Crime & Safety in Sterling, IL
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
3.19
per 1,000 residents
-29% vs national
Property Crime Rate
13.33
per 1,000 residents
-39% vs national
Total Crimes
238
2024
Violent Clearance
28%
cases solved
-33% vs national
Property Clearance
39%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
+22%
vs 10K-25K avg
+22% vs 10K-25K
YoY Change
-8.0%
violent crime rate
improving vs 2022
How Sterling Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Sterling vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 10,000 - 25,000 residents. Sterling is highlighted in green.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Property Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Murder Rate (per 1,000)
Violent Crime Clearance Rate
Crime Rate Trends
Source: FBICrime Composition
Source: FBI (2024)Violent Crime Breakdown
Property Crime Breakdown
Crime Clearance (Solve) Rates
Source: FBI (2024)Sterling police solve 67% of murder cases but only 7% of rape cases. The national violent crime clearance rate is 42%.
Weapon Used in Violent Crime
Source: FBI (2024)Crime Breakdown
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)| Crime Type | Category | Count | Rate per 1K | Clearance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | Violent | 3 | 0.21 | 66.7% |
| Rape | Violent | 14 | 0.97 | 7.1% |
| Robbery | Violent | 3 | 0.21 | 33.3% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 26 | 1.81 | 34.6% |
| Burglary | Property | 48 | 3.33 | 35.4% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 121 | 8.40 | 43.8% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 23 | 1.60 | 17.4% |
Sterling, IL reported 46 violent crimes and 192 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 3.19 per 1,000 residents is 28.7% below the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 28% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 121 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 42.3% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (10,000 - 25,000 population), Sterling's violent crime rate is 22% higher. Violent crime has been trending downward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 46 | 192 | 3.19 | 13.33 |
| 2022 | 51 | 225 | 3.47 | 15.33 |
| 2020 | 38 | 470 | 2.65 | 32.73 |
| 2019 | 26 | 491 | 1.79 | 33.84 |
| 2018 | 34 | 436 | 2.32 | 29.71 |
| 2017 | 33 | 559 | 2.23 | 37.71 |
| 2016 | 39 | 511 | 2.60 | 34.11 |
| 2015 | 39 | 558 | 2.62 | 37.43 |