Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Only 4 of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare have a higher share of residents 65 or older than Sterling. Sterling has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 782 in 1900, 480 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1965 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sterling, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Sterling.
Most working residents leave Sterling for work: only 6% work in town. At 24 minutes, Sterling’s average trip to work is above Nebraska’s towns (17 minutes) and close to U.S. towns (25 minutes). The top destinations are Lincoln (23%), Tecumseh (11%) and Omaha (10%).
| Sterling | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 6.1% | 34% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Sterling Public Schools. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 143 | B− |
| Sterling High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 81 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 78% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Sterling has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 15° and about 21 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
People 65 and older are 25% of residents (17% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 31% of residents (36% statewide). Only 5 of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare have a higher median age than Sterling. 21% of Sterling residents are under 18, where Nebraska’s towns sit at 24% and U.S. towns at 22%.
| Sterling | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.4 years | 37.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 21% | 24% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 28% | 29% |
46% women, 54% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.8 points. Across Nebraska, 49.7% of residents are women.
| Sterling | NE | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.2% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6% | 11.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.7% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.7% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.9% | 13.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.4% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.9% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.1% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.9% | 7.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 42.2% | 25% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.5% | 21.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.6% | 11% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.3% | 22.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.5% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
Sterling beats the Nebraska average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 21% of Sterling adults binge drink. Among 58 Nebraska towns, just 4 have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Sterling.
| Sterling | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 23% |
| What stands out | Sterling | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.3% | 9.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.1% | 8.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sterling Village Park | 0.2 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Sterling; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Sterling residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
Where Sterling’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Village in Nebraska, United States
Sterling is a village in Johnson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 482 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Sterling has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.