City safety & data profile

SterlingCO

Sterling, CO is a 14K-resident city in Logan County with a median household income of $43,283.

Logan County, Colorado. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Sterling, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Sterling has a population larger than 23% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $217,400, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

14K
Population
Top 77%
By size
$43,283
Median income
$217,400
Median home
19%
Poverty rate

The read on Sterling

Sterling posts a median household income higher than 3% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Sterling area.

Top 97%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Sterling

Where Sterling income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$43,283 Bottom 3% higher than 3% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. CO $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Sterling, CO beyond the headline numbers

Sterling sits inside Logan County, Colorado, at roughly 40.63°N, -103.21°W. Population 14,104, $43,283 median household income. Median home value $217,400, median rent $1,031. Poverty rate 19%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Sterling's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 34.3%, then high blood pressure at 32.3%. 1 hospital in/around Sterling, 3/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Sterling from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
14,104
Sterling
Median Income
$43,283
-36% vs avg
Median Home Value
$217,400
-5% vs avg
Median Age
37.7
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Logan County) - Sterling's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
21K-8%
Median Income
$51,829+28%
Median Home Value
$245,300+105%
Poverty Rate
15.8%-10%
Unemployment
5.4%-50%

Economics

Economics indicators for Sterling, CO
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,031/mo
Poverty Rate
19% +34% vs avg
Unemployment 7.8%
Bachelor's Degree+ 15.7%
Work From Home 8.5%
Public Transit 3.5%

Population

White 78.4%
African American 4.3%
Asian 0.8%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
34.3%
High Blood Pressure
32.3%
Obesity
30.6%
Physical Inactivity
24.3%
Frequent Mental Distress
19.1%
Binge Drinking
17.7%
Current Smoking
17.2%
Lack of Health Insurance
16.3%
Frequent Physical Distress
15.3%
Current Asthma
11.4%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 55.4%
Annual Checkup 68.5%

Other Measures

Diabetes
11%
Coronary Heart Disease
7%
Stroke
3.8%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
1
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
3/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
STERLING REGIONAL MEDCENTER
STERLING · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Sterling, CO? ▼
Sterling, CO has a population of 14,104 people, located in Logan County, Colorado.
What is the median household income in Sterling? ▼
The median household income in Sterling, CO is $43,283 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 19%.
What is the median home value in Sterling? ▼
The median home value in Sterling, CO is $217,400. Median rent is $1,031/month.
What are the top health concerns in Sterling? ▼
The top health indicators in Sterling include Short Sleep Duration (34.3%), High Blood Pressure (32.3%), Obesity (30.6%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Sterling? ▼
Sterling has 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Sterling? ▼
The median age in Sterling, CO is 37.7 years. 15.7% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Sterling, CO is located in Logan County, Colorado. With a population of 14K and a $43,283 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Sterling area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Colorado

Real-time AQI for every monitored Colorado location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Fort Morgan, CO 11K Scottsbluff, NE 15K Evans, CO 21K Greeley, CO 109K Cheyenne, WY 65K Windsor, CO 22K Johnstown, CO 15K Brighton, CO 38K
All cities in Colorado → Compare Sterling vs Fort Morgan → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Sterling's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Sterling area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Sterling against Colorado peers on any ranking lens. Explore Colorado

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Logan County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.