Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 50/100
D+
Median home value$526,000
Washington $579,900
Median rent$2,138/mo
Washington $2,027/mo
Cost-burdened households33%
Washington 31%
Sterling
Loudoun County32,411 residentsLoudoun County Public Schools
69
B−
Suburbgrade score
7th of 60 Washington suburbs. Strong on schools and amenities, held back by housing & affordability.
69
Washington median 64
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for Sterling yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 69 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →
What living here is actually like
Written summary in preparation This page is waiting for its written summary, and for a person to check it. Until then it is excluded from search engines.
What Sterling is like to live in, by category
Bars show Sterling against Washington. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 85/100
A−
Within-state proficiency—
Washington median 78th pct
Student–teacher ratio10.2
Washington median 14.1
Graduation rate92%
Washington median 86%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 72/100
B−
Housing cost index92
Washington 100
Eff. tax rate0.81%
Washington 0.85%
Local sales tax5.77%
Washington median 5.77%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 67/100
C+
Mean commute24.2 min
Washington 32.4 min
Under 30 minutes67%
Washington 47%
Transit stops / sq mi8.3
Washington median 6.4 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 80/100
B+
Restaurants & cafés90
Washington median 87 · within 2 miles
Groceries10
Washington median 8 · within 2 miles
Parks86
Washington median 85 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 64/100
C+
Median household income$123,303
Washington $126,684
Unemployment3.7%
Washington 4.8%
Professional occupations39%
Washington 58%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
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No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.
Ask the people who live here
Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.
Nobody has answered for Sterling yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
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Do you feel safe walking after dark?
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Can you walk to a grocery store?
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Is it good for young children?
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Are yards and streets well kept?
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Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than Sterling on housing & affordability
Sterling's weakest grade is D+. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbHousingOverall
McLean12 mi from SterlingA 72 B− Potomac11 mi from SterlingB+ 67 C+ Burke17 mi from SterlingB 67 C+ South Riding9 mi from SterlingB 68 B− Brambleton7 mi from SterlingB 66 C+ Bethesda15 mi from SterlingB− 73 B Median home value: ACS 2020–24 · Ownership rate: ACS 2020–24
Common questions about living in Sterling
Is Sterling, VA a good place to live?
Sterling scores 69 out of 100, 7th of 60 Washington suburbs. It is strongest on schools and weakest on housing & affordability. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is Sterling expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades B−. The median home is $526,000, 9% below the Washington median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.81%. $2,138/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in Sterling?
Schools grade A−. The districts serving Sterling sit at the — within-state proficiency percentile, with a 92% graduation rate and a 10.2 student–teacher ratio. Sterling is served by Loudoun County Public Schools. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from Sterling?
The mean commute is 24.2 min, with 67% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 16% working from home. Transit density is 8.3 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in Sterling?
Within two miles there are 10 groceries, 90 restaurants and cafés and 86 parks, which grades B+ on amenities.
Are the homes in Sterling old or new?
The median home in Sterling was built in 1982 — close to the Washington median of 1983. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 82% of homes are houses rather than flats.
Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.