Sterling County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Sterling County, Texas has a population of 1,468 across 923 square miles, up 1.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $281.9 m in 2024, 39 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 2 7(a) approvals worth $1.2 m.
92 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Sterling County
How many people live in Sterling County
- Population1,468
- Households399
- Average household size3.68
- Median household income$64,954
- Median age32.1
- Median gross rent$952 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$147,000
- Home value to household income2.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over837
- Population under 18509
- Share under 1834.7 percent
- Population 65 and over230
- Share 65 and over15.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64729
- Civilian labor force560
- Unemployment rate2.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.4 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties238th of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents3159th
Sterling County is the 238th largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 2.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 34.7 percent against 15.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Sterling County
Is Sterling County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.09 percent
- Census 2020 base population1,372
- Births, 202419
- Deaths, 202410
- Natural change, 20249
- Net domestic migration, 20242
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 20242
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-21
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1449th
The county has grown 1.09 percent since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Sterling County
Where people moving to Sterling County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving26
- People arriving, from those returns80
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$46,231
- Largest single originSterling County Non-migrants (429 households)
- Largest single destination (429 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling County Non-migrants | 429 | 1,046 | $42.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 26 | 80 | $1.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Sterling County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Sterling County
What the Sterling County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$281.9 m
- County GDP, 2023$299.5 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-5.9 percent
- GDP change over five years40.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Texas counties221st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2738th
- GDP per resident$192,031
Output grew -5.9 percent in the latest year and 40.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Sterling County
Who employs people in Sterling County
- Covered employment, annual average501
- Establishments reporting86
- Average annual pay$60,753
- Average weekly wage$1,168
- Sector 81, employment8
- Sector 81, average annual pay$26,210
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 81 | 8 | 7 | $26,210 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 8 jobs, 1.6 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Sterling County
What businesses operate in Sterling County
- Establishments, all industries39
- Employment at those establishments232
- Annual payroll$17.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Sterling County
How much SBA lending happens in Sterling County
- 7(a) approvals recorded2
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$580,000
- Median 7(a) approval$1,000,000
- 10th percentile approval$160,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,000,000
- Largest single approval$1,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)9
- Jobs per approval4.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term60 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countNursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) (1)
- Most active lenderThe First National Bank of Ballinger (2)
The average approval of $580,000 sits close to the median of $1,000,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 0.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sterling County
Do SBA loans in Sterling County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Cancelled1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sterling County
How big is Sterling County
- Land area923 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties106th of 254
- Width, east to west26.2 mi
- Height, north to south36.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land2
- Establishments per square mile0.04
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Sterling County
What hazards affect Sterling County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- The Building Permits Survey does not carry a 2024 record for this county.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Sterling County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Sterling County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population1,468
- Households399
- Average household size3.68
- Median household income$64,954
- Median age32.1
Common questions
Sterling County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Sterling County, Texas?
1,468, in 399 households, ranking 238th of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Sterling County growing?
The population has grown 1.09 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 19 births against 10 deaths, with net migration of 2. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Sterling County?
$64,954. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $147,000, which is 2.3 times income, and median gross rent is $952 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Sterling County?
39 establishments, employing 232 people with an annual payroll of $17.5 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Sterling County?
Average annual pay is $60,753, or $1,168 a week, across 501 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Sterling County?
2 7(a) approvals totalling $1.2 m since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $1,000,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is the radon zone for Sterling County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Sterling County come from?
The largest single origin is Sterling County Non-migrants, with 429 households. Arriving households report an average income of $46,231 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Sterling County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Sterling County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.