City · Sterling County, Texas

Sterling City, Texas

Sterling City is a city in Sterling County, Texas. It has 1,256 residents. Sterling City, Texas has a quality-of-life score of 54 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #7,231 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Texas it ranks #116 of 1,016 cities and towns. It ranks best on grocery stores (high), child care cost burden (low) and social associations (high). It ranks worst on primary care physicians (low), restaurants and bars (low) and dentists (low).

54Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #7,231 of 15,651 cities and towns
Texas: #116 of 1,016 in TX
Population: 1,256 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 1,282.5 /mi²
FIPS code: 4870232

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 66 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.

Safety81#2,955/15,637
Economy65#5,509/15,631
Housing33#10,085/14,977
Health88#1,871/15,609
Healthcare1#15,543/15,650
Environment78#3,388/15,453
Education27#11,494/15,649
Infrastructure18#12,790/15,650
Community86#2,230/15,651
Leisure & amenities47#8,337/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Sterling City, Texas ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Sterling 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

Grocery stores · high7.4 /10k
100/100Texas 1.1 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSterling County value
Child care cost burden · low14.7%
100/100Texas 24.5%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSterling County value
Social associations · high28.6 /10k
100/100Texas 7.3 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSterling County value
Public libraries · high7.3 /10k
100/100Texas 0.3 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesSterling County value
Suicide rate · low0.0 /100k
100/100Texas 14.4 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataSterling County value
Firearm deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Texas 13.7 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataSterling County value

Weaknesses

Primary care physicians · low0 /100k
0/100Texas 61 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSterling County value
Restaurants and bars · low0.0 /10k
0/100Texas 7.8 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSterling County value
Dentists · low0 /100k
0/100Texas 63 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSterling County value
Distance to an emergency room · high33.9 mi
0/100Texas 5.5 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesSterling County value
Traffic deaths · high57.8 /100k
1/100Texas 14.1 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataSterling County value
Pharmacies · low0.0 /10k
1/100Texas 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSterling County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
1,150 (2015-2019) → 1,256 (2020-2024)
+9.2%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
13.0% (2015-2019) → 71.4% (2020-2024)
+58 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
0.7× (2015-2019) → 2.0× (2020-2024)
+177%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
19.6% (2015-2019) → 45.4% (2020-2024)
+26 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
8.5% (2015-2019) → 19.6% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Average commute timeWorsening
17.5 min (2015-2019) → 24.4 min (2020-2024)
+39%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min

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, Sterling City, Texas improved on 1 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 9 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.

Improved1

Bachelor's++11 points8.5% → 19.6%

Declined1

Rent / income+26 points19.6% → 45.4%

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Sterling City, Texas between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	17.5 min2015-2019	24.4 min2020-2024	+6.9 min	Within the margin of error	5%
Bachelor's degree or higher	8.5%2015-2019	19.6%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	92%
Broadband subscriptions	85.1%2015-2019	90.0%2020-2024	+4.8 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Effective property tax rate	1.00%2015-2019	1.06%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	9%
High school diploma or higher	88.4%2015-2019	82.6%2020-2024	−5.8 points	Within the margin of error	4%
Home price to income ratio	0.7×2015-2019	2.0×2020-2024	+1.3×	Within the margin of error	13%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3332015-2019	0.3892020-2024	+0.056	Within the margin of error	14%
Median household income	$65,5952015-2019	$66,6152020-2024	+1.6%	Within the margin of error	9%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	19.6%2015-2019	45.4%2020-2024	+26 points	Declined	1%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	26.8%2015-2019	34.6%2020-2024	+7.8 points	Within the margin of error	5%

“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 Sterling City, Texas five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Sterling City, Texas 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, Sterling City, Texas itself moved −23.4 points in standing on average over the same 9 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

1,256 residents (±216)

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: 10–19 women (+7.5 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

1,256 residents (±216)

Sterling City, Texas
Texas share

White64%799
Black0.2%†2
Hispanic or Latino35%†440
Asian0.2%†2
American Indian and Alaska Native0.2%†2
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races0.9%†11

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Hispanic or Latino (−18.7 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 B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

684 residents (±118)

Sterling City, Texas
Texas share

No high school diploma17%†119
High school or GED35%†238
Some college15%†104
Associate degree13%†89
Bachelor's degree10%†71
Graduate degree9.2%†63

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Associate degree (+7.2 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 B15003View 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.

Income

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

Household income

319 households (±70)

Sterling City, Texas
Texas share

Under $25k7.5%†24
$25k–50k22%†71
$50k–75k23%†73
$75k–100k7.5%†24
$100k–150k21%†66
$150k–200k13%†43
$200k or more5.6%†18

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† 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

319 households (±70)

Sterling City, Texas
Texas share

Own78%248
Rent22%†71

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

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

Table view

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

Rent paid

56 households (±30)

Sterling City, Texas
Texas share

Under $75011%†6
$750–1,00057%†32
$1,000–1,50027%†15

Home values

248 homes (±64)

Sterling City, Texas
Texas share

Under $150k58%†144
$150k–250k13%†32
$250k–400k12%†29

Age of homes

396 homes (±68)

Sterling City, Texas
Texas share

2010 or later5.8%†23
2000–20095.1%†20
1980–199946%†183

Size of homes

396 homes (±68)

Sterling City, Texas
Texas share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom4.8%†19
2 bedrooms31%†121

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

467 workers (±96)

Sterling City, Texas
Texas share

Drive alone82%382
Carpool14%†64
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home4.5%†21
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Other (−16.0 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

446 workers (±101)

Sterling City, Texas
Texas share

Under 15 min48%†215
15–29 min17%†78
30–44 min14%†62

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 Sterling County, the county holding most of Sterling City's residents.

Sterling County has 39 employer establishments, 284 for every 10,000 residents (1.14× the US rate of 248; 1.30× Texas's), with 232 paid employees at an average annual pay of $75,267. The Census Bureau also counts 132 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 39; 132 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 284; US 248 · Texas 218
Paid employees: 232
Average annual pay: $75,267; US $68,342

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

Religious organizations	4	29.1	5.25×Too few to compare	5	$37,200	—
Management, scientific and technical consulting	3	21.8	3.25×Too few to compare	4	$10,750	5
Accounting, tax preparation and payroll services	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Advertising, public relations and related services	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Ambulatory health care services	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Architectural, engineering and related services	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Auto parts, accessories and tire stores	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Banks and credit unions	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Barber shops	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Beauty salons	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—

Rank places for an industry Open Sterling County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 1,374 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: Sterling City is mostly in Sterling County.

See federal money in Sterling 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.

Sterling City, Texas is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

August PflugerR-TX-11 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 1.3%

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.

Sterling County59100% of residents

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
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

JSON · /api/v1/places/4870232