Sterling Heights is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northern suburb of Detroit, Sterling Heights is located roughly 18 miles (29.0 km) north of Downtown. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 134,346, placing Sterling Heights as the second-largest suburb of Detroit and the fourth-most populous city in Michigan.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Sterling Heights ranks

All →

#34Most walkable in MI #71Closest to a top hospital in MI #116Lowest depression in MI All MI rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code48310, 48311, 48312

Area code586

Living in Sterling Heights

Housing in Sterling Heights

$309K▲ 1.4% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Sterling Heights home is worth about $309,000, up 1.4% in a year, 16% above the Michigan typical home.

A strong seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market12

Sale-to-list100.6%

Sold in May132

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Sterling Heights

B⁻

Safety Grade B-

Sterling Heights reports less crime per resident than 50% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

Violent crime per 1,000

Sterling Heights 2.2

Michigan 4.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Sterling Heights 11.5

Michigan 13

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Sterling Heights

Full picture →

Most working residents leave Sterling Heights for work: only 12% work in town. The top destinations are Troy (11%), Warren (10%) and Detroit (8%). Half commute less than 9 miles.

Troy

11%

Warren

10%

Detroit

Clinton

12%Work in townlive and work in Sterling Heights 9 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 52,562Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2021 · ACSWork & commute in Sterling Heights →

Health in Sterling Heights

B⁻

Health Grade B−

Healthier than 48% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with Michigan

≈Just like Michigan

No difference on any of 32 measures is outside the margin of error.

Conditions all close Habits all close Care all close Mind all close Everyday needs all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

Nothing stands out: Sterling Heights tracks Michigan closely.

Care nearby

Beaumont Hospital, TroyTroy · 4.1 mi · ER

Advantage HealthWarren · 4.4 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careNo shortage

DentalNo shortage

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Sterling Heights · CMS · HRSAHealth in Sterling Heights →

Natural hazards in Sterling Heights

Moderate

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 42% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🌪️ Tornadoes🥶 Cold waves

23Does Sterling Heights flood?paid flood claims since 1979 7Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Sterling Heights MapSterling Heights vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Sterling Heights →

Climate in Sterling Heights

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Sterling Heights has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 32 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

34° / 21°Winter

57° / 38°Spring

81° / 61°Summer

61° / 43°Fall

How much snow does Sterling Heights get?About 32 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 31, with the last in spring around Apr 21.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+1.7° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Sterling Heights →

Schools in Sterling Heights

All Sterling Heights schools →

B⁺

School Grade B+

The public schools Sterling Heights’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 73% of Michigan’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

See how Sterling Heights’s schools compare in MI →

DistrictUtica Community SchoolsSchools35

Schuchard Elementary School C+Elementary · Grades PK–6 · 602 students Schwarzkoff Elementary School B-Elementary · Grades PK–6 · 597 students Havel Elementary School BElementary · Grades PK–6 · 571 students Oakbrook Elementary School BElementary · Grades PK–6 · 535 students Dekeyser Elementary School B+Elementary · Grades PK–6 · 512 students Graebner Elementary School B-Elementary · Grades PK–6 · 509 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within MI. Ratings are from neighbors.