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 Virginia, 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 132, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Sterling is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Sterling ranks as the #109 cheapest in Virginia out of 186.
Sterling ranks as the #5,326 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Sterling is $403,700.
The median income in Sterling is $110,915.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Sterling has an overall cost of living index of 132, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Virginia, Sterling has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than Virginia's index of 102.
The standard of living in Sterling ranks as #109 most affordable out of the 186 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Sterling ranks as the #77 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.
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 117.
The Groceries index in Sterling is 115.
The Health index in Sterling is 87.
The Housing index in Sterling is 174.
The Transportation index in Sterling is 116.
The Utilities index in Sterling is 112.
Living Expense | Sterling | Virginia | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 132 | 102 | 100 | |
Services | 117 | 102 | 100 | |
Groceries | 115 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 87 | 102 | 100 | |
Housing | 174 | 107 | 100 | |
Transportation | 116 | 95 | 100 | |
Utilities | 112 | 102 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Virginia, 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 $403,700.
The Median Rent in Sterling is $1,967.
The Median Income in Sterling is $110,915.
The Home Value To Income in Sterling is 3.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Sterling is 0.21x.
Statistic | Sterling | Virginia | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $403,700 | $295,500 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,967 | $1,326 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $110,915 | $80,615 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.6x | 3.7x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.21x | 0.2x | 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:
Bethesda, MD has a cost of living index of 192, 1.5x Sterling.
Ashburn, VA has a cost of living index of 149, 1.1x Sterling.
Clarksburg, MD has a cost of living index of 153, 1.2x Sterling.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Sterling |
---|---|---|---|
Bethesda, MD | 66,294 | 192 | 1.5x |
Ashburn, VA | 44,950 | 149 | 1.1x |
Clarksburg, MD | 27,354 | 153 | 1.2x |
Herndon, VA | 24,574 | 140 | 1.1x |
North Potomac, MD | 24,449 | 167 | 1.3x |
McNair, VA | 20,980 | 142 | 1.1x |
Franklin Farm, VA | 18,906 | 167 | 1.3x |
Sugarland Run, VA | 12,928 | 137 | 1.0x |
Cascades, VA | 12,509 | 150 | 1.1x |
Dranesville, VA | 11,951 | 165 | 1.2x |