Living in Sterling, VA
Suburb in Virginia
Sterling is a suburb in Virginia, home to about 31,000 people, with 4.9 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Sterling a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 11 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Family-friendly: playgrounds, family attractions and plenty of households with kids
- Low natural disaster risk: 6 federally declared disasters since 2000
- Big job market: about 4.9 million people live within 31 mi
👎 Cons
- Weaker public schools: test results below the US average
- Cloudier than most places
- Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
- Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $583k, and rent is $2,840 a month
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Sterling ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Sterling: common questions
What is the cost of living in Sterling?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $583k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,840 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 109, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Sterling?
Virginia collects about $2,198 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.86% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Sterling safe?
Sterling isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.
How are the schools in Sterling?
Public schools in Sterling test below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 11 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in Sterling?
Sterling has cold winters: winter days average around 44°F and summer days around 85°F, with roughly 21″ of snow a year.
Does Sterling get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and heat waves: 6 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.23 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Sterling?
The nearest major airport is IAD, about 5 mi away.
How Sterling scores
Each bar compares Sterling with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Sterling
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.
The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).
Nearby
See all the best places to live in Virginia.
Is Sterling right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.