Housing data for Sterling Heights, MI
Sterling Heights, MI has an estimated 133,573 residents and 53,607 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Macomb County.
24.2% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,292 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+0.8%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 133,573 (±37)
- Housing units
- 53,607 (±944)
- Households that rent
- 24.2%
- Median gross rent
- $1,292
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +0.8%
What stands out in Sterling Heights
Rental vacancy rate: 5.0% (±1.9 points) in Sterling Heights, higher than in Macomb County (2.9%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 17.1% (±1.5 points) in Sterling Heights, higher than in Macomb County (14.3%).
Median home value: $274,300 (±$4,071) in Sterling Heights, higher than in Macomb County ($243,900).
Working from home: 15.7% (±1.5 points) in Sterling Heights, higher than in Macomb County (13.4%).
- Vacancy rate in Sterling Heights
- Types of homes in Sterling Heights
- Home values in Sterling Heights
- Commute and cars in Sterling Heights
Housing in Sterling Heights at a glance
- Median rent: $1,292 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,376 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 56.9% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 24.2% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $79,909 median household income
- Home values: $274,300 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,681 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $3,628 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 17.1% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 68.1% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 57.8% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 5.0% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 88.8% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 24.7 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 220 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +0.8% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 19.1% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 2.5% of homes have more than 1 person per room
- Fair Market Rent: $1,660 Small Area FMR, 2 bedrooms (ZIP 48310)
Sterling Heights against Macomb County, its state and the nation
| Sterling Heights | Macomb County | Michigan | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 133,573 (±37) | 879,853 (exact) | 10,077,761 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 53,607 (±944) | 373,413 (±193) | 4,622,236 (±795) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 24.2% (±1.4 points) | 25.0% (±0.6 points) | 26.8% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,292 (±$51) | $1,211 (±$13) | $1,129 (±$4) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $79,909 (±$3,056) | $77,837 (±$1,037) | $72,875 (±$293) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $274,300 (±$4,071) | $243,900 (±$1,814) | $231,600 (±$642) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $3,628 (±$48) | $3,404 (±$26) | $2,904 (±$9) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 57.8% (±2.2 points) | 58.0% (±0.7 points) | 62.1% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 24.7 minutes (±0.5) | 26.3 minutes (±0.3) | 24.2 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 93.9% (±0.9 points) | 93.2% (±0.3 points) | 90.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 41.7 years (±0.9) | 41.3 years (±0.2) | 40.2 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Sterling Heights covers 36.4 square miles of land, about 3,665 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Sterling Heights has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 132,476 (±41) | 133,573 (±37) | +0.8% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 51,615 (±581) | 53,607 (±944) | +3.9% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $1,025 (±$36) | $1,292 (±$51) | +26.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $187,600 (±$1,859) | $274,300 (±$4,071) | +46.2% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $64,833 (±$1,568) | $79,909 (±$3,056) | +23.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,416 (±$18) | $1,681 (±$34) | +18.7% | Down after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $2,875 (±$36) | $3,628 (±$48) | +26.2% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 27.0% (±1.2 points) | 24.2% (±1.4 points) | −2.8 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
| Rental vacancy rate | 3.2% (±1.2 points) | 5.0% (±1.9 points) | +1.8 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Sterling Heights
In 2025, the Sterling Heights Police Department reported 220 violent and 1,157 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Macomb County, the departments that report recorded 274 violent and 1,068 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Sterling Heights
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48310 | 100% | 43,354 | $1,398 | $274,700 | $78,058 |
| 48312 | 100% | 34,401 | $1,213 | $264,500 | $68,061 |
| 48313 | 100% | 34,015 | $1,171 | $266,900 | $88,065 |
| 48314 | 100% | 21,803 | $1,476 | $331,500 | $85,889 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Sterling Heights
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utica | 3.3 mi | $1,131 | $231,100 | 40.9% |
| Fraser | 5.2 mi | $843 | $215,900 | 26.7% |
| Clinton Charter Township | 5.8 mi | $1,194 | $225,000 | 34.4% |
| Troy | 5.9 mi | $1,602 | $420,300 | 26.7% |
| Warren | 6.1 mi | $1,225 | $193,400 | 28.9% |
| Madison Heights | 6.3 mi | $1,176 | $199,100 | 35.2% |
| Shelby Charter Township | 6.4 mi | $1,346 | $354,500 | 25.7% |
| Clawson | 6.8 mi | $1,253 | $267,100 | 24.6% |
Places in Michigan most like Sterling Heights
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Charter Township | $1,281 | $236,900 | $82,864 | 23.0% |
| Waterford Charter Township | $1,111 | $250,900 | $77,101 | 24.2% |
| Temperance | $1,321 | $250,100 | $81,503 | 25.8% |
| Comstock Charter Township | $1,061 | $241,500 | $76,376 | 27.1% |
| Woodhaven | $1,096 | $231,800 | $78,648 | 25.7% |
| Grand Blanc Charter Township | $1,173 | $251,800 | $84,520 | 29.6% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Michigan.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Sterling Heights, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,047 | $1,167 | $1,459 | $1,777 | $1,929 |
HUD also publishes a Small Area Fair Market Rent for each ZIP code in the area; the Fair Market Rent page for this place lists its ZIP codes.
HUD income limits for Sterling Heights, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $22,050 | $36,700 | $58,700 |
| 2 people | $25,200 | $41,950 | $67,100 |
| 3 people | $28,350 | $47,200 | $75,500 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $52,400 | $83,850 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $56,600 | $90,600 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $60,800 | $97,300 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $65,000 | $104,000 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $69,200 | $110,700 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $104,800.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Sterling Heights
What is the average rent in Sterling Heights, MI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Sterling Heights is $1,292 (±$51) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Sterling Heights?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Sterling Heights, MI is $1,091 (±$54) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Sterling Heights rent-burdened?
56.9% of renting households in Sterling Heights pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Sterling Heights?
Sterling Heights has an estimated 12,530 (±806) renting households, 24.2% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Sterling Heights?
The median household income in Sterling Heights is $79,909 (±$3,056) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Sterling Heights, MI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $274,300 (±$4,071) for owner-occupied homes in Sterling Heights (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Sterling Heights growing?
In Sterling Heights, the number of residents went from 132,476 in 2015–2019 to 133,573 in 2020–2024 (+0.8%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Sterling Heights?
The ZIP codes that cover Sterling Heights are 48310, 48312, 48313, 48314.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 48310?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 48310 is $1,398 (±$50) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sterling Heights city, Michigan
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sterling Heights city, Michigan
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sterling Heights city, Michigan
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sterling Heights city, Michigan
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sterling Heights city, Michigan
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Sterling Heights city, Michigan
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Sterling Heights city, Michigan
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Sterling Heights Police Department (ORI MI5076500)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
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 Heights city, Michigan (place:76460, in state:26).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
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.
Figures last updated on .