Sterling is a community in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, home to about 6,323 people across 78 square miles. Its ZIP code is 99672, and parts of 99669 are in Sterling too.
Homes sold for a median of $364 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
All in Sterling
Mostly Kalifornsky; part is in Sterling
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Sterling. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Sterling’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)56 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Kenai Municipal Airport (ENA)12 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Anchorage, AK71 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Sterling; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Sterling had 5,918 residents in the 2020 census, up 26% since 2000.
It’s the 16th largest of 321 towns in Alaska by population.
Kenai Peninsula Borough grew from 6,097 residents in 1960 to 58,799 in 2020.
Kenai Peninsula Borough, 1960–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 66°F in summer, and winter lows average 8°F. About 23.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Sterling 6sw, AK weather station (about a mile away).
15,786 jobs at 2,405 businesses in Kenai Peninsula Borough. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
4 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Sterling.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 1 |
|---|---|
| Physical and occupational therapists | 3 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (5 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries
Museums
Counts are within about 6 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling ElementarySterling | Pre-K–6 | 114 | Public | 4.2 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Kalifornsky, Soldotna, Ridgeway and Funny River.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.