OHMap-doton-Sterling, 2007
Sterling’s story
143 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2007 and 4 maps from 1901 on.
- 1883Sterling is settled
SterlingOH
Home to 364 people, the town was settled in 1883.
Population
364
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$293K
+4% in a year
Household income
$61K
median
Median age
33.1
years
Jobs based here
133
A commuter town
Settled
1883
143 years ago
Is Sterling a good place to live?
1.4% of residents live below the poverty line in Sterling, where Ohio’s towns sit at 9.1% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Sterling has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
364 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sterling.
Work & commute
Most of Sterling’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.6 jobs for each of them
2%work in town
For Sterling, the typical journey to work is 21 minutes. Just 2% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. The top destinations are Wooster (15%), Milton Township (9%) and Akron (5%). The median commute is under 12 miles.
| Sterling | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 6.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Sterling2%
Wooster15%
Milton Township9%
Akron5%
Orrville4%
12 mi
median commute distance
133
jobs based in Sterling
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: low risk in Sterling, mostly inland flooding
29risk score of 100
Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 71% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in Sterling, 65% come from inland flooding and 11% from tornadoes.
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHail
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Sterling’s year
29″snow a winter
In July, afternoons reach 83°; in January, nights fall to 19°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–37°
Spring38–60°
Summer60–82°
Fall43–63°
Oct 14
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
The typical home in Sterling is valued at about $293K
$293KZillow home value
The typical rent in Sterling is $792 a month. Typical home values rose 4% in the year to September 2026. Sterling: 79% of households live in a home they own.
| Sterling | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $792 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 77% | 73% |
Typical home value
Sterling$293K
Ohio$246K
+4%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Health
How healthy Sterling is
In Sterling, 17% of adults worry about having enough food. Among adults in the town, 17% report frequent physical distress and 15% have diabetes.
| Sterling | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Ohio
0 better27 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Sterling | OH |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10.8% | 8% |
| More smokers | 20.6% | 15.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.6% | 7.1% |
Lodi Community Hospital
10 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%
conserved · 0 of 621 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sterling Ballfields | — | 6 |
| 2. Sterling Elementary Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sterling
16pages on Sterling
The big questions
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All 73 attractions →Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and 62 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sterling. Close and well known come first.
Big draw38 mi MuseumRock and Roll Hall of Fame580K visitors a year
Big draw25 mi MuseumPro Football Hall of Fame192K visitors a year
18 mi National ParkCuyahoga Valley National Park3.0M visitors a year
38 mi Stadium & arenaHuntington Bank Field
38 mi Stadium & arenaProgressive Field
37 mi MuseumOhio State ReformatorySources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pro Football Hall of Fame: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 · Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Unknown, Public domain · Huntington Bank Field: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 · Progressive Field: Jsawczuk, Public domain · Ohio State Reformatory: Niagara66, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Sterling: who provides what
Sterling is unincorporated, so Wayne County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerOhio Edison16.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesWayne CountyWayne County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Ohio you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereDirector, Wayne County Board of ElectionsWayne County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2020
ZIP code4427644276 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Sterling for work
Where Sterling’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
133jobs based in Sterling
2%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Sterling
University of Akron Wayne CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Orrville7.8 mi$7,723 in-state tuitionThe College of WoosterUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Wooster11.8 mi$61,640 tuitionOhio State University Agricultural Technical InstituteCommunity college · Public · Wooster13.8 mi$9,584 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Sterling residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
About Sterling
CDP in Ohio, United States
Sterling is an unincorporated, census-designated place in northwestern Milton Township, Wayne County, Ohio, United States with the ZIP code of 44276. The population was 432 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 965 ft
- ZIP code
- 44276
Questions about Sterling
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sterling, OH a good place to live?
Sterling has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Sterling is in here
Say something about Sterling.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.