The Town FilesSterling, Wisconsin
Town in Vernon County · population 550 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $222,600
- Household income
- $71,776
- Jan low / Jul high
- 6° / 79°
- Snow a year
- 41 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 13
- Median age
- 41.6
Sterling is a town of 550 people in Vernon County, Wisconsin. The median home is worth $222,600, below the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). It ranks better for a vacation home than 86% of Wisconsin towns, better for families than 73% of Wisconsin towns, better transit than 70% of Wisconsin towns.
How Sterling ranks
Percentile among Wisconsin towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Wisconsin towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Sterling is worth $222,600, below the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $71,776, which is more affordable than 55% of Wisconsin towns. Median rent is $850 a month. 80.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sterling | Typical Wisconsin town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $222,600 | $256,000 |
| Median rent | $850 | $951 |
| Median household income | $71,776 | $82,217 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.1× | 3.1× |
| Homeownership | 80.2% | 86.8% |
| Median year built | 1961 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 10.7% | — |
Who lives in Sterling
| People | Sterling | Typical Wisconsin town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.6 | 45.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 22.3% | 21.0% |
| Under 18 | 30.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.3% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12.7% | 7.2% |
| Veterans | 14.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.3% | — |
| Work from home | 10.8% | 10.9% |
| Average commute | 31.3 min | 24.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 84.6% | 89.1% |
Weather in Sterling
July highs average 79.1°F and January lows 6.1°F. About 38.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 41.3 inches of snow (typical Wisconsin town: 45.7 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 165 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sterling since 1950, compared with 15 for the typical Wisconsin town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 5, 1980 about 5.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 5, 2016.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 34 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on September 21, 2024.
Severe weather in Vernon County since 1996
Vernon County has been included in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 30, 2026 | Flood | DR-4923: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| April 4, 2020 | Biological | DR-4520: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3454: Covid-19 |
| August 27, 2019 | Flood | DR-4459: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| October 18, 2018 | Flood | DR-4402: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides |
Jobs and pay in Vernon County
Vernon County had 8,718 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,085 a year. Unemployment was 2.8% in 2023; in Sterling itself the ACS puts it at 3.3%.
Towns near Sterling
- Harmony, WI7.0 mi · 882 people · home $242,900
- Franklin, WI7.4 mi · 1,106 people · home $233,300
- Wheatland, WI7.5 mi · 588 people · home $228,300
- Jefferson, WI7.7 mi · 1,270 people · home $243,300
- Genoa, WI8.0 mi · 753 people · home $235,200
- Freeman, WI8.0 mi · 727 people · home $207,400
- Viroqua, WI9.4 mi · 4,504 people · home $209,900
- Utica, WI10.4 mi · 623 people · home $282,700
Sterling questions
Is Sterling, Wisconsin a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sterling scores better for retirees than 41% of Wisconsin towns and quieter than 41%. 22.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.6).
How much does a house cost in Sterling?
The median owner-occupied home in Sterling is valued at $222,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $71,776, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $850 a month.
What is the weather like in Sterling?
July highs average 79.1°F and January lows 6.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 38.0 inches of precipitation a year and 41.3 inches of snow.
Does Sterling get tornadoes?
13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sterling since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 5, 1980. The typical Wisconsin town has had 15.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)