Cost of living in Sterling Heights 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 Heights is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Michigan, 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 Heights is 97, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Sterling Heights is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Sterling Heights ranks as the #136 cheapest in Michigan out of 175.
Sterling Heights ranks as the #2,747 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Sterling Heights is $213,200.
The median income in Sterling Heights is $70,211.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Sterling Heights has an overall cost of living index of 97, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Michigan, Sterling Heights has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Michigan's index of 92.
The standard of living in Sterling Heights ranks as #136 most affordable out of the 175 places we measured in Michigan. By definition, that implies Sterling Heights ranks as the #39 most expensive place in the Wolverine State.
For more reading on life in Sterling Heights, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Sterling Heights. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Sterling Heights is 110.
The Groceries index in Sterling Heights is 99.
The Health index in Sterling Heights is 97.
The Housing index in Sterling Heights is 88.
The Transportation index in Sterling Heights is 108.
The Utilities index in Sterling Heights is 96.
Living Expense | Sterling Heights | Michigan | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 97 | 92 | 100 | |
Services | 110 | 96 | 100 | |
Groceries | 99 | 96 | 100 | |
Health | 97 | 94 | 100 | |
Housing | 88 | 80 | 100 | |
Transportation | 108 | 97 | 100 | |
Utilities | 96 | 100 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Michigan, 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 Heights is $213,200.
The Median Rent in Sterling Heights is $1,117.
The Median Income in Sterling Heights is $70,211.
The Home Value To Income in Sterling Heights is 3.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Sterling Heights is 0.19x.
Statistic | Sterling Heights | Michigan | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $213,200 | $172,100 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,117 | $946 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $70,211 | $63,202 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.0x | 2.7x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.19x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
Item | Sterling Heights | Michigan |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $0.94 | $1.06 |
Movie | $11.26 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $19.8 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $18.95 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $54.27 | $39.05 |
Item | Sterling Heights | Michigan |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.55 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.13 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.44 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $4.18 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $10.82 | $10.62 |
Beer | $8.42 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.43 | $2.34 |
Item | Sterling Heights | Michigan |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $81.52 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $104.59 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $99.57 | $99.13 |
Item | Sterling Heights | Michigan |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.25 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $58.95 | $50.07 |
Item | Sterling Heights | Michigan |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $159.51 | $167.67 |
Phone | $178.81 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Sterling Heights. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Warren, MI has a cost of living index of 90, 0.9x Sterling Heights.
Troy, MI has a cost of living index of 113, 1.2x Sterling Heights.
Rochester Hills, MI has a cost of living index of 111, 1.1x Sterling Heights.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Sterling Heights |
---|---|---|---|
Warren, MI | 138,996 | 90 | 0.9x |
Troy, MI | 86,912 | 113 | 1.2x |
Rochester Hills, MI | 75,990 | 111 | 1.1x |
Royal Oak, MI | 58,368 | 101 | 1.0x |
Roseville, MI | 47,692 | 90 | 0.9x |
Madison Heights, MI | 28,719 | 88 | 0.9x |
Birmingham, MI | 21,728 | 134 | 1.4x |
Mount Clemens, MI | 15,735 | 89 | 0.9x |
Berkley, MI | 15,234 | 102 | 1.1x |
Fraser, MI | 14,703 | 93 | 1.0x |