Sterling, IL housing market
Homes typically sell in 35 days, below asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Sterling compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Sterling at a glance
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 3.8 months of homes for sale at the current pace. Buyers should expect competition on well-priced homes.
Home prices up 41% in 5 years
The federal house price index for the ZIP code around Sterling rose 41% over the past 5 years, slower than across Illinois (47%). Last year prices rose 5.3%. Carrying the Census median home value forward with that index puts the typical Sterling home at roughly $165,000 today.
Show as a table
| Year | Change that year | Since 2000 | Illinois since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | +5.3% | +85% | +96% |
| 2024 | +12% | +76% | +85% |
| 2023 | +1.9% | +57% | +73% |
| 2022 | +12% | +54% | +61% |
| 2021 | +4.8% | +37% | +44% |
| 2020 | +3.7% | +31% | +33% |
| 2019 | +3.8% | +26% | +32% |
| 2018 | +3.7% | +22% | +28% |
| 2017 | −0.7% | +17% | +25% |
| 2016 | +1.4% | +18% | +22% |
| 2015 | +2.1% | +16% | +19% |
| 2014 | −2.6% | +14% | +15% |
| 2013 | +0.3% | +17% | +11% |
| 2012 | −0.1% | +17% | +11% |
| 2011 | −2.6% | +17% | +14% |
| 2010 | +0.2% | +20% | +21% |
| 2009 | −1.2% | +20% | +29% |
| 2008 | −0.5% | +21% | +40% |
| 2007 | +3.7% | +22% | +45% |
| 2006 | +6.1% | +17% | +43% |
| 2005 | +3.1% | +11% | +35% |
| 2004 | +1.8% | +7.3% | +24% |
| 2003 | +0.6% | +5.4% | +15% |
| 2002 | +1.1% | +4.8% | +11% |
| 2001 | +3.7% | +3.7% | +5.6% |
| 2000 | — | — | — |
How Sterling ranks on rising home prices →
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (annual, developmental) for ZIP code 61081, weighted by land area. It tracks repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, so it shows how prices changed, not what homes cost. The estimated value scales the Census (ACS 2020-2024) median home value by that change.
1 new home permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 1 new home in Sterling in 2025. That's 0.1 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Illinois (1.6). Over the past 10 years, Sterling has permitted 23 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Sterling's population fell by 606 even though 91 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 1 | 1 | 0 | $390,000 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $514,000 |
| 2024 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $780,000 |
| 2023 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 2 | $400,000 |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $235,000 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $377,000 |
| 2018 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $379,000 |
| 2017 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $668,000 |
| 2016 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $640,000 |
| 2015 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $823,000 |
| 2014 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $650,000 |
| 2013 | 50 | 2 | 48 | $6.9 million |
| 2012 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $404,000 |
| 2011 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $1.8 million |
| 2010 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $642,000 |
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $190,000 |
| 2008 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $215,000 |
| 2007 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $336,000 |
| 2006 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $586,000 |
| 2005 | 12 | 10 | 2 | $1 million |
| 2004 | 30 | 18 | 12 | $3 million |
| 2003 | 13 | 7 | 6 | $970,000 |
| 2002 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $381,000 |
| 2001 | 28 | 8 | 20 | $1 million |
| 2000 | 31 | 25 | 6 | $2.7 million |
How Sterling ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Sterling and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling | — | +5.3%† | $920 | 1 | $57,350 |
| Coloma | — | +3.6%† | $940 | — | $52,152 |
| Sterling | $146K | +5% | $920 | — | $61,764 |
| Rock Falls | $122K | +0.8% | $940 | 1 | $49,600 |
| Hopkins | — | +3.5%† | $940 | — | $97,075 |
| Galt | — | +5.3%† | $920 | — | $112,569 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
1.9 years of income
The typical Sterling home costs about 1.9 years of the town's median household income, less than across Illinois (3.6 years).
How Sterling ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $920
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Sterling is $920 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Sterling pay a median of $859. A two-bedroom takes about 19% of the town's median household income.
Studio $670 · 4 bedrooms $1,220
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (61081; Lee County, IL), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Price trend: Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.