
Sterling
- County:
- Whiteside County
- County Seat:
- No
- Area (mi²):
- 5.946
- State:
- Illinois
Sterling is a city located in Whiteside County, Illinois. Sterling has a 2025 population of 14,287. Sterling is currently declining at a rate of -0.76% annually and its population has decreased by -3.72% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 14,839 in 2020.
The average household income in Sterling is $75,895 with a poverty rate of 16.4%. The median age in Sterling is 42.6 years: 37.6 years for males, and 44.9 years for females.