Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety72#257/924
Economy45#505/925
Housing65#325/925
Health66#314/925
Healthcare43#525/923
Environment34#610/917
Education42#533/925
Infrastructure41#543/925
Community78#206/925
Leisure & amenities77#209/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Sterling, IL micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Home price to income ratio · low1.9×
99/100Illinois 3.2×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Drug overdose deaths · low6.8 /100k
96/100Illinois 14.2 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Restaurants and bars · high15.5 /10k
95/100Illinois 10.3 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Grocery stores · high2.6 /10k
93/100Illinois 1.9 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Firearm deaths · low8.7 /100k
90/100Illinois 10.5 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Severe housing problems · low10.4%
88/100Illinois 15.6%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Effective property tax rate · high1.74%
4/100Illinois 1.88%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Public EV charging ports · low0.7 /10k
6/100Illinois 4.8 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
New business applications · low7.7 /1k
7/100Illinois 14.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
New homes permitted · low0.4 /1k
8/100Illinois 1.5 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.4 /10k
8/100Illinois 1.1 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Dentists · low42 /100k
20/100Illinois 86 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
18% (2021) → 37% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+20 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
4.3 /1k (2020) → 7.7 /1k (2025)
+77%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
58.9% (2010 & 2021) → 74.2% (2022 & 2024)
+15 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Homicide rateImproving
6.7 /100k (2021) → 2.6 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−61%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Traffic deathsWorsening
11.1 /100k (2015-2019) → 17.5 /100k (2020-2024)
+58%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
15.2 /100k (2021) → 6.8 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−55%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k

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, IL micropolitan area improved on 12 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 9 moved within the margin of error and 6 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved12

Restaurants+13%13.7 /10k → 15.5 /10k
New businesses+77%4.3 /1k → 7.7 /1k
Property crime−49%2,080 /100k → 1,055 /100k
Overdose deaths−48%13.2 /100k → 6.8 /100k
Weekly wage+26%$831 → $1,045

Declined4

Traffic deaths+58%11.1 /100k → 17.5 /100k
Gyms−49%0.7 /10k → 0.4 /10k
Pharmacies−20%1.6 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Suicides+8%15.0 /100k → 16.2 /100k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Sterling, IL micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.1 /10k2020	4.6 /10k2025	+12%	Improved	58%
Average commute time	19.0 min2015-2019	20.3 min2020-2024	+1.2 min	Within the margin of error	26%
Average weekly wage	$8312020	$1,0452025	+26%	Improved	71%
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.2%2015-2019	20.5%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Improved	36%
Broadband subscriptions	79.7%2015-2019	86.7%2020-2024	+7 points	Improved	24%
Child poverty rate	16.1%2015-2019	17.7%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Distance to an airport	91 mi2020	91 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	77%
Drug overdose deaths	13.2 /100k2020	6.8 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−48%	Improved	80%
Effective property tax rate	2.00%2015-2019	1.74%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	85%
Firearm deaths	8.6 /100k2020	8.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+1.2%	Little change	47%
Grocery stores	2.5 /10k2020	2.6 /10k2025	+2.6%	Little change	61%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.7 /10k2020	0.4 /10k2025	−49%	Declined	5%
High school diploma or higher	90.6%2015-2019	91.9%2020-2024	+1.3 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	1.9×2020-2024	−0.1×	Within the margin of error	97%
Homicide rate	4.5 /100k2020	2.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−42%	Improved	70%
Income adjusted for local prices	$49,1512019	$65,8162024	+34%	Improved	65%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4352015-2019	0.4392020-2024	+0.004	Within the margin of error	42%
Median household income	$54,2322015-2019	$67,5002020-2024	+24%	Improved	35%
New business applications	4.3 /1k2020	7.7 /1k2025	+77%	Improved	85%
Pharmacies	1.6 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−20%	Declined	20%
Poverty rate	10.7%2015-2019	12.0%2020-2024	+1.3 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Property crime rate	2,080 /100k2020	1,055 /100k2025	−49%	Improved	84%
Public libraries	1.1 /10k2019	1.1 /10k2024	+1.5%	Little change	74%
Rent as share of income	26.1%2015-2019	27.8%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Rent-burdened households	41.4%2015-2019	45.5%2020-2024	+4.1 points	Within the margin of error	24%
Restaurants and bars	13.7 /10k2020	15.5 /10k2025	+13%	Improved	86%
Suicide rate	15.0 /100k2020	16.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+8%	Declined	41%
Traffic deaths	11.1 /100k2015-2019	17.5 /100k2020-2024	+58%	Declined	4%
Unemployment rate	7.9%2020	4.6%2025	−3.3 points	Improved	60%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	5.8%2015-2019	6.3%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Violent crime rate	208 /100k2020	209 /100k2025	+0.5%	Little change	25%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Sterling, IL micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Sterling, IL micropolitan area 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, IL micropolitan area itself moved −4.3 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

54,947 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

23,120 households (±396)

Sterling, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k16%3,814
$25k–50k22%5,069
$50k–75k17%3,815

Homes

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

Owners and renters

23,120 households (±396)

Sterling, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Own77%17,786
Rent23%5,334

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+2.1 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

25,501 workers (±580)

Sterling, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone81%20,610
Carpool8.6%2,197
Public transit0.3%†83

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Sterling, IL micropolitan area.

