Sterling, IL
A small Illinois metro where manufacturing heritage shapes the ballot
The Sterling-Rock Falls micropolitan area in Whiteside County leans Republican in federal races but has competitive local contests, reflecting a working-class industrial base that once anchored steel and wire production along the Rock River.
- White85.7%
- Hispanic10.9%
- Two or more3.7%
- Other3.2%
- Black1.4%
- Asian0.5%
Constituent Counties
Similar metro areas
Counties in Sterling, IL
Ask the Historian
Who Lives Here
| Group | Sterling, IL | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 85.7% | 57.4% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(9) | 10.9% | 19.3% |
▶Black / African American(4) | 1.4% | 12.2% |
Multiracial / Other | 1.3% | 4.0% |
▶Asian(5) | 0.5% | 6.0% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(1) | 0.3% | 0.9% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(3) | 0.1% | 0.9% |
Religious Adherents
Catholic-Evangelical edge: +5.3pp (vs national 4.5pp). A moderate religious balance between Catholic and Evangelical traditions.
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26.1% | 40.9% | — | — | |
| 19.8% | 31.1% | — | — | |
| 16.9% | 26.6% | — | — | |
| 0.9% | 1.4% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 0.8% | 1.3% | — | — |
Non-religiousPopulation | 36.3% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Sterling, IL metro area? 231,814 residents across 4 counties.
Demographics
16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 17pp below the national average. Places with similar education levels vote R+22 on average nationally.
Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.
Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.
Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.
Turnout in Sterling, IL
Do voters in Sterling, IL split their tickets?
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate vs Governor | R+10.1 | R+13.7 | 3.6pp |