All Countries
Sterling, IL
Full City Profile · Illinois · Whiteside County County
3.0
/5.0
B
Good
14,670
Population
2,466/sq mi density
$52,647
Median Income
$35,146 per capita
$107,800
Home Value
$139,801 Zillow
$780
Median Rent
29.4% income on rent
49°F
Avg Temperature
275 sunny days/yr
179
Violent Crime/100K
3,384 property/100K
B
Overall
3.0 / 5.0
Good overall score based on economy, affordability, safety and education
B+
Economy
3.7 / 5.0
$52,647 median income, 3.0% unemployment
A+
Affordability
5.0 / 5.0
$107,800 home value, $780/mo rent
F
Safety
1.0 / 5.0
179 violent crimes/100K
C
Education
2.5 / 5.0
18.5% bachelor's degree or higher
Change Over Time (2013–2023)
Population Change
-3.8%
15,098 → 14,526
over 10 years
Annual Pop. Growth
-0.39%
Compound annual growth rate
Median Income Change
+32.9%
$39,609 → $52,647
nominal, not inflation-adjusted
Annual Income Growth
+2.89%
Compound annual growth rate
Population Over Time
Total population for Sterling across each available Census ACS release.
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income reported by U.S. Census ACS. Values are nominal (not adjusted for inflation).
Projected 2030
Simple projections extrapolating the 2013–2023 compound annual growth rate forward. These are mathematical extensions of recent trends, not forecasts — real outcomes depend on migration, policy and economic shifts.
Projected Population 2030
14,134
-392 from 2023 (14,526)
Projected Median Income 2030
$64,267
+$11,620 from 2023 ($52,647)
Year-by-Year Detail
| Year | Population | YoY % | Median Income | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 15,098 | — | $39,609 | — |
| 2015 | 14,977 | -0.8% | $39,679 | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 14,718 | -1.7% | $43,171 | +8.8% |
| 2019 | 14,468 | -1.7% | $43,685 | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 14,750 | +1.9% | $47,778 | +9.4% |
| 2023 | 14,526 | -1.5% | $52,647 | +10.2% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-Year Estimates (Data Commons). Home value and rent are not yet available historically.