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Sterling, MI
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
448
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
44
years ∙ half population younger than 44, half older
Diversity Index
11.5%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
0%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
Sterling is a village within Arenac County, Michigan, United States.
Co-ordinates
DEC44.032789° N, 84.018630° W
DMS44° 01′ 58.04″ N, 84° 01′ 07.07″ W
Population Density & area
458.5/sq mi
(177/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
46.4%
male
Male
46.4%
Female
53.6%
males per 100 females
Sterling
86.7
Arenac County
104.6
Michigan
98.2
Nativity
0%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
Sterling
0%
Arenac County
0.8%
Michigan
7.2%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
44
years ∙ half population younger than 44, half older
Dependency ratio
58.3
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Sterling
58.3
Arenac County
84.1
Michigan
66.3
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| Sterling | Arenac County | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 19.9% | 18.5% | 21.2% |
| Working age (18-64) | 63.1% | 54.3% | 60.2% |
| Senior (65+) | 17% | 27.2% | 18.6% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 58.3 | 84.1 | 66.3 |
| Child dependency ratio | 31.4 | 34 | 35.3 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 26.9 | 50.1 | 31 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.
Diversity Index
11.5%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Sterling
11.5%
Arenac County
13.3%
Michigan
45.2%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.
RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION
Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Sterling population
| Sterling | Arenac County | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.9% | 2.2% | 5.9% |
| Mexican | 0% | 1.4% | 4% |
| Puerto Rican | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| Cuban | 0% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 0.2% | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 99.1% | 97.8% | 94.1% |
| One race | 96.6% | 94.3% | 89.6% |
| White | 94% | 93% | 72.4% |
| Black or African American | 2.5% | 0.7% | 13.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Asian | 0% | 0.1% | 3.4% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Some Other Race | 0% | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 2.5% | 3.5% | 4.5% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
81.9%
family
Family
81.9%
Non family
18.1%
% family households
Sterling
81.9%
Arenac County
63.1%
Michigan
62.4%
Average household size
2.65
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of Sterling population
| Sterling | Arenac County | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 155 | 6,552 | 4,076,369 |
| Average houshold size | 2.65 | 2.27 | 2.42 |
| Family households | 127 | 4,133 | 2,545,621 |
| Average family size | 2.87 | 2.81 | 3.05 |
| Married couple family | 87 | 3,287 | 1,878,767 |
| Other families | 40 | 846 | 666,854 |
| Male householder | 10 | 309 | 199,150 |
| Female householder | 30 | 537 | 467,704 |
| Non-family households | 28 | 2,419 | 1,530,748 |
| One-person households | 18 | 2,020 | 1,250,418 |
| Male householder | 4 | 1,135 | 583,425 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 0 | 579 | 188,594 |
| Female householder | 14 | 885 | 666,993 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 2 | 540 | 349,637 |
| Other living arrangements | 10 | 399 | 280,330 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
186
housing units
Sterling
186
Arenac County
9,554
Michigan
4,622,236
Occupancy status
83.3%
occupied
Occupied
83.3%
Vacant
16.7%
vacancy rate
Sterling
16.7%
Arenac County
31.4%
Michigan
11.8%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
86%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1953
Half of houses were built before 1953, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| Sterling | Arenac County | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.9 |
| 1–3 rooms | 8.1% | 7.4% | 10.5% |
| 4–6 rooms | 54.8% | 56.9% | 51.9% |
| 7+ rooms | 37.1% | 35.7% | 37.6% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 0% | 1.4% | 1.6% |
| 1 bedroom | 8.1% | 6% | 8.9% |
| 2 bedrooms | 21% | 29.9% | 24.6% |
| 3 bedrooms | 62.9% | 48.2% | 43.5% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 8% | 14.5% | 21.4% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1953 | 1977 | 1972 |
| Total housing units | 186 | 9,554 | 4,622,236 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
87.7%
owners
Renter-occupied
12.3%
Owner-occupied
87.7%
homeownership rate
Sterling
87.7%
Arenac County
86.2%
Michigan
73.2%
Average household size
2.57
Owner-occupied
3.21
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Sterling
2.57
Arenac County
2.33
Michigan
2.54
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Sterling | Arenac County | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 155 | 6,552 | 4,076,369 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 14.2% | 15.4% | 21% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 32.9% | 35.9% | 39.5% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 23.9% | 18.9% | 16% |
