A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Sterling$1,060/mo

Typical home $146K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.38% · or rent about $859/mo · Housing →

Herrin$760/mo

Typical home $113K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.82% · or rent about $1,002/mo · Housing →

The difference: $290 a month, about $3,500 a year, between Sterling and Herrin.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Sterling places higher on 12 of 21 IL lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Illinois ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

–SterlingNot graded C−HerrinSafer than 19% of U.S. towns

Schools

–SterlingNot graded B−HerrinBetter than 46% of districts in the state

Health

C+SterlingHealthier than 36% of U.S. towns CHerrinHealthier than 33% of U.S. towns

12Sterling

8Herrin

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest depressionHealth · 861 towns #294#775 Most new homesHousing · 431 towns #338#125 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 861 towns #733#342 Lowest obesityHealth · 861 towns #404#737 Most remote workersWork · 849 towns #696#400 Most library borrowingLibraries · 262 towns #130#200 Most walkableOutdoors · 862 towns #59#237 Most-used librariesLibraries · 262 towns #146#197

Left end = #1 in Illinois. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Sterling’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

SterlingHerrin

Snow a year29″10″

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)44th 79th

Outdoors & history

SterlingHerrin

Trails3 mi 1 mi

Conserved land3.6%2.1%

Settled1838 1816

National Register places2 —

Archive photos6 —

Famous people born here38 —

Community

SterlingHerrin

Library hours a week49 hrs 47 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined1 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

279 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SterlingIL HerrinIL

Sterling ↔ Herrin279 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Illinois average

SterlingHerrin

People

Population 14,717Highest 12,226Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -3.9%Lowest -1.2%Highest

Median age 42.6±2.5Highest 9% above IL 41.2±2.7Lowest 6% above IL

Sterling and Herrin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 20.4%±2.3Lowest IL: 21.8% 20.8%±2.8Highest IL: 21.8%

Herrin and Sterling are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 21.9%±2.3Highest IL: 17% 19.1%±2.9Lowest IL: 17%

Sterling and Herrin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.1%Lowest IL: 37.8% 22.8%Highest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5%±1.5Highest IL: 6.3% 4%±1.3Lowest IL: 6.3%

Sterling and Herrin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $57,350±$5kLowest 31% below IL $59,975±$6kHighest 28% below IL

Herrin and Sterling are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $108,700±$6kLowest 59% below IL $113,300±$10kHighest 57% below IL

Herrin and Sterling are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $859±$50Lowest 33% below IL $1,002±$98Highest 21% below IL

Herrin and Sterling are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,588Highest 51% below IL $2,059Lowest 61% below IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.3%±7.4Lowest IL: 47.9% 51.1%±12.4Highest IL: 47.9%

Herrin and Sterling are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 15.3%Highest IL: 11.8% 14.5%Lowest IL: 11.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 65.1%Lowest IL: 67.1% 65.7%Highest IL: 67.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1957Lowest 14 yrs older than IL 1969Highest 2 yrs older than IL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 18 minLowest 35% below IL 22 minHighest 21% below IL

Work from home 5.8%±1.7Lowest IL: 15.9% 10.9%±4.2Highest IL: 15.9%

Herrin and Sterling are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 29.4%Highest 16.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 5.3 miLowest 8.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.32Highest 0.82Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Sterling Township (13%)Marion (23%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in HerrinFew work in Sterling

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.6%Highest 2.1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 2.8 miHighest 0.7 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 16Highest 2Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 111Highest 76.6Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#193 of 384 in IL

School district —Herrin CUSD 4

High school in town —Herrin High School

Students per teacherat that high school — 12.8

Illinois average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Sterling neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 1w

Supporting Local Businesses

1 neighbor in Sterling can answer.

Herrin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Herrin’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Sterling and Herrin

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Sterling

+ Compare

Coloma Township10,446 people · $87K homes

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Sterling Township17,089 people · $115K homes

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Rock Falls8,587 people · $84K homes

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Hopkins Township2,148 people · $164K homes

Towns like Sterling

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Dixon14,910 people · $121K homes

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LaSalle Township13,287 people · $123K homes

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Dixon Township17,253 people · $133K homes

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Pontiac Township12,266 people · $118K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Sterling vs Herrin

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $290 more a month in Sterling

Sterling places higher on 12 of 21 IL lists

What daily life feels like in each

279 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Supporting Local Businesses

Set another town beside Sterling and Herrin

Bordering Sterling

Towns like Sterling

Post to Sterling

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