Sterling, VA

Census Place

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2024 Population
32,411
US Senator
Mark Warner
Democratic Party
US Senator
Tim Kaine
Democratic Party
2024 Median Age
35.3
1.44% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
8.04%
18.5% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$123,303
1.95% 1-year decline
2024 Median Property Value
$526,000
3.46% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
18,385
4.29% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Sterling, VA 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.

73.9% of the residents in Sterling, VA are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Sterling, VA was $526,000, and the homeownership rate was 71.8%.

Most people in Sterling, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Sterling, VA was 2 cars per household.

United StatesVirginiaLoudoun County, VAWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVFairfax County (Northwest)--Reston (North) & Franklin Farm PUMA, VALoudoun County (Northeast)--Sterling & Ashburn (Northeast/Ashburn Village) PUMA, VALoudoun County (East Central)--Ashburn (Southwest/Belmont Ridge) & Dulles Airport PUMA, VA

Population & Diversity

Sterling, VA is home to a population of 32.4k people, from which 73.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 46.3% of Sterling, VA residents were born outside of the country (15k people).

In 2024, there were 1.11 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (8.33k people) in Sterling, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.52k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 6.57k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

73.9%
2024 Citizenship
75.6%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 73.9% of Sterling, VA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Sterling, VA was 75.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Sterling, VA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    8.33k ± 831
  2. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    7.52k ± 1.86k
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    6.57k ± 1.41k
49.2%
Hispanic Population
15.9k people

In 2024, there were 1.11 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (8.33k people) in Sterling, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.52k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 6.57k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

49.2% of the people in Sterling, VA are hispanic (15.9k people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Virginia.
Most Common Origin
  1. El Salvador
    107,827 ± 8,012 people
  2. India
    97,961 ± 7,641 people
  3. Mexico
    63,695 ± 6,173 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Virginia was El Salvador, the natal country of 107,827 Virginia residents, followed by India with 97,961 and Mexico with 63,695.

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Foreign-Born Population

46.3%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
15k people
44%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
13.8k people

As of 2024, 46.3% of Sterling, VA residents (15k 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, VA was 44%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    391 ± 125
  2. Vietnam
    369 ± 206
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    201 ± 105

Sterling, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.06 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Sterling, VA employs 18.4k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Sterling, VA were Construction (2,553 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (2,280 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (1,824 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($150,938), Public Administration ($132,759), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($111,563).

Employment

Occupations

18.4k
2024 Value
± 1,252
4.29%
1 Year growth
± 9.24%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Sterling, VA grew at a rate of 4.29%, from 17.6k employees to 18.4k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Sterling, VA, are Management Occupations (2,251 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (1,859 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,760 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Sterling, VA.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Virginia (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

18.4k
2024 Value
± 1,252
4.29%
1 Year growth
± 9.24%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Sterling, VA grew at a rate of 4.29%, from 17.6k employees to 18.4k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Sterling, VA, are Construction (2,553 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (2,280 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (1,824 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Sterling, VA, though some of these residents may live in Sterling, VA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$56,194
Median earning men ± $3,789
$37,254
Median earning women ± $3,361

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($140,139), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($101,546), and Information ($98,333).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($126,641), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($90,221), and Information ($59,840).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.
Y-Axis
2.48%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.1M people employed in Virginia. This represents a 2.48% 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 10.8%.

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

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Kamala Harris with 51.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Other (0.905%).

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing the state of Virginia. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Sterling, VA. Showing the available data for Virginia.
2024 Election Results
  1. Kamala Harris (51.8%)
    Democratic Party
  2. Donald J. Trump (46.1%)
    Republican Party
  3. Other (0.905%)
    Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Kamala Harris with 51.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Other (0.905%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Virginia for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Virginia

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.
Mark Warner
Senator from Virginia2
Assumed office on January 3, 2009
Tim Kaine
Senator from Virginia1
Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing Virginia.

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 Virginia over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Sterling, VA was $526,000 in 2024, which is 1.58 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $508,400 to $526,000, a 3.46% increase. The homeownership rate in Sterling, VA is 71.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Sterling, VA have an average commute time of 24.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Sterling, VA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$526,000
Median Property Value 2024
±$18,797
$7,041
Median Property Taxes
±$632

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

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

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Rent vs Own

71.8%
Homeownership
2024
70.6%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 71.8% of the housing units in Sterling, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 75.3%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$123,303
Median Household Income
± $10,297
9.81k
Number of Households
± 816

In 2024, the median household income of the 9.81k households in Sterling, VA declined from $123,303 from the previous year's value of $125,753.

The following chart displays the households in Sterling, VA 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 $200k+ range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Sterling, VA is from Virginia.
0.472
2023 Wage GINI in Virginia
0.475
2022 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2023, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.472 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.599% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Virginia in comparison to the national average.

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

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (59.9%)
  2. Carpooled (21.7%)
  3. Worked At Home (15.7%)

In 2024, 59.9% of workers in Sterling, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (21.7%) and those who worked at home (15.7%).

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.

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Commute Time

24.2 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Sterling, VA have a shorter commute time (24.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.742% of the workforce in Sterling, VA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

8.04% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Sterling, VA (2.57k out of 32k 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 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 16 - 17.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Sterling, VA is Hispanic, followed by Other 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.

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Health

81.6% of the population of Sterling, VA has health coverage, with 47.2% on employee plans, 15.7% on Medicaid, 8% on Medicare, 8.96% on non-group plans, and 1.74% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Virginia see 1,341 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,341 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1329 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 379 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 53.1% were men and 46.9% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26% under 18 years, 23.4% between 18 and 34 years, 39.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 11% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 53.1% were men and 46.9% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

18.4%
Uninsured
47.2%
Employer Coverage
15.7%
Medicaid
8%
Medicare
8.96%
Non-Group
1.74%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Sterling, VA grew by 12.9% from 16.3% to 18.4%.

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

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