Sterling County, Texas

TX · FIPS 48431 Republican

Located in Texas, Sterling County has a population of 1,468 residents and a median age of 32.1 years, making it the #3,159 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $147,000, and the median household income is $64,954, which is 14% below the national median.

1,468
Population
#3,159 of 3,222
$64,954
Median Income
-13.6% #1,636 of 3,222
32.1 years
Median Age
-17.5% #3,124 of 3,222
4.3%
Poverty Rate
-65.7% #15 of 3,222

Demographics

Sterling County has a population of 1,468, making it the #3,159 most populous county in the US. The median age is 32.1 years, which is 17.5% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

88.1%
Native Born
11.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Sterling County is $64,954, ranking #1,636 out of 3,222 counties — 13.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 4.3% and unemployment stands at 2.1%.

Income#1,636
$64,954
-13.6%
vs nation
49th percentile
Per Capita#2,548
$29,196
-29.2%
vs nation
21th percentile
Poverty#15
4.3%
-65.7%
vs nation
100th percentile
Unemployment#318
2.1%
-59.6%
vs nation
90th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Sterling County is $147,000 (-47.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $952/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.7%.

Home Value#2,299
$147,000
-47.9%
vs nation
29th percentile
Rent#1,173
$952
-18.1%
vs nation
64th percentile
Homeownership#1,009
77.7%
+20.6%
vs nation
69th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Sterling County, 24.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 27.3% below the national average, ranking #1,297 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
24.5% −27.3% vs nation
Rank #1,297 of 3,222
60th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

17.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 14.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Poor/Fair Health#1,304
17.8%
-9.0%
vs nation
59th percentile
Diabetes#1,891
11.4%
+2.4%
vs nation
40th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,571
37.6%
+0.8%
vs nation
50th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,040
5.4
-4.5%
vs nation
67th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#701
3.9
-12.5%
vs nation
78th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,557
14.2%
+35.3%
vs nation
19th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,288
24.8%
-6.0%
vs nation
59th percentile
Food Insecurity#587
11.2%
-22.3%
vs nation
81th percentile

Substance Use

14.4% of adults in Sterling County smoke , 36.7% are obese , and 22.2% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#531
14.4%
-19.8%
vs nation
83th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,086
36.7%
-3.2%
vs nation
66th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,433
22.2%
+11.7%
vs nation
23th percentile

Safety

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Families & Children

14.6% of children in Sterling County live in poverty .

Child Poverty#1,051
14.6%
-23.1%
vs nation
67th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Sterling County is 84.6%. The mean commute time is 25.7 min, which is 6.8% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
84.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
25.7 min −6.8% vs nation
Rank #1,767 of 3,222
45th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Sterling County voted Republican with a margin of 85.9%. The vote was 6.8% Dem / 92.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.5 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +85.9%
6.8% 92.7%
Dem 629 votes Rep
2020 REP +83.4%
8% 91.4%
Dem 639 votes Rep
2016 REP +75.6%
11.1% 86.7%
Dem 633 votes Rep
2012 REP +86.6%
6.3% 92.9%
Dem 494 votes Rep
2008 REP +68.3%
15.7% 84%
Dem 619 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Sterling County, Texas

Sterling County, Texas has a total population of 1,468, making it the 3,159th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Sterling County is 32.1 years, which is 17.5% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Sterling County is $64,954, which ranks #1,636 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 13.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 4.3%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.1%.

The median home value in Sterling County is $147,000, 47.9% below the national median. Renters in Sterling County pay a median gross rent of $952 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Sterling County, 24.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 27.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 73.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.7 min.

Sterling County is a community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 62.8% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (35.7%).

All data for Sterling County, Texas comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.