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 Colorado with 13,172 residents. The median household earns $43,283 a year and the median rent is $1,031 a month, which is 28.6% 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 80 largest places in Colorado, Sterling is #58 by population, #80 for household income (#1 = highest), #77 for college degrees (#1 = most), #5 for rent (#1 = cheapest). Its county, Logan County, is #37 of 64 counties for average pay ($50,507).
Sterling has 13,172 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of Colorado. It covers 8 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,729 people per square mile. The median age is 37.7, about the same as the state median (37.7 against 37.7).
The median gross rent is $1,031 a month (rent plus utilities), 41% below the state median ($1,031 against $1,761). Over a year that is 28.6% 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 $217,400, which is 5.0 times the median household income ($43,283); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 55.9% of households own their home, 16% below the state average (55.9% against 66.2%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Logan County was 3.9%. 53.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Logan County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 74.6% drive alone, 3.5% use public transit, 4.0% walk, 8.5% work from home. 7.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 50% below the state average (7.0% against 14.1%).
15.7% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 66% below the state share (15.7% against 45.7%). 6.6% of residents were born outside the United States, 33% below the state share (6.6% against 9.8%). The poverty rate is 19.0%, 101% above the state rate (19.0% against 9.4%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 78°F (25.8°C), and the coolest is Dec at 30°F (-1.0°C). About 426 mm (17 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (74 mm) and Jan the driest (7 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: Sidney (37 miles, rent 21% lower); Fort Morgan (40 miles, rent 3% higher); Evans (84 miles, rent 53% higher); Greeley (84 miles, rent 35% higher). Rent differences are against Sterling; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Colorado (1,073) →State guide: ColoradoCountry guideLogan CountyColorado 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 1,073 federal postings open in Colorado (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 | 21.1% |
| Retail trade | 17.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 14.6% |
| Public administration | 9.3% |
| Other services | 6.9% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 6.0% |
| Construction | 5.4% |
| Manufacturing | 5.1% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 4.1% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.3% |
| Information | 1.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.3% |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan County | 20,892 | $1,419 million | $67,925 | 7,704 | 656 | $50,507 | +0.6% | 3.9% | 9,837 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,018 | 24.0% | $36,732 | 1.32 |
| Accommodation and food services | 691 | 16.3% | $22,219 | 0.99 |
| Manufacturing | 320 | 7.5% | $52,374 | 0.51 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 302 | 7.1% | $54,203 | 4.84 |
| Wholesale trade | 294 | 6.9% | $59,363 | 0.97 |
| Construction | 285 | 6.7% | $56,097 | 0.70 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 260 | 6.1% | $40,658 | 1.12 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 238 | 5.6% | $57,393 | 0.73 |
| Utilities | 178 | 4.2% | $106,014 | 6.08 |
| Finance and insurance | 156 | 3.7% | $63,449 | 0.50 |
| Administrative and waste services | 113 | 2.7% | $54,087 | 0.25 |
| Professional and technical services | 111 | 2.6% | $60,349 | 0.21 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 106 | 2.5% | $84,194 | 3.64 |
| Management of companies | 62 | 1.5% | $85,292 | 0.48 |
| Information | 42 | 1.0% | $39,156 | 0.29 |
| Real estate and rental | 42 | 1.0% | $41,989 | 0.35 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 32 | 0.8% | $26,089 | 0.25 |
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 | 74.6% |
| Public transit | 3.5% |
| Walk | 4.0% |
| Work from home | 8.5% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 7.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $43,283 |
| Income per person | $22,573 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,031 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 28.6% |
| Median home value | $217,400 |
| Homeowners | 55.9% |
| Poverty rate | 19.0% |
| 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: Flat 4.40%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 37.7 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 87.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 15.7% |
| Born abroad | 6.6% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 53.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -0.6 | 31 | 7 |
| Feb | -0.1 | 32 | 12 |
| Mar | 5.5 | 42 | 20 |
| Apr | 9.8 | 50 | 50 |
| May | 15.2 | 59 | 74 |
| Jun | 22.1 | 72 | 63 |
| Jul | 25.8 | 78 | 64 |
| Aug | 23.9 | 75 | 56 |
| Sep | 19.0 | 66 | 33 |
| Oct | 10.4 | 51 | 26 |
| Nov | 4.1 | 39 | 11 |
| Dec | -1.0 | 30 | 10 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney | NE | 37 mi | 6,419 | $54,734 | $819 |
| Fort Morgan | CO | 40 mi | 11,605 | $64,158 | $1,067 |
| Evans | CO | 84 mi | 22,396 | $75,563 | $1,582 |
| Greeley | CO | 84 mi | 110,806 | $69,881 | $1,388 |
| Ogallala | NE | 85 mi | 4,777 | $58,556 | $667 |
| Gering | NE | 87 mi | 8,550 | $75,093 | $823 |
| Severance | CO | 88 mi | 10,130 | $124,572 | $2,569 |
| Scottsbluff | NE | 90 mi | 14,376 | $56,359 | $966 |
| South Greeley | WY | 90 mi | 4,631 | $56,844 | $1,376 |
| Cheyenne | WY | 91 mi | 65,239 | $78,839 | $1,118 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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13,172 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,031 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 28.6% of the median household income.
$43,283 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.9% (BLS county, Logan County (latest month 2026M09)).
Colorado. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.