Sterling, WI housing market
Home prices around Sterling have risen about 61% over the past 5 years. Builders were permitted 5 new homes in 2025.
Home values, sales, trends and how Sterling compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Home prices up 61% in 5 years
The federal house price index for the ZIP codes around Sterling rose 61% over the past 5 years, faster than across Wisconsin (57%). Last year prices rose 5.6%.
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| Year | Change that year | Since 2000 | Wisconsin since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | +5.6% | +168% | +143% |
| 2024 | +2.7% | +153% | +131% |
| 2023 | +13% | +147% | +116% |
| 2022 | +19% | +117% | +95% |
| 2021 | +10% | +83% | +70% |
| 2020 | +6.2% | +66% | +54% |
| 2019 | +5% | +57% | +50% |
| 2018 | +9.2% | +49% | +43% |
| 2017 | +6.8% | +37% | +36% |
| 2016 | +4.9% | +28% | +29% |
| 2015 | +6.9% | +22% | +24% |
| 2014 | −4% | +14% | +21% |
| 2013 | −1% | +19% | +19% |
| 2012 | −1.5% | +20% | +19% |
| 2011 | −4% | +22% | +21% |
| 2010 | −8% | +27% | +25% |
| 2009 | −3.7% | +38% | +31% |
| 2008 | −4.1% | +43% | +36% |
| 2007 | +2.6% | +49% | +38% |
| 2006 | −1.4% | +46% | +36% |
| 2005 | +10% | +48% | +32% |
| 2004 | +8.1% | +34% | +21% |
| 2003 | +4.5% | +24% | +13% |
| 2002 | +7.1% | +19% | +9.3% |
| 2001 | +11% | +11% | +5.2% |
| 2000 | — | — | — |
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (annual, developmental) for ZIP codes 54840, 54024, 54006, covering 80% of Sterling’s land, weighted by land area. It tracks repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, so it shows how prices changed, not what homes cost.
5 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 5 new homes in Sterling in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $1.7 million to build. Over the past 10 years, Sterling has permitted 19 homes in all.
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| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 3 | 3 | 0 | $1 million |
| 2025 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.7 million |
| 2024 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $641,000 |
| 2023 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $606,000 |
| 2022 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $740,000 |
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $400,000 |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $190,000 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $271,000 |
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $150,000 |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $150,000 |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $95,000 |
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 | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling | +5.6%† | $1,050 | 5 | $61,875 |
| Sunrise | +5.5%† | $1,650 | — | $110,938 |
| Amador | 0%† | $1,530 | — | $111,458 |
| Anderson | +12.7%† | $1,050 | — | $51,042 |
| Laketown | +3%† | $1,010 | 1 | $83,030 |
| Eureka | +2.5%† | $1,040 | — | $87,642 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 · figures for a place this size carry wide margins of error.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,050
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Sterling is $1,050 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Sterling pay a median of $919, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Studio $730 · 4 bedrooms $1,590
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (54006, 54024, 54840; Burnett County, WI), 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. 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.