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The Sterling handbook

Living in Sterling, WI: what to set up and who to call

Voting is local here: the Town of Sterling Clerk registers voters and runs elections, not the county. For a library card, the closest branch is Grantsburg Public Library, 12.3 miles out.

Which school will my kid attend?How do I register to vote?ZIP codes

I’m new in town

What to set up in Sterling, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.

PowerNorthwestern Wisconsin Elecinvestor-owned utility · 14.6¢/kWhMore →Internet6 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsMore →Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Sterling’s trash rules yetMore →SchoolSt. Croix Falls School DistrictWhich school depends on grade and addressMore →Register to voteOnlineRules from vote.govMore →ZIP codes54024, 54006, 54840Where people live, not P.O. boxesMore →
Home services

Power, water and internet

Who to call to start service at a new address in Sterling.

Electricity

Power comes from Northwestern Wisconsin Elec

Northwestern Wisconsin Elec (Northwestern Wisconsin Elec Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Sterling. Its homes paid an average of 14.6¢ per kWh in 2025, about $84 a month (its average across Wisconsin).

Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.

Internet

6 home internet providers serve Sterling

97% of 510 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 97% can get fiber.

ProviderTechnologyAddressesFastest (Mbps)
Farmers Independent Telephone CompanyFiber55%500/500
Lakeland Communications Group, LLC dba Lakeland CommunicationsFiber43%1,000/1,000
VerizonFixed wireless27%300/20
T-MobileFixed wireless15%100/20
GigFireFixed wireless6%150/130
AT&TFixed wireless4%25/3

FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.

Trash & recycling

We don’t have Sterling’s trash rules yet

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Sterling.

Trash, recycling and bulk pickupNot on fileOpenStreetMap lists no public drop-off in Sterling or within 5 miles (as of Oct 9, 2026); map coverage varies by town.
Schools

Where your child goes to school

Public school districts and the school path by grade.

Sterling kids go to
PK–42 elementary schoolsDepends on your address
5–8Saint Croix Falls Middlein Saint Croix Falls
9–12Saint Croix Falls Highin Saint Croix Falls

Most of Sterling (84%) is in St. Croix Falls School District; parts are in Grantsburg School District (16%).

Test scores and every school: see Schools →

U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.

Government & voting

Town hall and registering to vote

Who to call, and how to register.

Town HallBudget, officials, electionsSterling’s government in one page
Who runs elections hereTown of Sterling ClerkSterling runs its own elections (town clerk). 13021 W Bass Lake RD, Grantsburg, WI 54840 · (715) 220-9399 · [email protected]FVAP, May 2026
Register to voteOnlineIn Wisconsin you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 20 days before).vote.govCheck your registration and polling placemyvote.wi.govThe state’s voter lookup

Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated May 2026; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

ZIP codes & area codes

Sterling spans 3 ZIP codes

ZIP codes where Sterling residents live, with the share of the town in each.

ZIPPost office nameShare of SterlingZIP’s residents in Sterling
54024Saint Croix Falls, WI54%8%
54006Cushing, WI38%34%
54840Grantsburg, WI8%1%

Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.

Everyday places

Getting around, the ER and the library

One line each; the subject pages have the rest.

Nearest emergency roomBurnett Medical Center12.1 miles awayGet a library cardGrantsburg Public Library415 S. Robert St. · (715) 463-2244

ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.

Questions about living in Sterling

Who provides electricity in Sterling?

Northwestern Wisconsin Elec (Northwestern Wisconsin Elec Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 14.6¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).

What internet providers serve Sterling?

Farmers Independent Telephone Company, Lakeland Communications Group, LLC dba Lakeland Communications, Verizon, T-Mobile, GigFire, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).

What ZIP codes are in Sterling?

54024 (54%), 54006 (38%), 54840 (8%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Sterling in?

St. Croix Falls School District. Parts of the city are in Grantsburg School District.

How do I register to vote in Sterling?

In Wisconsin you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 20 days before). Elections here are run by the Town of Sterling Clerk. Check your registration at myvote.wi.gov.

Sources & dates

Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.

  • Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
  • Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
  • ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
  • Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
  • Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
  • Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
  • Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.