Population

Sterling Heights

133,473

College Station

122,280

Median Income

Sterling Heights

$78,429

College Station

$51,776

Home Value

Sterling Heights

$260,700

College Station

$326,500

Rent

Sterling Heights

$1,267

College Station

$1,168

Crime Rate

Sterling Heights

2.31

College Station

1.70

Cost of Living

Sterling Heights

122.4

College Station

111.3

Avg Temp

Sterling Heights

N/A

College Station

N/A

Unemployment

Sterling Heights

6.2%

College Station

4.8%

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How Similar Are Sterling Heights & College Station?

College Station is Sterling Heights's #17 most similar city

5/10

5 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Sterling Heights

133,473

vs

College Station

122,280

Match · 8% difference

Both cities have similar populations — Sterling Heights at 133,473 and College Station at 122,280.

Violent Crime

Sterling Heights

2.31

vs

College Station

1.70

Different · 26% difference
🚨

Sterling Heights has a 26% higher violent crime than College Station.

Property Crime

🔒

Sterling Heights

10.42

vs

College Station

11.03

Match · 5% difference

Both cities have similar property crime — just a 5% difference.

Political Leaning

Sterling Heights

55.9%

vs

College Station

61.7%

Match · 9% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Republican with similar vote shares — 9% difference.

Unemployment

💼

Sterling Heights

6.2%

vs

College Station

4.8%

Different · 22% difference

Sterling Heights has a 22% higher unemployment than College Station.

Median Income

Sterling Heights

$78,429

vs

College Station

$51,776

Different · 34% difference
💰

Sterling Heights has a 34% higher median income than College Station.

Home Values

🏠

Sterling Heights

$260,700

vs

College Station

$326,500

Different · 20% difference

College Station has a 20% higher home values than Sterling Heights.

Education

Sterling Heights

22.4%

vs

College Station

24.5%

Match · 8% difference
🎓

Both cities have similar education — just a 8% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Sterling Heights

78.9%

vs

College Station

67.0%

Different · 15% difference

Sterling Heights has a 15% higher demographics than College Station.

Cost of Living

Sterling Heights

122.4

vs

College Station

111.3

Match · 9% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 9% difference.

5 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Sterling Heights and College Station share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Sterling Heights

vsof 8

0

College Station

College Station leads in 4 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — College Station leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

College Station scores 72.5 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 106.9 in Sterling Heights. College Station scores 89.6 on the food index (100 = national avg) vs 109.9 in Sterling Heights. College Station has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,186 vs $1,411 in Sterling Heights (19% lower).

Overall Cost Index

Sterling Heights122.4
College Station111.3

Housing Index

Sterling Heights141.8
College Station158.2

Food Index

Sterling Heights109.9
College Station89.6

Transportation Index

Sterling Heights106.9
College Station72.5

Healthcare Index

Sterling Heights108.0
College Station91.7

Utilities Index

Sterling Heights114.3
College Station105.4

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Sterling Heights$53,843
College Station$48,954

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Sterling Heights$127,266
College Station$115,710

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Sterling Heights$1,122
College Station$1,082

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Sterling Heights$1,411
College Station$1,186

Housing Market — Sterling Heights leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Sterling Heights has a owner-occupied of 76.4% compared to 35.9% in College Station. Sterling Heights has a vacancy rate of 3.5% compared to 11.9% in College Station. Sterling Heights has a single-family homes of 76.2% compared to 49.5% in College Station.

Median Home Value

Sterling Heights$260,700
College Station$326,500

Median Rent

Sterling Heights$1,267
College Station$1,168

Median Property Tax

Sterling Heights$3,559
College Station$5,742

Owner-Occupied

Sterling Heights76.4%
College Station35.9%

Vacancy Rate

Sterling Heights3.5%
College Station11.9%

Single-Family Homes

Sterling Heights76.2%
College Station49.5%

Jobs & Economy — Sterling Heights leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Sterling Heights has a poverty rate of 10.6% compared to 28.6% in College Station. Sterling Heights has a median household income of $78,429 vs $51,776 in College Station (51% higher). College Station: 15 min vs Sterling Heights: 22 min for mean commute.

