Town guide

Sterling, New York

Sterling is a town in Cayuga County, New York, home to about 3,192 people across 45 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 13111 and 13156, and parts of 13143 are in Sterling too.

Homes sold for a median of $158 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 1 of 2 were seller’s markets.

Population3,19270 per sq mi
Median home value$141,200Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$158Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking42%Median of 2 ZIP codes

ZIP codes in Sterling

3 ZIP codes, 1 shared with neighboring towns

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

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Around Sterling

Distances

Nearest major airportSyracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR)31 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Buffalo, NY114 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+New York, NY230 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.

Who represents Sterling

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Sterling had 3,221 residents in the 2020 census, down 6% since 2000.

It’s the 496th largest of 1,007 towns in New York by population.

Cayuga County grew from 66,234 residents in 1900 to 76,248 in 2020.

Sterling population by census2000: 3,432, 2010: 3,040, 2020: 3,2213,43220003,04020103,2212020

Cayuga County, 1900–2020

Cayuga County population, 1900 to 20201900: 66,234, 1910: 67,106, 1920: 65,221, 1930: 64,751, 1940: 65,508, 1950: 70,136, 1960: 73,942, 1970: 77,439, 1980: 79,894, 1990: 82,313, 2000: 81,963, 2010: 80,026, 2020: 76,24866K’00’1065K’20’3066K’40’5074K’60’7080K’80’9082K’00’1076K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 80°F in summer, and winter lows average 19°F. About 43.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 140 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near SterlingJan: high 31°F, low 19°F, 3.8 in; Feb: high 33°F, low 20°F, 2.9 in; Mar: high 41°F, low 27°F, 3 in; Apr: high 53°F, low 37°F, 3.5 in; May: high 66°F, low 48°F, 3.3 in; Jun: high 75°F, low 57°F, 3.4 in; Jul: high 80°F, low 63°F, 3.4 in; Aug: high 79°F, low 62°F, 3.5 in; Sep: high 72°F, low 55°F, 3.9 in; Oct: high 59°F, low 45°F, 4.6 in; Nov: high 47°F, low 35°F, 4.1 in; Dec: high 37°F, low 26°F, 3.9 in31°19°Jan3.833°20°Feb2.941°27°Mar3.053°37°Apr3.566°48°May3.375°57°Jun3.480°63°Jul3.479°62°Aug3.572°55°Sep3.959°45°Oct4.647°35°Nov4.137°26°Dec3.9Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Oswego, NY weather station (12 miles away).

Jobs in Cayuga County

17,820 jobs at 1,509 businesses in Cayuga County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Cayuga CountyHealth care and social assistance: 3,599 jobs; Retail trade: 3,142 jobs; Manufacturing: 2,717 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 2,017 jobs; Wholesale trade: 953 jobs; Construction: 938 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 806 jobs; Other services: 732 jobsHealth care and social assistance 20% Retail trade 18% Manufacturing 15% Hotels and restaurants 11% Wholesale trade 5% Construction 5% Transportation and warehousing 5% Other services 4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

3 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Sterling’s ZIP codes.

Nearest hospitals

  • Oswego HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Oswego12.8 miles
  • Auburn Community HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 2 of 5 · Auburn25.7 miles
  • Newark-Wayne Community HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 2 of 5 · Newark27.7 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors1
Mental health providers1
Physical and occupational therapists1

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.

Places in and around Sterling

Parks (3 nearby)

  • Fair Haven Beach State Park · 1,018 acres2.7 mi
  • West Barrier Bar County Park · 15 acres3.6 mi
  • Fort Haven Beach State Park2.3 mi

Grocery stores

  • Tops4.8 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Fair Haven Public Library2.0 mi

Counts are within about 4.5 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.

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Towns near Sterling

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Shares ZIP codes with Wolcott, Victory, Hannibal, Butler, Ira and Conquest.

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.