| 1999 or earlier | 29% | 29.8% | 23.4% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 98.7% | 98.8% | 98.4% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.2% |
| 1.51 or more | 0% | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 1.9% | 6.6% | 7% |
| 1 vehicle | 20.6% | 29.5% | 34.8% |
| 2 vehicles | 51.6% | 41.1% | 38.3% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 25.8% | 22.8% | 19.8% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 89.7% | 77.1% | 83.6% |
| Electricity | 1.9% | 6.2% | 12.1% |
| Solar | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 1.3% | 1% | 0.8% |
| All other fuels | 7.1% | 15.2% | 3% |
| No fuel used | 0% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 1.3% | 0.8% | 0.4% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 0% | 1.7% | 0.7% |
| No telephone service available | 0% | 0.9% | 0.7% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$89,200
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
16.1%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.
Financial characteristics
Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Sterling | Arenac County | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $89,200 | $150,600 | $231,600 |
| Under $100,000 | 60.3% | 33.2% | 16.8% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 26.5% | 33.6% | 24.7% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 11% | 19.4% | 23.4% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 2.2% | 11% | 24.1% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 0% | 2.1% | 9.2% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 0% | 0.7% | 1.6% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 64% | 45.6% | 57.8% |
| Without a mortgage | 36% | 54.4% | 42.2% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $928 | $1,140 | $1,569 |
| Without a mortgage | $419 | $495 | $602 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $775 | $761 | $1,129 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
15.5%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Sterling
15.5%
Arenac County
16%
Michigan
32.4%
Adults without a high school diploma
12.5%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Sterling
12.5%
Arenac County
11.8%
Michigan
8%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
97
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
32.3%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| Sterling | Arenac County | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 97 | 2,625 | 2,312,914 |
| Nursery / preschool | 4.1% | 7.1% | 5.6% |
| K–12 | 75.3% | 79.7% | 67.9% |
| Kindergarten | 5.2% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 15.5% | 18% | 19.7% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 11.3% | 28.3% | 20.8% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 43.3% | 27.7% | 22.2% |
| College or graduate school | 20.6% | 13.2% | 26.5% |
| College, undergraduate | 11.3% | 11% | 21.1% |
| Graduate, professional school | 9.3% | 2.1% | 5.4% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 32.3% | 18.9% | 41.1% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 90.7% | 89.4% | 85.2% |
| Private school | 9.3% | 10.6% | 14.8% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
328
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| Sterling | Arenac County | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 328 | 11,376 | 7,008,507 |
| Less than 9th grade | 1.8% | 3.1% | 2.6% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 10.7% | 8.7% | 5.4% |
| High school diploma or GED | 39.3% | 35% | 28% |
| Some college, no degree | 24.1% | 25.7% | 21.9% |
| Associate's degree | 8.5% | 11.6% | 9.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.5% | 16% | 32.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 10.4% | 10% | 19.7% |
| Graduate or professional | 5.2% | 5.9% | 12.7% |
| High School or higher | 87.5% | 88.2% | 92.1% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$43,482
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
0%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| Sterling | Arenac County | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $43,482 | $41,256 | $50,316 |
| Less than high school graduate | $— | $24,940 | $31,851 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $36,667 | $36,084 | $37,777 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $42,656 | $41,491 | $44,844 |
| Bachelor's degree | $48,365 | $52,353 | $66,893 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $80,625 | $74,643 | $85,195 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 24.4% | 19.1% | 27.4% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 11.1% | 12.3% | 15.2% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 15.7% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 0% | 4.3% | 4.2% |
About Neilsberg Research
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.
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