Cost of living in Sterling research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Sterling is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Alaska, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Sterling is 127, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Sterling is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Sterling ranks as the #10 cheapest in Alaska out of 22.
Sterling ranks as the #4,833 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Sterling is $339,787.
The median income in Sterling is $110,341.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Sterling has an overall cost of living index of 127, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Alaska, Sterling has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Alaska's index of 131.
The standard of living in Sterling ranks as #10 most affordable out of the 22 places we measured in Alaska. By definition, that implies Sterling ranks as the #12 most expensive place in the Last Frontier.
For more reading on life in Sterling, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Sterling. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Sterling is 116.
The Groceries index in Sterling is 122.
The Health index in Sterling is 141.
The Housing index in Sterling is 148.
The Transportation index in Sterling is 111.
The Utilities index in Sterling is 112.
| Living Expense | Sterling | Alaska | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 127 | 131 | 100 | |
| Services | 116 | 120 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 122 | 123 | 100 | |
| Health | 141 | 150 | 100 | |
| Housing | 148 | 136 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 111 | 116 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 112 | 158 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Alaska, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Sterling is $339,787.
The Median Rent in Sterling is $1,095.
The Median Income in Sterling is $110,341.
The Home Value To Income in Sterling is 3.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Sterling is 0.12x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Sterling. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Kalifornsky, AK has a cost of living index of 121, 1.0x Sterling.
Kenai, AK has a cost of living index of 119, 0.9x Sterling.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Sterling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalifornsky, AK | 8,136 | 121 | 1.0x |
| Kenai, AK | 7,562 | 119 | 0.9x |