City · 14,717 residents · Whiteside County, Illinois
Sterling, Illinois
In Sterling, a typical home is worth $108,700 and typical rent is $859 a month. Compared with all of Whiteside County, typical household income is 15% lower, the typical home value is 14% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 12 points lower.
Typical home value from Zillow, September 2021 to September 2026: from $116,866 to $146,298.
From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).
Sterling is in Whiteside County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Whiteside County. See the county
What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.
1
Nearby, in Rock Falls, the typical home value is $83,900: 23% less than in Sterling ($108,700).
2
65% of households in Sterling own their home, against 77% in Whiteside County.
3
The typical household income in Sterling is $57,350,15% less than in Whiteside County as a whole ($67,500).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).
The homes here
Housing in Sterling
What homes there are in Sterling, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).
What homes there are
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Kind of home
Detached houseAttached houseBuilding of 2 to 4Apartments (5 or more)Mobile homeBoat, RV and otherUnreliable estimate
Sterling
Whiteside County
Illinois
United States
Kind of home: Sterling and its comparisons
Measure
Sterling
Whiteside County
Illinois
United States
Detached house
71%
82%
58%
61%
Attached house
2%
2%
6%
6%
Building of 2 to 4
14%
8%
12%
8%
Apartments (5 or more)
13%
7%
22%
19%
Mobile home
Unreliable estimate
2%
2%
6%
Boat, RV and other
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
0%
0%
Detached houses are the majority in Sterling (71%), but less so than in Whiteside County (82%).
Year built
Before 19601960–19791980–19992000–20092010 or laterUnreliable estimate
Sterling
Whiteside County
Illinois
United States
Year built: Sterling and its comparisons
Measure
Sterling
Whiteside County
Illinois
United States
Before 1960
57%
48%
38%
26%
1960–1979
25%
29%
26%
24%
1980–1999
11%
13%
20%
25%
2000–2009
5%
6%
11%
14%
2010 or later
Unreliable estimate
4%
6%
11%
In Sterling, half of the homes were built before 1957; in Whiteside County, before 1961.
What it costs here
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Value of owner-occupied homes
Unreliable estimate
Under $100K42%
$100K–$200K46%
$200K–$300K9%
$300K–$500KUnreliable
$500K–$750KUnreliable
$750K–$1MUnreliable
$1M or moreUnreliable
Value of owner-occupied homes: Sterling and its comparisons
Measure
Sterling
Under $100K
42%
$100K–$200K
46%
$200K–$300K
9%
$300K–$500K
Unreliable estimate
$500K–$750K
Unreliable
$750K–$1M
Unreliable
$1M or more
Unreliable
Monthly rent with utilities
Unreliable estimate
Under $500Unreliable
$500–$99958%
$1,000–$1,49919%
$1,500–$1,999Unreliable
$2,000–$2,499Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999Unreliable
$3,000 or moreUnreliable
Monthly rent with utilities: Sterling and its comparisons
Measure
Sterling
Under $500
Unreliable estimate
$500–$999
58%
$1,000–$1,499
19%
$1,500–$1,999
Unreliable estimate
$2,000–$2,499
Unreliable estimate
$2,500–$2,999
Unreliable
$3,000 or more
Unreliable estimate
With a mortgage
$1,147 a month
Whiteside County: $1,216 a month
Without a mortgage
$518 a month
Whiteside County: $547 a month
Owners with a mortgage
54%
Whiteside County: 55%
In Sterling, 54% of owners have a mortgage, and their typical cost is $1,147 a month, against $1,216 in Whiteside County. Without one it drops to $518.
How it changed
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Change since 2015–2019
Typical home value
Sterling+23%
Whiteside County+19%
Illinois+35%
United States+53%
Typical rent
Sterling+27%
Whiteside County+23%
Illinois+26%
United States+33%
Typical household income
Sterling+31%
Whiteside County+25%
Illinois+27%
United States+29%
Change since 2015–2019: Sterling and its comparisons
Measure
Sterling
Whiteside County
Illinois
United States
Typical home value
+23%
+19%
+35%
+53%
Typical rent
+27%
+23%
+26%
+33%
Typical household income
+31%
+25%
+27%
+29%
The typical home value in Sterling rose 23% since 2015–2019, more than in Whiteside County (19%).
Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in Sterling rose 27%, more than in Whiteside County (23%).
Income in Sterling grew faster than housing: it rose 31%, while home values changed +23% and rent +27%.
How people live
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
How people live: Sterling and its comparisons
Measure
Sterling
Whiteside County
Illinois
United States
Rental vacancy
Unreliable estimate
8.4%
5.0%
5.5%
Homeowner vacancy
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
1.0%
0.9%
More than one person per room
Unreliable estimate
1.2%
2.5%
3.4%
People per household
2.18
2.33
2.46
2.53
Drive alone
79%
81%
66%
69%
Carpool
8%
9%
8%
9%
Public transit
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
6%
3%
Walk or bike
7%
4%
3%
3%
Work from home
6%
6%
16%
15%
Other means
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
1%
2%
Typical commute
10 to 19 minutes
10 to 19 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
Fewer people live in each home here: 2.18 on average, against 2.33 in Whiteside County.
Many here get to work on foot or by bike: 7%, more than in Whiteside County (4%).
Do the math
What would you pay each month for a home in Sterling?
A typical home is within reach of the typical income
We start with a typical home in Sterling, worth $108,700, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 22% of the typical household income in Sterling, which is $57,350 a year.
The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Whiteside County.
Change the price, the down payment or the loan: the payment updates right away.
Your numbers
Local data
$
Starts at the typical home value in Sterling. Change it to the price you have in mind.
Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.
Down payment
%
That is $3,805 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.
This week's average ± a quarter or half point.
National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.
Adjust advanced details⌄
Estimated monthly payment
Local data
$1,032
at 7.18% · 30 years
Loan amount
$106,731
Total interest
$153,560
Paid off in
November 2056
Includes $1,836 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.
Does it fit the income?
Comfortable
up to $1,338 a month
Your payment · 22%
Tight
$1,338 to $1,721 a month
Hard
more than $1,721 a month
Compared with the typical household income in Sterling ($57,350 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.
Monthly payment breakdown
Principal & interest
$723
Property tax
$216
Home insurance
$45
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)
$48
You need at least $3,805 for the down payment, plus closing costs.
This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.
Total monthly payment $1,032; principal and interest $723.
The city and its county
Sterling and Whiteside County
Sterling is in Whiteside County, Illinois. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).
Sterling
Map of Whiteside County, Illinois, with Sterling marked. Around it, the neighboring counties.
Sterling
Whiteside County
Other cities with a page
Sterling's own numbers
Typical home value
$108,700
Typical monthly rent
$859
Typical yearly household income
$57,350
Households that own their home
65%
Effective property tax rate
2.38%
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).
Numbers for all of Whiteside County
FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$945
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+37%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
2.5%
HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.
Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Whiteside County.
A typical home in Sterling is worth $108,700: 14% below the county and 59% below Illinois. With the typical household income in Sterling ($57,350 a year), a typical home costs 1.9 times what the household earns in a year.
Years of income to pay for a typical home
The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.
Sterling1.9 years
Whiteside1.9 years
Illinois3.2 years
United States4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024
How prices have changed in Whiteside County
According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Whiteside County rose 51% in the 10 years through 2025.
FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Whiteside County.
Yearly change in FHFA’s price index in Whiteside County, 2016 to 2025
2016: +0.7% +0.7% 2016
2017: +0.3% +0.3% 2017
2018: +3.8% +3.8% 2018
2019: +1.4% +1.4% 2019
2020: +3.7% +3.7% 2020
2021: +5.1% +5.1% 2021
2022: +12.2% +12.2% 2022
2023: +3.3% +3.3% 2023
2024: +8.4% +8.4% 2024
2025: +4.0% +4.0% 2025
Change in FHFA’s price index in Whiteside County, Illinois and the United States
Period
County
Illinois
U.S.
Last year (2025)
+4.0%
+5.7%
+2.9%
5 years (2020–2025)
+37%
+47%
+47%
10 years (2015–2025)
+51%
+65%
+85%
The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data
Sterling next to Whiteside County, Illinois and the U.S.
Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.
