City · Brown County, Illinois

Mount Sterling, Illinois

Mount Sterling is a city in Brown County, Illinois. It has 1,980 residents. Mount Sterling, Illinois has a quality-of-life score of 36 out of 100 (low), ranking #9,968 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Illinois it ranks #479 of 697 cities and towns. It ranks best on drug overdose deaths (low), uninsured residents (under 65) (low) and homicide rate (low). It ranks worst on pharmacies (low), new business applications (low) and broadband subscriptions (low).

36Low

Quality-of-life score: #9,968 of 15,651 cities and towns
Illinois: #479 of 697 in IL
Population: 1,980 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 1,657.5 /mi²
FIPS code: 1751154

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 69 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety85#2,405/15,637
Economy43#8,984/15,631
Housing76#3,662/14,977
Health42#9,026/15,609
Healthcare25#11,781/15,650
Environment63#5,781/15,453
Education21#12,411/15,649
Infrastructure16#13,181/15,650
Community33#10,414/15,651
Leisure & amenities16#13,117/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Mount Sterling, Illinois ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Brown County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Drug overdose deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Illinois 14.2 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100k2024Centers for Disease Control and PreventionBrown County value
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low0.7%
98/100Illinois 8.1%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010High uncertainty
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Illinois 6.2 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataBrown County value
Average commute time · low13.5 min
90/100Illinois 27.8 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Social associations · high14.3 /10k
88/100Illinois 9.8 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBrown County value
Public libraries · high1.5 /10k
87/100Illinois 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesBrown County value

Weaknesses

Pharmacies · low0.0 /10k
1/100Illinois 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBrown County value
New business applications · low6.4 /1k
1/100Illinois 14.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauBrown County value
Broadband subscriptions · low76.7%
2/100Illinois 90.8%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Voter turnout · low47.8%
3/100Illinois 62.9%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionBrown County value
Primary care physicians · low16 /100k
3/100Illinois 82 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBrown County value
Math scores · low2.48
3/100Illinois 2.90United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBrown County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
2,189 (2015-2019) → 1,980 (2020-2024)
−9.5%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
21.6% (2015-2019) → 34.2% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
1.5× (2015-2019) → 2.2× (2020-2024)
+44%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
8.7% (2015-2019) → 0.7% (2020-2024)
−8 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
20.4% (2015-2019) → 25.4% (2020-2024)
+5 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Child poverty rateImproving
17.1% (2015-2019) → 12.5% (2020-2024)
−4.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Mount Sterling, Illinois improved on 0 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 10 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined1

Price / income+0.7×1.5× → 2.2×

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Mount Sterling, Illinois between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	16.6 min2015-2019	13.5 min2020-2024	−3.2 min	Within the margin of error	80%
Bachelor's degree or higher	24.5%2015-2019	21.5%2020-2024	−3.1 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Broadband subscriptions	76.2%2015-2019	76.7%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Effective property tax rate	1.80%2015-2019	1.64%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	50%
High school diploma or higher	87.9%2015-2019	87.8%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Home price to income ratio	1.5×2015-2019	2.2×2020-2024	+0.7×	Declined	37%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4092015-2019	0.4632020-2024	+0.055	Within the margin of error	15%
Median household income	$55,5832015-2019	$59,0872020-2024	+6.3%	Within the margin of error	13%
Poverty rate	16.3%2015-2019	12.3%2020-2024	−4 points	Within the margin of error	75%
Rent as share of income	20.4%2015-2019	25.4%2020-2024	+5 points	Within the margin of error	22%
Rent-burdened households	21.6%2015-2019	34.2%2020-2024	+13 points	Within the margin of error	18%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Mount Sterling, Illinois five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Mount Sterling, Illinois in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Mount Sterling, Illinois itself moved −14.5 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,980 residents (±169)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under 10 men (−5.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,980 residents (±169)

Mount Sterling, Illinois
Illinois share

White96%1,894
Black0.8%†16
Hispanic or Latino2.3%†45

Education

1,295 residents (±138)

Mount Sterling, Illinois
Illinois share

No high school diploma12%†158
High school or GED36%464
Some college21%†266

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

941 households (±114)

Mount Sterling, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $25k26%†249
$25k–50k18%†172
$50k–75k19%†178
$75k–100k15%†145
$100k–150k13%†126
$150k–200k6.6%†62
$200k or more1.0%†9

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $150k–200k (+5.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

941 households (±114)

Mount Sterling, Illinois
Illinois share

Own51%481
Rent49%460

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−13.1 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

450 households (±126)

Mount Sterling, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $75055%†249
$750–1,00032%†142
$1,000–1,5009.8%†

Home values

481 homes (±99)

Mount Sterling, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $150k65%†312
$150k–250k26%†123
$250k–400k8.3%†40

Age of homes

1,019 homes (±102)

Mount Sterling, Illinois
Illinois share

2010 or later4.6%†47
2000–20095.8%†59
1980–199911%†114

Size of homes

1,019 homes (±102)

Mount Sterling, Illinois
Illinois share

Studio0.5%†5
1 bedroom23%†231
2 bedrooms31%311

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

983 workers (±150)

Mount Sterling, Illinois
Illinois share

Drive alone71%700
Carpool12%†119
Public transit0.1%†1
Walk7.6%†75
Bike0.0%0
Work from home9.0%†88
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Walk (+6.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

895 workers (±155)

Mount Sterling, Illinois
Illinois share

Under 15 min67%600
15–29 min15%†136
30–44 min11%†102

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Brown County, the county holding most of Mount Sterling's residents.

Brown County has 108 employer establishments, 167 for every 10,000 residents (0.67× the US rate of 248; 0.65× Illinois's), with 3,834 paid employees at an average annual pay of $53,215. The Census Bureau also counts 342 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 108; 342 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 167; US 248 · Illinois 255
Paid employees: 3,834
Average annual pay: $53,215; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Brown County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Religious organizations	9	13.9	2.50×Too few to compare	52	$19,942	—
Truck transportation	8	12.3	2.44×Too few to compare	769	$47,256	18
Specialty trade contractors	7	10.8	0.70×Too few to compare	18	$39,500	31
Automotive repair and maintenance	6	9.3	1.84×Too few to compare	12	$45,333	6
Restaurants and other eating places	6	9.3	0.50×Too few to compare	56	$17,946	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	4	6.2	1.40×Too few to compare	11	$45,727	4
Limited-service restaurants	4	6.2	0.77×Too few to compare	42	$16,381	—
Ambulatory health care services	3	4.6	0.22×Too few to compare	78	$49,103	13
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	3	4.6	1.74×Too few to compare	42	$13,310	—
Building equipment contractors	3	4.6	0.77×Too few to compare	14	$40,143	—
Building material and supplies dealers (hardware, home centers)	3	4.6	2.81×Too few to compare	21	$50,905	—
Gasoline stations	3	4.6	1.43×Too few to compare	32	$21,375	—

Rank places for an industry Open Brown County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 6,484 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Mount Sterling is mostly in Brown County.

See federal money in Brown County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Mount Sterling, Illinois is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Mary E. MillerR-IL-15 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 3.9%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Brown County50100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Brown County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

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