City safety & data profile

Sterling HeightsMI

Sterling Heights, MI is a 132K-resident city in Macomb County with a median household income of $79,909.

Macomb County, Michigan. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Sterling Heights, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Sterling Heights has a population larger than 95% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $274,300.

Data updated 2026-07-19

132K
Population
Top 5%
By size
$79,909
Median income
$274,300
Median home
11.1%
Poverty rate

The read on Sterling Heights

Sterling Heights posts a median household income higher than 49% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 51%
by median income, US cities

Where Sterling Heights income ranks nationally

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

$79,909 Bottom 49% higher than 49% 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%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). This entry sits in this band. $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. MI $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 Heights, MI beyond the headline numbers

Sterling Heights sits inside Macomb County, Michigan, at roughly 42.58°N, -83.03°W. Population 132,052, $79,909 median household income. Median home value $274,300, median rent $1,292. Poverty rate 11.1%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Sterling Heights's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 37.4%, then short sleep duration at 36.4%.

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

Population
132,052
Sterling Heights
Median Income
$79,909
+18% vs avg
Median Home Value
$274,300
+20% vs avg
Median Age
41.7
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Macomb County) - Sterling Heights'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
880K+4%
Median Income
$77,837+46%
Median Home Value
$243,900+98%
Poverty Rate
10.4%-17%
Unemployment
5.7%-54%

Economics

Economics indicators for Sterling Heights, MI
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,292/mo
Poverty Rate
11.1% -22% vs avg
Unemployment 6.1%
Bachelor's Degree+ 31.1%
Work From Home 15.7%
Public Transit 0.5%

Population

White 77%
African American 7.6%
Asian 9.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.1%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
37.4%
Short Sleep Duration
36.4%
Obesity
36%
Physical Inactivity
26.7%
Frequent Mental Distress
17.2%
Binge Drinking
16.4%
Current Smoking
15.3%
Frequent Physical Distress
14.3%
Diabetes
11.5%
Current Asthma
11.2%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 68.3%
Annual Checkup 81.3%

Other Measures

Coronary Heart Disease
7.1%
Lack of Health Insurance
6.7%
Stroke
3.6%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Sterling Heights, MI? ▼
Sterling Heights, MI has a population of 132,052 people, located in Macomb County, Michigan.
What is the median household income in Sterling Heights? ▼
The median household income in Sterling Heights, MI is $79,909 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 11.1%.
What is the median home value in Sterling Heights? ▼
The median home value in Sterling Heights, MI is $274,300. Median rent is $1,292/month.
What are the top health concerns in Sterling Heights? ▼
The top health indicators in Sterling Heights include High Blood Pressure (37.4%), Short Sleep Duration (36.4%), Obesity (36%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Sterling Heights? ▼
The median age in Sterling Heights, MI is 41.7 years. 31.1% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Sterling Heights, MI is located in Macomb County, Michigan. With a population of 132K and a $79,909 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and short sleep duration. Safety alerts for the Sterling Heights 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 - Michigan

Real-time AQI for every monitored Michigan 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

Shelby, MI 74K Fraser, MI 15K Warren, MI 134K Clinton Township, MI 100K Madison Heights, MI 30K Troy, MI 83K Roseville, MI 48K Clawson, MI 12K
All cities in Michigan → Compare Sterling Heights vs Shelby → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Sterling Heights'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 Heights 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 Heights against Michigan peers on any ranking lens. Explore Michigan

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 (Macomb 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.