Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,094, settled in 1899.
Sterling City’s best subject grade is an A for cost of living; its weakest is a C− for walkability. Sterling City’s median age is 29.9 years, against 35.9 years in Texas’ towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Sterling City has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Sterling City beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Sterling City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sterling City, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Sterling City.
The typical Sterling City home is worth about $176,000, down 3% in a year, 41% below the Texas typical home. At $952 a month, Sterling City’s median rent is where Texas’ towns sit at $1,208 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. 78% of households own their home in Sterling City.
| Sterling City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $952 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 69% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by Sterling City ISD. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Sterling City School, with 335 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling City/Veribest Special ProgramsLargest public school before high school | – | – | |
| Sterling City SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 335 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Sterling City for work: only 12% work in town. 3.8% of Sterling City residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Sterling City fell to 221 in 2023, 145 fewer than in 2013.
| Sterling City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.8% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Sterling City beats the Texas average on 9 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
| Sterling City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Sterling City | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 8.2% | 10.7% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 15.7% | 19.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 7.8% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Sterling City has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. The July high in Sterling City is 95°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 54% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Sterling City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sterling City Park | 0.1 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Sterling City; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Sterling City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
Where Sterling City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Texas, United States
Sterling City is a city in and the county seat of Sterling County, Texas, United States. Its population was 1,121 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.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.