Typical home value
Sterling$108,700
Whiteside$127,100
Illinois$263,300
United States$332,700
Typical monthly rent
Sterling$859
Whiteside$856
Illinois$1,274
United States$1,413
Typical yearly household income
Sterling$57,350
Whiteside$67,500
Illinois$83,390
United States$80,734
See the full table
Sterling next to Whiteside County and Illinois
Measure
Sterling
Whiteside County
Illinois
U.S.
Typical home value
$108,700 ▼14% below the county
$127,100
$263,300
$332,700
Typical monthly rent
$859
$856
$1,274
$1,413
Typical yearly household income
$57,350 ▼15% below the county
$67,500
$83,390
$80,734
Households that own their home
65% ▼12 points below the county
77%
67%
65%
Typical yearly property tax
$2,588
$2,598
$5,298
$3,119
Effective property tax rate
2.38% ▲0.34 points above the county
2.04%
2.01%
0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income
45%
45%
48%
51%
“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Whiteside County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Sterling
For a typical $108,700 home in Sterling, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Sterling's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.
FHA, 3.5% down$1,032a month
Least cash to close
Down payment
$3,805
Cash to close
$7,066
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
FHA MIP · $48
Conventional, 5% down$1,012a month
Down payment
$5,435
Cash to close
$8,696
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
PMI · $52
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI$850a month
Down payment
$21,740
Cash to close
$25,001
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
ITIN, 15% down (example)$950a month
Down payment
$16,305
Cash to close
$19,566
Rate
8.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Sterling
Loan
Monthly payment
Down payment
Loan amount
Rate
Mortgage insurance
Cash to close
Minimum score
FHA, 3.5% down Least cash to close
$1,032
$3,805
$106,731
7.18%
FHA MIP · $48
$7,066
580
Conventional, 5% down
$1,012
$5,435
$103,265
7.18%
PMI · $52
$8,696
620*
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI
$850
$21,740
$86,960
7.18%
None
$25,001
620*
ITIN, 15% down (example)
$950
$16,305
$92,395
8.18%
None
$19,566
Set by the lender
The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.
Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.
Typical rent in Sterling is $859 a month: about the same as the county. In Sterling, 45% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Whiteside County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($945 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $18.17 an hour working full time.
What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.
HUD fair market rent in Whiteside County (Fiscal year 2027)
Size
Fair rent a month
Hourly wage
Yearly income
Studio
$696
$13.38
$27,840
1 bedroom
$755
$14.52
$30,200
2 bedrooms
$945
$18.17
$37,800
3 bedrooms
$1,237
$23.79
$49,480
4 bedrooms
$1,242
$23.88
$49,680
Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027
By ZIP code
Fair market rent by ZIP code in Sterling
HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Sterling is in ZIP code 61081.
For 2 bedrooms it is $930: $15 less than the fair market rent for Whiteside County ($945).
Fair market rent by ZIP code and size in Sterling, fiscal year 2027.
ZIP code
Studio
1 bd
2 bd
3 bd
4 bd
61081
$680
$740
$930
$1,220
$1,260
ZIP code2 bd3 bd
61081 $930$1,220
1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Sterling when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD)Fiscal year 2027Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (external site)Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship fileData from 2020 dataCensus Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (external site)
You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.
We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Whiteside County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.
No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Sterling or Whiteside County. The ones below are statewide in Illinois: they work in Sterling the same as in the rest of the state.
IHDA second loan with no payments until you sell or refinance, for the down payment in Illinois.Offered by Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA).
No legal help resource on our list is for Sterling or Whiteside County in particular.
If you have a problem with your landlord, an eviction notice or a scam, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) search shows the free legal aid offices that serve your area.
Short answers with the numbers for Sterling and all of Whiteside County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.
How much does a typical home cost in Sterling?
The typical home value in Sterling is $108,700, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Whiteside County it is $127,100.
How much does it cost to rent in Sterling?
Typical rent in Sterling is $859 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Whiteside County is $945.
What is the FHA loan limit in Sterling?
Sterling uses the FHA limit for all of Whiteside County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.
How much property tax do owners pay in Sterling?
The typical homeowner in Sterling pays $2,588 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 2.38% of the home’s value; in Whiteside County, the rate is 2.04%.
Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Sterling?
We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Whiteside County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.
