Cost of living in Sterling research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Sterling is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Illinois, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Sterling is 84, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Sterling is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Sterling ranks as the #44 cheapest in Illinois out of 338.
Sterling ranks as the #629 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Sterling is $92,100.
The median income in Sterling is $47,778.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Sterling has an overall cost of living index of 84, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Illinois, Sterling has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Illinois's index of 92.
The standard of living in Sterling ranks as #44 most affordable out of the 338 places we measured in Illinois. By definition, that implies Sterling ranks as the #294 most expensive place in the Prairie State.
For more reading on life in Sterling, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Sterling. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Sterling is 97.
The Groceries index in Sterling is 96.
The Health index in Sterling is 107.
The Housing index in Sterling is 50.
The Transportation index in Sterling is 107.
The Utilities index in Sterling is 87.
Living Expense | Sterling | Illinois | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 84 | 92 | 100 | |
Services | 97 | 95 | 100 | |
Groceries | 96 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 107 | 96 | 100 | |
Housing | 50 | 81 | 100 | |
Transportation | 107 | 105 | 100 | |
Utilities | 87 | 90 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Illinois, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Sterling is $92,100.
The Median Rent in Sterling is $727.
The Median Income in Sterling is $47,778.
The Home Value To Income in Sterling is 1.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Sterling is 0.18x.
Statistic | Sterling | Illinois | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $92,100 | $212,600 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $727 | $1,097 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $47,778 | $72,563 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 1.9x | 2.9x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.18x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Sterling. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Moline, IL has a cost of living index of 90, 1.1x Sterling.
DeKalb, IL has a cost of living index of 94, 1.1x Sterling.
East Moline, IL has a cost of living index of 88, 1.0x Sterling.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Sterling |
---|---|---|---|
Moline, IL | 42,660 | 90 | 1.1x |
DeKalb, IL | 41,083 | 94 | 1.1x |
East Moline, IL | 21,181 | 88 | 1.0x |
Dixon, IL | 15,855 | 85 | 1.0x |
Peru, IL | 9,862 | 88 | 1.0x |
Rock Falls, IL | 8,807 | 81 | 1.0x |
Silvis, IL | 7,942 | 87 | 1.0x |
Mendota, IL | 6,996 | 88 | 1.0x |
Geneseo, IL | 6,774 | 89 | 1.1x |
Spring Valley, IL | 5,551 | 86 | 1.0x |