Hot-summer humid continental
Sterling, Illinois
Whiteside County, Illinois · Population 15k · 666 ft elevation
Living in Sterling
Sterling has a hot-summer humid continental climate: hot summers (July highs around 83°F) and cold winters (January lows around 14°F).
Precipitation is wet at about 41″ a year, and it gets a fair bit of snow (31″ a season).
Skies are partly sunny (59% of possible sunshine). Summers get sticky, with about 35 muggy days a year.
Air quality is moderate: a median AQI of 45, with about 3 unhealthy-air days in the latest year.
Sterling at a glance
- Population
- 15k
- Elevation
- 666 ft
- Average daily high
- 59°F13th percentile
- Average daily low
- 40°F19th percentile
- Annual precipitation
- 41″40th percentile
- Annual snowfall
- 31″71th percentile
- Sunshine hours per year
- 2,658 hrs33th percentile
- Median AQI
- 4570th percentile
- Median home value
- $108k7th percentile
- Median rent
- $780/mo11th percentile
- Median household income
- $53k19th percentile
- Property tax rate
- 2.34%94th percentile
- Top state income-tax rate
- 5.0%
- Sales tax (state + local)
- 8.9%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.8%
- Homes with broadband
- 82%12th percentile
- Walkability index
- 7.634th percentile
- Average commute
- 18 min
- Math proficiency (8th grade)
- 22%12th percentile
- Reading proficiency (8th grade)
- 27%
- Violent crime rate
- 256 per 100k65th percentile
- Property crime rate
- 1,148 per 100k
- Overall natural-hazard risk
- 6620th percentile
- Outdoor access
- 1212th percentile
- Public land within 10 miles
- 0%
- Public land within 30 miles
- 2%
- Mountain relief within 30 miles
- 295 ft
Climate by month
| Month | High | Low | Precipitation | Snow | Sunshine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°F | 14°F | 2.0″ | 13.0″ | 149 hrs |
| Feb | 34°F | 17°F | 1.8″ | 5.7″ | 168 hrs |
| Mar | 46°F | 28°F | 2.6″ | 4.5″ | 207 hrs |
| Apr | 60°F | 39°F | 4.0″ | 0.6″ | 219 hrs |
| May | 71°F | 51°F | 4.8″ | — | 261 hrs |
| Jun | 80°F | 61°F | 5.6″ | — | 298 hrs |
| Jul | 83°F | 64°F | 4.3″ | — | 329 hrs |
| Aug | 81°F | 62°F | 4.2″ | — | 302 hrs |
| Sep | 75°F | 54°F | 3.7″ | — | 256 hrs |
| Oct | 63°F | 42°F | 3.0″ | — | 192 hrs |
| Nov | 48°F | 31°F | 2.4″ | 1.8″ | 153 hrs |
| Dec | 35°F | 20°F | 2.2″ | 5.6″ | 126 hrs |
Near Sterling
- Rock Falls, IL · 8.7k
- Dixon, IL · 15k
- Morrison, IL · 3.8k
- Mount Morris, IL · 2.7k
- Oregon, IL · 3.8k
- Fulton, IL · 3.5k
- Savanna, IL · 2.9k
- Byron, IL · 3.7k
Largest places in Illinois
- Chicago, IL · 2.7M
- Aurora, IL · 180k
- Joliet, IL · 150k
- Naperville, IL · 149k
- Rockford, IL · 148k
- Elgin, IL · 114k
- Springfield, IL · 114k
- Peoria, IL · 112k
Sources: NOAA climate normals, NASA POWER, EPA air quality, U.S. Census Bureau, FEMA, FBI, EPA walkability and EDFacts. Methodology