Photo: KWayne1 · CC BY-SA 4.0185 homes sold in Sterling in the last year, at a typical $121K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Sterling homes are listed.
Every place Sterling homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Sterling.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Houses are 92% of Sterling’s sales, at a typical $120K
185 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 170 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $91IL $180
- Days to sell
- 51
- Sold over asking
- 34%
- Listings with a price cut
- 23%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 10 sold, typical $83K
Townhouses: 2 sold, typical $157K
Condos: 3 sold, typical $170K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.7 times the 2016 price
185 sales in the last year, against 218 in 2022 and a low of 49 in 2018. The typical sale went from $72K in 2016 to $121K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $150K buys in Sterling
Check a listing against what Sterling homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Sterling are more common than before the pandemic, and more homes are for sale
We read every month of Sterling’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 185 sales.
If you’re buying in Sterling
- Shop in May. It brings about 21 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (25% over asking).
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 97% of the list price on average; 33% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. 56% of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Spring brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 21 a month), but July is the most competitive: 46% of July sales close over asking. January has the least competition (12%) but only about 11 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and about like Illinois as a whole
| Sterling now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | IL now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 33% | 13% | 31% | 37% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 56% | 1% | 48% | 46% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 23% | — | 24% | 19% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 97% | 93% | 97% | 99.2% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 51 | 193 | 25 | 49 |
40 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.4 times the 2021 low (28), 95% more than in 2017–19 and well under 2015’s 109.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
23% in the last year, against — in 2017–19 and 19% across Illinois.
Sterling ranks 223rd of 324 busy Illinois markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Sterling is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Sterling home costs about $871 a month
Price: Sterling’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Sterling’s 2.4% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Sterling is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 7.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $121K home, about $2,880 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Sterling, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in SterlingTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Sterling.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Morrison and Polo sell for less a square foot; Dixon for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Sterling, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling | 185 | $121K | $92 | 33% | 51 |
| Dixon | 166 | $161K | $120 | 30% | 44 |
| Rock Falls | 96 | $117K | $99 | 33% | 43 |
| Morrison | 70 | $133K | $87 | 24% | 73 |
| Polo | 36 | $141K | $87 | 28% | 36 |
| Mount Morris | 35 | $140K | $100 | 37% | 20 |
| Prophetstown | 22 | $157K | $102 | 32% | 76 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Sterling, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Sterling. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Sterling with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Sterling
What do homes sell for in Sterling, IL?
185 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $121K, $92 a square foot.
Is Sterling a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 45 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 12 sold, about 3.8 months of supply. Buyers paid 97% of asking on average, and 23% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Sterling?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Sterling?
About 2.4% of a home’s value a year. On a $121K home that’s near $2,880.
Where can I see homes for sale in Sterling?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Sterling’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Sterling.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).