Sterling Heights, MI
Census place 2676460 · pop 133,573
Home of the Stellantis Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, a five-million-square-foot factory that builds the Ram 1500 pickup.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.8% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
15.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
95/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.32% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+0.8% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
26.7% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
36.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
25 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
229 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
3 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
17.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$274,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
31.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
11.1% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$79,909 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
42 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
1048 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,604/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.42 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
93.9% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
75.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
6.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
Frequently asked
- Is Sterling Heights, MI a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Sterling Heights scores 48/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is uninsured adults and its weakest is unemployment rate. Michigan overall ranks #42 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Sterling Heights, MI?
- Sterling Heights reports 229 violent crimes per 100k and 1048 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Sterling Heights, MI expensive to live in?
- Sterling Heights has a median home value of $274,300 and typical rent around $1,604/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Sterling Heights, MI?
- Its weakest measured area is unemployment rate (4.8%) — 15/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is Sterling Heights, MI best at?
- Its strongest measured area is uninsured adults (6.7%) — 79/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Home of the Stellantis Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, a five-million-square-foot factory that builds the Ram 1500 pickup.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.