Sterling is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, home to about 8,183 people across 31 square miles. Its ZIP code is 01564.
Homes sold for a median of $327 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
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 | Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)39 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Worcester Regional Airport (ORH)13 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Boston, MA39 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | New York, NY166 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 7,985 residents in the 2020 census, up 10% since 2000.
It’s the 206th largest of 351 towns in Massachusetts by population.
Worcester County grew from 346,958 residents in 1900 to 862,111 in 2020.
Worcester County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 83°F in summer, and winter lows average 16°F. About 43.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Fitchburg Muni Ap, MA weather station (8 miles away).
319,255 jobs at 19,181 businesses in Worcester County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
43 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Sterling.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 13 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | 5 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 3 |
| Mental health providers | 8 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 12 |
| Chiropractors | 2 |
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 (7 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 3.5 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.
Established in 1720.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Wachusett. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houghton ElementarySterling | K–4 | 317 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| Chocksett Middle SchoolSterling | 5–8 | 264 | Public | 1.5 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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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.