2014 · Sterling, Nebraska Broadway from Main N side 1 · Wikimedia Commons
Sterling’s story
Sterling in pictures
5 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.
SterlingNE
A town of 717.
Population
717
residents
Median home value
$130K
Census ACS
Household income
$70K
median
Median age
42.4
years
Jobs based here
95
A commuter town
Small town
717 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Sterling’s report card
Now in Sterling
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Sterling? Is a C+ for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Sterling’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sterling. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Sterling
Most working residents leave Sterling for work: only 6% work in town. The top destinations are Lincoln (23%), Tecumseh (11%) and Omaha (10%). Half commute less than 29 miles.
6%work in town
Where working residents work
In Sterling6%
Lincoln23%
Tecumseh11%
Omaha10%
Adams4%
29 mi
median commute distance
95
jobs based in Sterling
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Natural hazards
High risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 78% of U.S. communities.
78risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHail
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Sterling has cold winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
21″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–38°
Spring40–63°
Summer63–85°
Fall41–65°
Oct 10
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Schools
Sterling’s public schools outperform 39% of Nebraska districts
The public schools Sterling’s kids attend trail 61% of Nebraska’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
C+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling Elementary School | PK–6 | 143 | B− |
| Sterling High School | 7–12 | 81 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state testsAll 2 schools →
Health
How healthy Sterling is
Sterling beats the Nebraska average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2.
32 measures vs. Nebraska
5 better25 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Sterling | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.3% | 9.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.1% | 8.3% |
Johnson County Hospital
11 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
0% of Sterling is conserved land
0.2 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 251 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sterling Village Park | 0.2 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
A commuter town
94% of working residents leave Sterling for work
Where Sterling’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
95jobs based in Sterling
6%of working residents work in town
29 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Sterling
Village in Nebraska, United States
Sterling is a village in Johnson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 482 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 480
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,188 ft
- ZIP code
- 68443