How are homes heated in Sterling, IL?

Name: Heating fuel in Sterling, IL, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Utility gas is the most common heating fuel in Sterling, used by 79.5% (±3.6 points) of occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

19.6% heat with electricity.

0.0% heat with fuel oil or kerosene.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Utility gas: 79.5% (±3.6 points)
Electricity: 19.6%
Fuel oil, kerosene: 0.0%

Heating fuel in Sterling

Occupied housing units by house heating fuel, 2020–2024
Fuel used most	Sterling	Whiteside County	Illinois	United States
Utility gas	79.5% (±3.6 points)	72.8%	75.3%	46.5%
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc.	0.0% (±0.6 points)	0.1%	0.1%	3.9%
Electricity	19.6% (±3.5 points)	14.0%	18.6%	41.3%
Bottled or tank gas (propane)	0.5% (±0.5 points)	11.3%	4.2%	4.9%
Wood	0.0% (±0.6 points)	1.1%	0.3%	1.4%
Solar energy	0.0% (±0.6 points)	0.1%	0.1%	0.3%
Coal or coke	0.0% (±0.6 points)	0.0%	0.0%	0.1%
Other fuel	0.1% (±0.1 points)	0.4%	0.5%	0.5%
No fuel used	0.3% (±0.5 points)	0.2%	0.8%	1.2%

The survey asks which fuel is used most to heat the home, so a home with a heat pump and an oil backup is counted once, under the one it uses most.

In Sterling, the share of homes heating with fuel oil is not measurably different from Whiteside County (0.1%).

It is not measurably different from Illinois (0.1%).

It is lower than the national figure (3.9%).

In Sterling, the share of homes heating with electricity is higher than in Whiteside County (14.0%).

It is not measurably different from Illinois (18.6%).

It is lower than the national figure (41.3%).

Homes heated by electricity in places near Sterling

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Sterling
Place	Distance	Homes heated by electricity	Compared with this place
Sterling	—	19.6% (±3.5 points)	—
Sterling Township	1.1 mi	17.8% (±3.2 points)	Not measurably different
Rock Falls	1.9 mi	11.5% (±4.4 points)	Lower
Coloma Township	2.0 mi	10.6% (±3.6 points)	Lower
Nelson	4.6 mi	5.3% (±8.6 points)	Lower
Jordan Township	5.5 mi	2.9% (±5.2 points)	Lower
Hopkins Township	5.8 mi	6.3% (±5.4 points)	Lower
Montmorency Township	6.4 mi	9.1% (±4.7 points)	Lower
Nelson Township	6.4 mi	10.4% (±10.0 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Rock Falls, IL (11.5%), Coloma Township, IL (10.6%), Nelson, IL (5.3%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes heated by fuel oil across Whiteside County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes heated by fuel oil
4 (tie)	Deer Grove	0.0% (±82.3 points)
4 (tie)	Erie	0.0% (±4.9 points)
4 (tie)	Fulton	0.0% (±2.2 points)
4 (tie)	Lyndon	0.0% (±14.8 points)
4 (tie)	Prophetstown	0.0% (±5.1 points)
4 (tie)	Rock Falls	0.0% (±1.0 points)
4 (tie)	Sterling	0.0% (±0.6 points)
4 (tie)	Tampico	0.0% (±14.4 points)
4 (tie)	Albany Township	0.0% (±10.6 points)
4 (tie)	Clyde Township	0.0% (±24.2 points)
4 (tie)	Coloma Township	0.0% (±0.8 points)
4 (tie)	Erie Township	0.0% (±4.1 points)
4 (tie)	Fenton Township	0.0% (±13.9 points)

Showing 13 of 33 places in Whiteside County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Sterling

What is the most common way to heat a home in Sterling?

Utility gas is the most common heating fuel in Sterling, used by 79.5% of occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How many homes in Sterling heat with oil?

0.0% (±0.6 points) of occupied homes in Sterling use fuel oil or kerosene as their main heating fuel.

How many homes in Sterling have electric heat?

19.6% (±3.5 points) of occupied homes in Sterling heat mainly with electricity, which includes heat pumps.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sterling city, Illinois

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Sterling city, Illinois (place:72546, in state:17).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0063PE, DP04_0063PM, DP04_0066PE, DP04_0066PM, DP04_0065PE, DP04_0065PM, DP04_0064PE, DP04_0064PM, DP04_0068PE, DP04_0068PM, DP04_0069PE, DP04_0069PM, DP04_0067PE, DP04_0067PM, DP04_0070PE, DP04_0070PM, DP04_0071PE, DP04_0071PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.