Jobs, pay and daily life in Sterling, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Sterling is a city in Alaska with 6,323 residents. The median household earns $102,415 a year and the median rent is $1,248 a month, which is 14.6% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Sterling compares. Among the 30 largest places in Alaska, Sterling is #16 by population, #2 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #3 for remote work (#1 = most), #10 for rent (#1 = cheapest). Its county, Kenai Peninsula Borough, is #15 of 30 counties for average pay ($62,398).
Sterling has 6,323 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.9% of the population of Alaska. It covers 78 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 81 people per square mile. The median age is 46.8, 31% older than the state median (46.8 against 35.8). It is a census-designated place: a community the Census Bureau counts as a unit, without a city government of its own, so services such as police, roads and zoning usually come from the county.
The median gross rent is $1,248 a month (rent plus utilities), 12% below the state median ($1,248 against $1,419). Over a year that is 14.6% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $353,400, which is 3.5 times the median household income ($102,415); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 86.6% of households own their home, 30% above the state average (86.6% against 66.8%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Kenai Peninsula Borough was 4.1%. 53.2% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Kenai Peninsula Borough; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 61.7% drive alone, 1.0% use public transit, 2.4% walk, 14.6% work from home. 18.4% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 117% above the state average (18.4% against 8.4%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
29.2% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 8% below the state share (29.2% against 31.7%). 3.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 56% below the state share (3.4% against 7.7%). The poverty rate is 4.5%, 55% below the state rate (4.5% against 10.1%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 57°F (13.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 16°F (-8.9°C). About 711 mm (28 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Sep is the wettest month (102 mm) and Mar the driest (33 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Soldotna (10 miles, rent 18% lower); Kenai (14 miles, rent 9% lower); Kalifornsky (15 miles, rent 12% higher); Nikiski (19 miles, rent 20% lower). Rent differences are against Sterling; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Alaska (324) →State guide: AlaskaCountry guideKenai Peninsula BoroughAlaska rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 324 federal postings open in Alaska (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 26.2% |
| Construction | 14.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 11.1% |
| Manufacturing | 10.2% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 6.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.1% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.3% |
| Other services | 4.5% |
| Retail trade | 3.7% |
| Public administration | 2.2% |
| Information | 1.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Sterling lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenai Peninsula Borough | 60,413 | $3,590 million | $59,429 | 21,474 | 2,368 | $62,398 | +1.9% | 4.1% | 28,608 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 3,223 | 19.7% | $67,533 | 1.05 |
| Retail trade | 2,903 | 17.8% | $37,926 | 1.35 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,605 | 15.9% | $30,897 | 1.33 |
| Manufacturing | 1,227 | 7.5% | $77,066 | 0.70 |
| Construction | 1,016 | 6.2% | $68,266 | 0.90 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,014 | 6.2% | $55,796 | 1.12 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 880 | 5.4% | $137,363 | 10.83 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 812 | 5.0% | $44,817 | 1.26 |
| Professional and technical services | 527 | 3.2% | $79,857 | 0.35 |
| Administrative and waste services | 353 | 2.2% | $51,712 | 0.28 |
| Finance and insurance | 288 | 1.8% | $74,717 | 0.33 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 285 | 1.7% | $28,957 | 0.79 |
| Wholesale trade | 222 | 1.4% | $86,996 | 0.26 |
| Real estate and rental | 216 | 1.3% | $69,840 | 0.65 |
| Utilities | 213 | 1.3% | $127,249 | 2.61 |
| Information | 191 | 1.2% | $60,664 | 0.47 |
| Educational services | 179 | 1.1% | $32,197 | 0.40 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 151 | 0.9% | $49,557 | 0.87 |
| Management of companies | 31 | 0.2% | $96,349 | 0.09 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 61.7% |
| Public transit | 1.0% |
| Walk | 2.4% |
| Work from home | 14.6% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 18.4% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $102,415 |
| Income per person | $64,024 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,248 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 14.6% |
| Median home value | $353,400 |
| Homeowners | 86.6% |
| Poverty rate | 4.5% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 46.8 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 97.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 29.2% |
| Born abroad | 3.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 53.2% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -8.9 | 16 | 46 |
| Feb | -6.8 | 20 | 44 |
| Mar | -5.6 | 22 | 33 |
| Apr | 1.1 | 34 | 34 |
| May | 7.0 | 45 | 40 |
| Jun | 11.6 | 53 | 52 |
| Jul | 13.8 | 57 | 73 |
| Aug | 12.8 | 55 | 95 |
| Sep | 8.4 | 47 | 102 |
| Oct | 1.9 | 35 | 77 |
| Nov | -5.4 | 22 | 60 |
| Dec | -7.5 | 18 | 55 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soldotna | AK | 10 mi | 4,485 | $56,280 | $1,020 |
| Kenai | AK | 14 mi | 7,641 | $87,083 | $1,138 |
| Kalifornsky | AK | 15 mi | 8,663 | $93,508 | $1,394 |
| Nikiski | AK | 19 mi | 4,773 | $65,863 | $996 |
| Homer | AK | 66 mi | 5,877 | $74,449 | $1,238 |
| Anchorage | AK | 67 mi | 288,976 | $103,284 | $1,489 |
| Knik-Fairview | AK | 78 mi | 19,972 | $96,437 | $1,588 |
| Wasilla | AK | 85 mi | 9,720 | $67,234 | $1,153 |
| Meadow Lakes | AK | 86 mi | 8,689 | $81,699 | $1,377 |
| South Lakes | AK | 88 mi | 6,180 | $98,141 | $1,178 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
6,323 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,248 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 14.6% of the median household income.
$102,415 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.1% (BLS county, Kenai Peninsula Borough (latest month 2026M09)).
Alaska. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.