Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 735, settled in 1858.
Sterling’s average trip to work is 39 minutes, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 22 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Of the 363 Wisconsin towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Sterling. 38% of the land in Sterling is conserved, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 3.8% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Polk County Forest-Sterling Block, at 8,602 acres with 6.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. 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.
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1915 and 2 maps from 1955 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 Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Sterling.
30 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Governor Knowles State Forest | 11.3 mi | 5,202 |
| 2. Polk County Forest-Sterling Block | 6.1 mi | 8,602 |
| 3. Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway | 2.3 mi | 691 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
0.3% of working residents work locally in Sterling. The top destinations are Luck (10%), St. 14% of residents live below the poverty line in Sterling.
| Sterling | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.3% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Sterling has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 4° and about 43 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Sterling beats the Wisconsin average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 30% of Sterling adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Sterling | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Sterling | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.8% | 77.8% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 87.6% | 85.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.3% | 6.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sterling. Close and well known come first.
15 mi National park siteLower Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway799K visitors a year
16 mi MuseumFranconia Sculpture Park40 mi MuseumGolden Wings Flying Museum
38 mi MuseumWashington County Historical Society, Minnesota
39 mi AttractionStillwater Overlook3 mi National park siteSaint Croix National Scenic Riverway852K visitors a yearLower Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Franconia Sculpture Park: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Washington County Historical Society, Minnesota: Heritage Preservation Department - MNHS, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Stillwater Overlook: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Sterling; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Sterling residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Where Sterling’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Sterling is a town in Polk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 724 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated communities of Cushing and Wolf Creek are located partially in the town.
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.
