Demographics of Sterling CDP, Virginia
Sterling CDP, Virginia had 32,411 ±1,903 people in the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024. The Census Bureau’s yearly estimates do not cover it: they count incorporated places and towns, not census-designated places. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.
Sterling CDP, in four figures
- 32,411 ±1,903
- Population
- ACS 2020–2024. The Bureau publishes no yearly estimate for a census-designated place.
- 18th
- Among Virginia's places
- Of 162 of 5,000 or more, by the survey's count.
- 35.3 ±1.4
- Median age
- ACS 2020–2024.
- $123,303 ±$10,297
- Median household income
- ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars.
Age, 2020–2024
The median age is 35.3 ±1.4: for men 34.9 ±1.8 and for women 36.2 ±1.8. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).
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| Age | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 2,354 ±459 | 7.3% ±1.4 |
| 5 to 17 | 5,356 ±604 | 16.5% ±1.6 |
| 18 to 24 | 3,054 ±560 | 9.4% ±1.6 |
| 25 to 44 | 10,482 ±834 | 32.3% ±1.7 |
| 45 to 64 | 7,547 ±683 | 23.3% ±1.6 |
| 65 and over | 3,618 ±461 | 11.2% ±1.3 |
Income and poverty, 2020–2024
Median household income is $123,303 ±$10,297, and income per person $46,481 ±$4,006, in 2024 dollars. The median is $93,170 ±$458 in Virginia and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.
Households by income
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| Household income | Households | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $25,000 | 780 ±272 | 7.9% ±2.7 |
| $25,000 to $49,999 | 1,032 ±296 | 10.5% ±3.0 |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 886 ±262 | 9.0% ±2.6 |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 990 ±189 | 10.1% ±1.9 |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 2,197 ±386 | 22.4% ±3.8 |
| $150,000 to $199,999 | 1,725 ±282 | 17.6% ±2.7 |
| $200,000 or more | 2,203 ±413 | 22.4% ±4.1 |
Poverty by age
The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).
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| Age | Below poverty | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| All ages | 2,572 ±880 | 8.0% ±2.7 |
| Under 18 | 626 ±273 | 8.5% ±3.6 |
| 18 to 59 | 1,356 ±550 | 7.1% ±2.8 |
| 60 and over | 590 ±225 | 11.0% ±4.0 |
Housing, 2020–2024
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| Measure | Sterling CDP | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 10,102 ±461 | 3,684,756 ±486 |
| Occupied | 97.1% ±1.7 | 91.3% ±0.2 |
| Vacant | 2.9% ±1.4 | 8.7% ±0.2 |
| Owner occupied | 71.8% ±3.3 | 67.3% ±0.4 |
| Renter occupied | 28.2% ±4.2 | 32.7% ±0.2 |
| Median home value | $526,000 ±$18,797 | $383,700 ±$1,024 |
| Median gross rent | $2,138 ±$227 | $1,579 ±$8 |
| Median year built | 1982 ±2 | 1984 ±1 |
Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.
Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024
Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.
Hispanic origin and race
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| Origin | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 15,942 ±1,694 | 49.2% ±4.4 |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 8,328 ±831 | 25.7% ±2.1 |
| Black alone, not Hispanic | 2,343 ±539 | 7.2% ±1.6 |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 4,902 ±890 | 15.1% ±2.6 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 1 to 51 | < 0.1% to 0.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0 to 28 | 0% to 0.1% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 146 to 556 | 0.5% to 1.7% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 519 ±169 | 1.6% ±0.5 |
A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.
Place of birth and citizenship
“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).
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| Born | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Born in the state | 10,446 ±1,060 | 32.2% ±2.7 |
| Born in another state | 6,135 ±671 | 18.9% ±1.7 |
| Born a citizen outside the states | 775 ±278 | 2.4% ±0.8 |
| Born abroad | 15,055 ±1,372 | 46.5% ±3.2 |
| Naturalized citizens | 6,593 ±906 | 20.3% ±2.5 |
| Not citizens | 8,462 ±1,162 | 26.1% ±3.2 |
Sterling CDP among the places of Virginia
18th of 162 places of 5,000 or more by the survey’s 2020–2024 count. Every one is listed on the Virginia page.
| Place | ACS 2020–2024 |
|---|---|
| Annandale CDP | 41,705 ±1,493 |
| Mechanicsville CDP | 38,683 ±1,413 |
| Oakton CDP | 36,528 ±1,886 |
| Fair Oaks CDP | 35,545 ±2,323 |
| South Riding CDP | 34,352 ±1,973 |
| Sterling CDP | 32,411 ±1,903 |
| West Falls Church CDP | 31,279 ±2,571 |
| Springfield CDP | 31,154 ±1,847 |
| Short Pump CDP | 29,026 ±1,236 |
| Tysons CDP | 28,936 ±1,835 |
| Cherry Hill CDP | 26,044 ±1,522 |
Sources
- Census Bureau population estimates — incorporated places and New England towns — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work
Data retrieved