State
County
Land Area (mi²)
7.4 sq mi
Density (mi²)
1,968.60/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
0.47%
Growth Since 2010
-0.99%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
22,691
Sterling is a city located in Logan County Colorado. It is also the county seat of Logan County. With a 2020 population of 14,631, it is the 39th largest city in Colorado and the 2358th largest city in the United States . Sterling is currently growing at a rate of 0.47% annually but its population has decreased by -0.99% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 14,777 in 2010. Sterling reached it's highest population of 14,825 in 2010. Spanning over 7 miles, Sterling has a population density of 1,969 people per square mile.
The average household income in Sterling is $55,314 with a poverty rate of 14.81%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $786 per month, and the median house value is $136,800. The median age in Sterling is 34.6 years, 34.1 years for males, and 35.2 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Sterling was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
| Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 22,691 | 141 | 0.62% |
| 2020 | 22,550 | 141 | 0.63% |
| 2019 | 22,409 | 141 | 0.63% |
| 2018 | 22,268 | -49 | -0.22% |
| 2017 | 22,317 | -118 | -0.53% |
| 2016 | 22,435 | -37 | -0.16% |
| 2015 | 22,472 | 32 | 0.14% |
| 2014 | 22,440 | 266 | 1.19% |
| 2013 | 22,174 | -182 | -0.82% |
| 2012 | 22,356 | -221 | -0.99% |
| 2011 | 22,577 | -173 | -0.77% |
| 2010 | 22,750 | 0.00% |
| Race | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White | 12,921 | 89.25% |
| Two or More Races | 755 | 5.21% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 210 | 1.45% |
| Black or African American | 186 | 1.28% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 159 | 1.10% |
| Asian | 155 | 1.07% |
| Some Other Race | 92 | 0.64% |
| Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 5,281 | 2.56 | 52.6 |
| Non Family | 2,455 | 1.26 | 34.4 |
| Married | 2,125 | 3.56 | 76.1 |
| Female | 423 | 4.08 | 47.5 |
| Male | 278 | 4.16 | 42.1 |
3.59
Average Family Size
2.56
Average Household Size
| Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 475 | 5.06% |
| 9th to 12th Grade | 763 | 8.13% |
| High School Graduate | 3,260 | 34.75% |
| Some College | 2,012 | 21.45% |
| Associates Degree | 1,057 | 11.27% |
| Bachelors Degree | 1,270 | 13.54% |
| Graduate Degree | 543 | 5.79% |
| Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 7,313 | 6,638 | 1,587 |
| Hispanic | 1,464 | 999 | 137 |
| Native American | 159 | 159 | 24 |
| 2+ Races | 157 | 157 | 45 |
| Islander | 124 | 86 | |
| Asian | 97 | 48 | 20 |
| Other Race | 92 | 92 | 9 |
| Black | 63 | 52 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among native american people with a rate of 100.00%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among 2+ races people with a rate of 28.66%.
$32,479
Average Earnings
$40,131
Average Male
$21,625
Average Female
88.24% of Sterling residents speak only English, while 11.76% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 10.04% of the population.
| Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 9,692 | 1,086 | 11.21% |
| Hispanic | 2,654 | 485 | 18.27% |
| Multiple | 709 | 437 | 61.64% |
| Other | 92 | 68 | 73.91% |
| Black | 68 | 31 | 45.59% |
| Native | 159 | 7 | 4.40% |
14.81%
Overall Poverty Rate
13.88%
Male Poverty Rate
15.83%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Sterling is Other, with 73.91% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Sterling is Native, with 4.40% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.84%. Among those working part-time, it was 19.02%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 24.08%.
41.7%
Overall Marriage Rate
42.6%
Male Marriage Rate
40.7%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
| Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,105 | 10.37% |
| Hispanic | 256 | 11.47% |
| 2+ Races | 45 | 21.13% |
| Native American | 31 | 19.50% |
| Asian | 20 | 19.42% |
| Black | 11 | 6.08% |
| Other Race | 5 | 5.43% |
10.07%
Veteran Poverty Rate
19.20%
Veteran Disability Rate
63.1%
Labor Force Participation
60.8%
Employment Rate
3.7%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
95.61%
Native Born
4.39%
Foreign Born
3.59%
Non Citizen
0.79%
Naturalized
95.61% of Sterling residents were born in the United States, with 56.29% having been born in Colorado. 3.59% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
| Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14,631 | 68 | 0.47% |
| 2020 | 14,563 | 68 | 0.47% |
| 2019 | 14,495 | 68 | 0.47% |
| 2018 | 14,427 | -19 | -0.13% |
| 2017 | 14,446 | -81 | -0.56% |
| 2016 | 14,527 | -21 | -0.14% |
| 2015 | 14,548 | -7 | -0.05% |
| 2014 | 14,555 | 208 | 1.45% |
| 2013 | 14,347 | -134 | -0.93% |
| 2012 | 14,481 | -210 | -1.43% |
| 2011 | 14,691 | -134 | -0.90% |
| 2010 | 14,825 | 3,465 | 2.70% |
| 2000 | 11,360 | 998 | 0.92% |
| 1990 | 10,362 | -1,023 | -0.94% |
| 1980 | 11,385 | 749 | 0.68% |
| 1970 | 10,636 | -115 | -0.11% |
| 1960 | 10,751 | 3,217 | 3.62% |
| 1950 | 7,534 | 123 | 0.16% |
| 1940 | 7,411 | 216 | 0.30% |
| 1930 | 7,195 | 780 | 1.15% |
| 1920 | 6,415 | 3,371 | 7.74% |
| 1910 | 3,044 | 0.00% |