Median Household Income

Sterling Heights$78,429
College Station$51,776

Per Capita Income

Sterling Heights$37,315
College Station$32,123

Poverty Rate

Sterling Heights10.6%
College Station28.6%

Unemployment Rate

Sterling Heights6.2%
College Station4.8%

Labor Force

Sterling Heights68,559
College Station64,476

Mean Commute

Sterling Heights22 min
College Station15 min

Work from Home

Sterling Heights13.8%
College Station12.1%

Private Sector

Sterling Heights97.8%
College Station87.8%

Government Sector

Sterling Heights47.1%
College Station37.3%

Crime & Safety — College Station leads

Source: FBI UCR

College Station has a assault rate (per 1k) of 0.97 compared to 1.83 in Sterling Heights. Sterling Heights has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.01 compared to 0.02 in College Station. Sterling Heights has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 0.77 compared to 1.62 in College Station.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Sterling Heights2.31
College Station1.70

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Sterling Heights10.42
College Station11.03

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Sterling Heights0.01
College Station0.02

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Sterling Heights0.15
College Station0.12

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Sterling Heights1.83
College Station0.97

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Sterling Heights0.77
College Station1.62

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Sterling Heights7.89
College Station8.43

Violent Crime Clearance

Sterling Heights49.2%
College Station66.2%

Property Crime Clearance

Sterling Heights14.5%
College Station16.2%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

Sterling HeightsN/A
College StationN/A

Avg Annual High

Sterling HeightsN/A
College StationN/A

Avg Annual Low

Sterling HeightsN/A
College StationN/A

Sunny Days per Year

Sterling HeightsN/A
College StationN/A

Annual Rainfall

Sterling HeightsN/A
College StationN/A

Annual Snowfall

Sterling HeightsN/A
College StationN/A

Avg Humidity

Sterling HeightsN/A
College StationN/A

Schools & Education

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Sterling Heights has a high school diploma or higher of 42.4% compared to 30.7% in College Station. College Station has a bachelor's degree or higher of 24.5% compared to 22.4% in Sterling Heights.

Public Schools

Sterling Heights0
College Station0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

Sterling HeightsN/A
College StationN/A

Colleges & Universities

Sterling Heights0
College Station0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Sterling Heights22.4%
College Station24.5%

High School Diploma or Higher

Sterling Heights42.4%
College Station30.7%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Sterling Heights has a population of 133,473, about 1.1x the size of College Station (122,280). College Station skews younger with a median age of 22.9 vs 41.5.

Population

Sterling Heights133,473
College Station122,280

Median Age

Sterling Heights42
College Station23

Avg Household Size

Sterling Heights2.6
College Station2.4

Married Population

Sterling Heights45.1%
College Station27.8%

Foreign Born

Sterling Heights27.4%
College Station12.3%

White

Sterling Heights78.9%
College Station67.0%

Black

Sterling Heights6.5%
College Station8.8%

Hispanic

Sterling Heights2.4%
College Station18.4%

Asian

Sterling Heights9.0%
College Station9.6%

Sterling Heights

College Station

Healthcare — College Station leads

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

College Station: 3.5 vs Sterling Heights: 2.0 for avg cms rating (out of 5). College Station: 5 vs Sterling Heights: 4 for with emergency services.

Nearby Hospitals

Sterling Heights5
College Station5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Sterling Heights2.0
College Station3.5

With Emergency Services

Sterling Heights4
College Station5

Transportation & Commute — College Station leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

College Station has a public transit of 2.3% compared to 0.5% in Sterling Heights. College Station has a bicycle of 1.9% compared to 0.4% in Sterling Heights. College Station: 15 min vs Sterling Heights: 22 min for mean commute time.

Mean Commute Time

Sterling Heights22 min
College Station15 min

Drive Alone

Sterling Heights74.7%
College Station70.8%

Public Transit

Sterling Heights0.5%
College Station2.3%

Bicycle

Sterling Heights0.4%
College Station1.9%

Work from Home

Sterling Heights13.8%
College Station12.1%

Airports

Sterling Heights0
College Station0

Cities Similar to Sterling Heights, MI

Compare Sterling Heights against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

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