Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 3.0In Sterling, 72% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Connecticut
Sterling’s town government spent $17.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $4,566 per resident.
What stands out about how Sterling is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Sterling School District
Sterling’s elementary school district. The schools are run by Sterling, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $23,857 per pupil, $14,460 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Connecticut districts overall: 58% local, 35% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $4,566 per resident a year, or $12.51 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 43% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Sterling runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Connecticut towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools.
$4,566 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Sterling’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,566 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 19 Connecticut towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools: the median was $3,995, and the middle half spent $3,222–$4,840. Sterling spent more than 63% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($82,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Connecticut towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Sterling itself left out).
No trend yet
Sterling reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,551 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.61% of the home’s value, vs 1.81% across Connecticut.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Sterling’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Sterling’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Sterling →
Who’s in charge in Sterling
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Sterling’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on sterlingct.us ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 47 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (3,764).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
How Sterling voted in 2024
Official results for Sterling’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican69.4%1,403 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat29.1%588 votesOthers: 1.5% (30 votes).
Most votes in Sterling: Donald J Trump
Connecticut: Harris 56.4%, Trump 41.9%
of Sterling’s 2,796 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Connecticut: 66%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Sterling: Matthew M Corey
Connecticut: Murphy 58.6%, Corey 39.7%
President, 2024: Sterling, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling | 69.4% | 29.1% | 1.5% | 2,021 |
| Connecticut | 41.9% | 56.4% | 1.7% | 1,759,010 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
How Sterling compares with the towns next door
Sterling spent $4,566 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $6,281. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Plainfield | $6,281 runs schools | $4,209 |
| Voluntown | estimate | $4,955 |
| Sterling | $4,566 | $4,551 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Sterling’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Sterling’s government
How much does Sterling spend per resident?
About $4,566 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $4,566 was more than 63% of 19 Connecticut towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Sterling?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,551 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.61% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.81% across Connecticut. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see sterlingct.us.
Who runs Sterling’s government?
See sterlingct.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Sterling yet.
How did Sterling vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 69.4%, Kamala D Harris 29.1% (2,021 votes, official results). . Connecticut: Harris 56.4%, Trump 41.9%.
How many people work for Sterling?
80 full-time and 22 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $540,364 (about $6.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Sterling’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →