from 7.3k employees to 7.16k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Sterling, IL, are Production Occupations (949 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (927 people), and Material Moving Occupations (651 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Sterling, IL.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Illinois (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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

7.16k

2022 Value

± 659

−1.9%

1 Year decline

± 13.1%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Sterling, IL declined at a rate of −1.9%, from 7.3k employees to 7.16k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Sterling, IL, are Manufacturing (1,398 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,016 people), and Retail Trade (862 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Sterling, IL, though some of these residents may live in Sterling, IL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$41,663

Median earning men ± $1,865

$32,336

Median earning women ± $4,698

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Construction ($91,750), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($86,071), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($55,938).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Public Administration ($48,516), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($44,233), and Manufacturing ($37,917).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.47%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 6.03M people employed in Illinois. This represents a 2.47% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Illinois.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Illinois went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 57.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (40.6%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.1%).

Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are the senators currently representing the state of Illinois. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Illinois is currently represented by 17 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Sterling, IL. Showing the available data for Illinois.

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (57.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (40.6%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.1%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Illinois went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 57.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (40.6%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.1%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Illinois for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Illinois

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

Dick Durbin

Senator from Illinois

Assumed office on January 3, 1997

Tammy Duckworth

Senator from Illinois

Assumed office on January 3, 2017

Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are the senators currently representing Illinois.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Illinois over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Illinois

Illinois is currently represented by 17 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Illinois have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Sterling, IL awarded 26 degrees. The student population of Sterling, IL in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 1 male students and 38 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Sterling, IL are White (24 and 92.3%), followed by Black or African American (1 and 3.85%), Hispanic or Latino (1 and 3.85%), and Asian (0 and 0%).

The largest universities in Sterling, IL by number of degrees awarded are Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Sterling (26 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Sterling, IL are General Cosmetology (24 and 92.3%), Cosmetology, Barber, & Nail Instructor (2 and 7.69%), and Nail Specialist & Manicurist (0 and 0%).

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 1.08% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.01% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (2.62M), Some college (2.15M), and Bachelors Degree (2.1M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Sterling, IL was $102,400 in 2022, which is 0.363 times smaller than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $92,100 to $102,400, a 11.2% increase. The homeownership rate in Sterling, IL is 62%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Sterling, IL have an average commute time of 17.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Sterling, IL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Sterling, IL is $49,007. In 2022, the place with the highest median household income in Sterling, IL was Census Tract 9 with a value of $74,429, followed by Census Tract 12 and Census Tract 13, with respective values of $53,750 and $53,506.

Property

$102,400

Median Property Value 2022

±$5,175

$4,051

Median Property Taxes

±$409

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, IL the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

62%

Homeownership

2022

58.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 62% of the housing units in Sterling, IL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 61.2%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9
Census Tract 12
Census Tract 13

In 2022, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Sterling, IL was Census Tract 9 with a value of $74,429, followed by Census Tract 12 and Census Tract 13, with respective values of $53,750 and $53,506.

The following map shows all of the places in Sterling, IL colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$49,007

Median Household Income

± $5,150

6.53k

Number of Households

± 574

In 2022, the median household income of the 6.53k households in Sterling, IL grew to $49,007 from the previous year's value of $47,778.

The following chart displays the households in Sterling, IL 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, IL is from Illinois.

0.477

2022 Wage GINI in Illinois

0.478

2021 Wage GINI in Illinois

In 2022, the income inequality in Illinois was 0.477 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.371% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Illinois was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Illinois in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022

Drove Alone (77.7%)
Carpooled (11.1%)
Walked (6.58%)

In 2022, 77.7% of workers in Sterling, IL drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.1%) and those who walked to work (6.58%).

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

17.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Sterling, IL have a shorter commute time (17.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 1.87% of the workforce in Sterling, IL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

15.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Sterling, IL (2.19k out of 14.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Sterling, IL is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

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
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

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

Health

93.9% of the population of Sterling, IL has health coverage, with 43.5% on employee plans, 21% on Medicaid, 16.9% on Medicare, 9.81% on non-group plans, and 2.69% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Whiteside County, IL see 1822 patients per year on average, which represents a 2.36% increase from the previous year (1780 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2405 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 608 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Whiteside County, IL.

1,822 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Whiteside County, IL

Primary care physicians in Whiteside County, IL see an average of 1,822 patients per year. This represents a 2.36% increase from the previous year (1,780 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Whiteside County, IL in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.2% under 18 years, 20.1% between 18 and 34 years, 35.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 22% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

6.12%

Uninsured

43.5%

Employer Coverage

21%

Medicaid

16.9%

Medicare

9.81%

Non-Group

2.69%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Sterling, IL declined by 11.7% from 6.93% to 6.12%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Sterling, IL changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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