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.

Sterling, IL has 1,158 employer establishments, 213 for every 10,000 residents (0.86× the US rate of 248), with 17,838 paid employees at an average annual pay of $48,342. The Census Bureau also counts 2,956 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,158; 2,956 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 213; US 248
Paid employees: 17,838
Average annual pay: $48,342; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	89	16.3	0.89×About typical	1,330	$17,841	6
Specialty trade contractors	75	13.8	0.89×About typical	547	$70,148	263
Religious organizations	63	11.6	2.08×More than typical	232	$19,013	—
Ambulatory health care services	53	9.7	0.47×Fewer than typical	512	$51,176	88
Full-service restaurants	45	8.3	1.08×About typical	458	$19,221	—
Truck transportation	43	7.9	1.56×More than typical	488	$68,004	93
Automotive repair and maintenance	41	7.5	1.49×More than typical	196	$37,469	58
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	34	6.2	5.15×More than typical	203	$17,182	9
Limited-service restaurants	33	6.1	0.76×Fewer than typical	811	$16,732	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	31	5.7	1.30×More than typical	92	$53,359	46
Banks and credit unions	30	5.5	1.70×More than typical	342	$64,135	—
Construction of buildings	29	5.3	0.70×Fewer than typical	105	$46,448	76

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 54,480 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $104.4K on contracts performed in Sterling, IL micropolitan area: $1.93 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $104.4K; −88% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1.93; US $1,994
Sole-source: 95%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration$99K95%
Defense Logistics Agency$4,5944.4%
Department of the Navy$8410.8%

Top recipients

M & M AVIATION SERVICES LTD$99K95%
CAVANAUGH GOVERNMENT GROUP, LLC$3,7803.6%
STERLING BUSINESS MACHINES INC$1,6551.6%
APEX PINNACLE CORP$00.0%
THE IFH GROUP, INC.$00.0%

Spending by fiscal year

1.2MFY2017
970.3KFY2018
927.3KFY2019
5.2MFY2020
1.1MFY2021
1.4MFY2022
3MFY2023
1.5M

Top industries (NAICS)

Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$99K95%
Machine shops and screw, nut, and bolt manufacturing · 3327$3,7803.6%
Other miscellaneous manufacturing · 3399$1,6551.6%

Largest awards

ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH SURVEY FLIGHTS WBI AND HIL$99K
M & M AVIATION SERVICES LTD· Whiteside County, IL· Professional services· Aug 7, 2026 – Aug 7, 2026· 1333MJ26P0037
8511764832!SCREW,CAP,HEXAGON H$3,780
CAVANAUGH GOVERNMENT GROUP, LLC· Whiteside County, IL· Other equipment & supplies· Nov 19, 2025 – Nov 19, 2025· SPE4A626P6647
E-A-RSOFT NEON TAPERED EARPLUG REFILL, C$814
STERLING BUSINESS MACHINES INC· Whiteside County, IL· Other equipment & supplies· Nov 19, 2025 – Nov 19, 2025· SPEWA626M0003
TONER,HI-CAP,C625,YL

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $378.6M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Sterling, IL micropolitan area: $6,995 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $378.6M; −10% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,995; US $12,955
Loan face value: $6.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.5%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$257.3M68%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$30.1M8.0%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$24.6M6.5%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$24.4M6.5%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$9.7M2.6%
93.600 · Head Start$8.4M2.2%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$7.4M2.0%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$5.6M1.5%

Top recipients (organizations)

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$11.6M3.1%
SPRINGFIELD, IL
TRI-COUNTY OPPORTUNITIES COUNCIL$8.4M2.2%
ROCK FALLS, IL
COUNTY OF WHITESIDE$2.1M0.6%
ROCK FALLS, IL
MODERN BEAUTY COMPANIES, INC.$884.8K0.2%
STERLING, IL
GREENCASTLE OF STERLING, INC$323.4K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$319.2M84%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$28M7.4%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$11.7M3.1%
Department of Transportation
Administration for Children and Families$8.4M2.2%
Department of Health and Human Services
Railroad Retirement Board

Assistance by fiscal year

341.4MFY2021
352.7MFY2022
364.7MFY2023
373.7MFY2024
422.7MFY2025
378.6MFY2026

County aggregates

93%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Sterling, IL

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Whiteside CountyCentral county6454,121

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

SterlingPrincipal city14,717

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Illinois

Areas based in Illinois, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M44580

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved12

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Sterling, IL micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Sterling, IL

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Illinois

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved12

Declined4

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

By type

What was bought