Subarctic
Sterling, Alaska
Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska · Population 6.8k · 151 ft elevation
Living in Sterling
Sterling has a subarctic climate: cool summers (July highs around 67°F) and bitterly cold winters (January lows around 9°F).
Precipitation is moderate at about 23″ a year, and it is a snowy place (85″ a season).
Skies are gray (48% of possible sunshine). It never gets truly muggy.
Air quality is excellent: a median AQI of 8 and virtually no unhealthy-air days.
Sterling is an outdoor hub: about 76% of the land within 30 miles is public (parks, national forest and the like), and the terrain rises and falls about 2,500 ft around town.
Sterling at a glance
- Population
- 6.8k
- Elevation
- 151 ft
- Average daily high
- 44°F0th percentile
- Average daily low
- 28°F0th percentile
- Annual precipitation
- 23″16th percentile
- Annual snowfall
- 85″97th percentile
- Sunshine hours per year
- 2,222 hrs0th percentile
- Median AQI
- 80th percentile
- Median home value
- $346k65th percentile
- Median rent
- $1,095/mo42th percentile
- Median household income
- $110k80th percentile
- Property tax rate
- 0.69%25th percentile
- Top state income-tax rate
- 0.0%
- Sales tax (state + local)
- 1.8%
- Unemployment rate
- 7.0%
- Homes with broadband
- 88%32th percentile
- Average commute
- 29 min
- Math proficiency (8th grade)
- 35%32th percentile
- Reading proficiency (8th grade)
- 45%
- Overall natural-hazard risk
- 9357th percentile
- Outdoor access
- 9695th percentile
- Public land within 10 miles
- 55%
- Public land within 30 miles
- 76%
- Mountain relief within 30 miles
- 2,526 ft
Climate by month
| Month | High | Low | Precipitation | Snow | Sunshine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22°F | 9°F | 1.3″ | 11.7″ | 88 hrs |
| Feb | 28°F | 13°F | 1.8″ | 14.5″ | 115 hrs |
| Mar | 34°F | 15°F | 0.9″ | 6.7″ | 205 hrs |
| Apr | 46°F | 28°F | 0.9″ | 5.5″ | 234 hrs |
| May | 57°F | 36°F | 1.0″ | 0.8″ | 293 hrs |
| Jun | 64°F | 44°F | 1.7″ | — | 304 hrs |
| Jul | 67°F | 50°F | 2.4″ | — | 282 hrs |
| Aug | 64°F | 48°F | 3.2″ | — | 241 hrs |
| Sep | 55°F | 40°F | 3.5″ | 0.3″ | 174 hrs |
| Oct | 42°F | 28°F | 2.8″ | 16.8″ | 128 hrs |
| Nov | 29°F | 16°F | 1.8″ | 13.7″ | 92 hrs |
| Dec | 24°F | 11°F | 1.8″ | 15.2″ | 65 hrs |
Near Sterling
- Soldotna, AK · 4.4k
- Kenai, AK · 7.6k
- Kalifornsky, AK · 8.1k
- Nikiski, AK · 4.7k
- Seward, AK · 2.7k
- Homer, AK · 5.8k
- Anchorage, AK · 289k
- Big Lake, AK · 3.3k
Largest places in Alaska
- Fairbanks, AK · 32k
- Juneau, AK · 32k
- Badger, AK · 19k
- Knik-Fairview, AK · 19k
- College, AK · 12k
- North Lakes, AK · 11k
- Tanaina, AK · 9.7k
- Wasilla, AK · 9.4k
Sources: NOAA climate normals, NASA POWER, EPA air quality, U.S. Census Bureau, FEMA, FBI, EPA walkability and EDFacts. Methodology