Sterling Heights, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Sterling Heights, MI Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around average
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Sterling Heights | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 133,426 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3633.8 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.16% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.0 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 51,683 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Sterling Heights grew by 5.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 133,426 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Sterling Heights is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.0% of residents. That is 1.5 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 27,605 20.7% -0.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 26,771 20.1% -0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 29,418 22.0% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 24,649 18.5% +0.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Michigan, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.2% of the people living in Sterling Heights and men 48.8%.
- Women 51.2% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 48.8% Michigan 49.5%
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Economy
Sterling Heights has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Sterling Heights | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $79,961 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.56% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Sterling Heights is about 10% higher than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Sterling Heights | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $277,720 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,292 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.8% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Sterling Heights is about 17.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,292 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Sterling Heights spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 187 hours, about 7.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Sterling Heights | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.4 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.9 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 187 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,797 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.7% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 23,914 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,158 | 1,585 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Sterling Heights is 22 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in Michigan.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Sterling Heights has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Sterling Heights | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.2% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.56 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Health
Sterling Heights has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Sterling Heights | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.4 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.1% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.6% | 20.9% | 19.0% |
Sterling Heights, MI Compared With Nearby Cities
How Sterling Heights, MI compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling Heights, MI | 133,426 | $79,961 #1/3 | $277,720 #1/3 | 22.4 min #2/3 |
| Warren, MI | 137,927 | $63,316 | $150,587 | 22.5 min |
| Madison Heights, MI | 28,434 | $69,481 | $145,331 | 22.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Sterling Heights, Michigan.
How many people live in Sterling Heights, Michigan?
About 133,426 people live in Sterling Heights, Michigan, in 51,683 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 43.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Sterling Heights, Michigan urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Sterling Heights, Michigan has 3,634 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 42 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Sterling Heights, Michigan an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.5 times the median household income ($277,720 against $79,961), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,292 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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