Sterling first appeared on the 1960 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village. In 1980, it was made a census-designated place (CDP).
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Sterling had a population of 5,918. The median age was 47.0 years. 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 111.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 111.0 males age 18 and over.[6][7]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[8]
There were 2,475 households in Sterling, of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 57.1% were married-couple households, 22.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 14.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[6]
There were 3,611 housing units, of which 31.5% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.7%.[6]
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 4,705 people, 1,676 households, and 1,305 families residing in the CDP.[9] The population density was 60.9 inhabitants per square mile (23.5/km2). There were 2,554 housing units at an average density of 33.0 per square mile (12.7/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.7% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 3.3% Alaskan Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. 1.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,676 households, out of which 40.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.5% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.1% were non-families. 17.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 30.6% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.2 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $47,700, and the median income for a family was $53,889. Males had a median income of $45,063 versus $27,946 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $20,741. About 7.7% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
