PlainZIP

Sterling, IL

Single-footprint Census roll-up for Sterling, IL: 1 USPS ZIP, population 21,934. Open the primary ZIP for household income, housing tenure, and commute from ACS 2023 5-Year Estimates.

U.S. Census Bureau, SimpleMaps US ZIP Code Database, delivery-area ZIP coverage

ACS city ledger plate

Sheet STERLING-IL · Sterling, IL 1 ZIPs · 21,934 pop · #14243/25278 · Whiteside County

INC-MID · RANK-MID · BELOW-PEER · BOOK-ONE · OWN-MID · POP-TOWN · SPREAD-UNK · HOME-LOW

  • INC-MID $67,586
  • RANK-MID #14243/25278
  • BELOW-PEER under Galt
  • BOOK-ONE 1 ZIP
  • OWN-MID 73% owners
  • POP-TOWN 21,934
  • SPREAD-UNK Single-ZIP book
  • HOME-LOW $123,400

Nearest income peer: Galt, IL (+ $2,771 income $)

Instrument codes from this city’s ACS household income, national rank, county-peer gap, ZIP book, owner tenure, population scale, intra-city income spread, and home-value band, not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Sterling

Lowest/highest poles plus county-sharing cities nearest Sterling on average ZIP median household income. Full ladder: /cities.

median HH income

What this shows County-sharing peers only, not the full US city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the mosaic is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-25

National city placement

According to ACS 5-Year Estimates, Sterling, IL sits among US cities with a below-median household income, on a town-scale population base, across a single-ZIP footprint.

44th pct
household income vs 25,278 US cities
21,934
city population (Census)
1
USPS ZIP codes covered
$67,586
avg ZIP median income

Income percentile ranks this city's average ZIP median household income against 25,278 US cities with ACS income on at least one ZIP. Scale and ZIP-spread words come from Census population and USPS ZIP coverage.

Below-median income with few delivery areas (1): read cost-of-living from the primary ZIP. Household income $67,586 and poverty 12.2% concentrate in 61081.

Owner-occupancy sits in a mixed band (72.8%) - check the ZIP page's tenure split before treating Sterling as a pure owner town.

Within Illinois, Cedarville is the closest lower-income city and Cutler the closest higher-income city by average ZIP household income. Their 1 and 1 ZIP footprints are the immediate statewide comparison set for Sterling.

Population concentration

Sterling's single ZIP 61081 carries the town

Sterling is published as a single USPS ZIP. Code 61081 is the entire residential footprint (21,934 ACS residents), so the city page and the ZIP page tell the same household story, open that ZIP for income, tenure, and commute detail.

Census ZBP business roll-up

Mid-pack ZBP load on Sterling's one ZIP

Citywide ZBP: 490 establishments, 10,763 employees , annual payroll $560,399k (~22 establishments per 1,000 residents) across 1 of 1 ZIPs. Peak business ZIP 61081 (490 units) ; leading NAICS Retail trade (82) · also Health care and social assistance · Other services (except public administration) .

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ZIP Codes in Sterling, IL

These ZIP codes sit in Whiteside County, which covers 12 ZIP codes in all; 1 of them fall in Sterling. See the Whiteside County roll-up →

Sterling lands mid-pack among the 11 cities sharing Whiteside County: Morrison, Prophetstown and Erie earn more and Rock Falls, Fulton and Tampico earn less. Deer Grove marks the far end of that range at $148,309, 119% above Sterling.

ZIP Code Population Median income Establishments Density
61081 21,934 $67,586 490 69
How we build city roll-ups · Guide: reading ZIP code data · BLS wages

Sterling roll-ups here are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial or relocation advice. ACS and Census ZBP figures are estimates; confirm the current table against Census before a money or move decision involving Sterling, .