Akashic
1892–2024
Akashic
Sterling, IL
presidential margin
2008D+17.62012D+17.02016R+6.22020R+8.32024R+14.7
full record · 1892 → 2024
R+14.7
2024
median income$67,500U.S. $80,734 · IL $83,390
median age43.0U.S. 39.1 · IL 39.1
poverty rate12.0%U.S. 12.5% · IL 11.8%
bachelor’s+ (25+)20.5%U.S. 35.6% · IL 37.9%
non-english7.2%U.S. 22.3% · IL 24.1%
race · ethnicity · ancestry
German27.2%
Irish13.7%
English10.4%
Mexican10.8%
Puerto Rican1.5%
Spaniard0.3%
African American†0.9%
Nigerian0.2%
religion
other traditions
Mainline16.9%
Latter-day Saints0.8%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents, unaffiliated is the unclaimed remainder.

Sterling, IL, Illinois

Akashic
Sterling, ILTrumpR+14.7
—
2024 presidential margin by county for Sterling, IL, ILA map of the single county of Sterling, IL, IL, outlined and filled by its 2024 presidential margin from deep red (Republican) through neutral to deep blue (Democratic), seated within the faint outlines of the surrounding states.Whiteside County, IL · R+14.7
How it voted
Share of the 2024 vote
Donald Trump ✓Republican56.3%14,898
Kamala HarrisDemocratic41.6%11,012
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Independent2.0%537
D+60
R+60
A single county, filled by its 2024 D-vs-R margin. Hover it for the full result.
County-level results (1 county) — table
2024 presidential result by county for Sterling, IL, IL — winner and D-vs-R margin.
CountyWinnerMargin
Whiteside County, ILRepublicanR+14.7
34 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024).
YearWonDemocraticRepublicanOtherMarginTotal
R
41.6%Harris11,012
56.3%Trump14,898
2.0%Kennedy537
−14.7%
26,447
R
44.7%Biden12,253
53.0%Trump14,527
2.4%Jorgensen653
−8.3%
27,433
R
43.1%Clinton11,035
49.3%Trump12,615
7.6%Johnson1,932
−6.2%
25,582
D
57.4%Obama14,833
40.5%Romney10,448
2.1%Johnson547
+17.0%
25,828
D
58.0%Obama15,607
40.4%McCain10,883
1.5%Nader416
+17.6%
26,906
D
51.1%Kerry13,723
48.2%Bush12,959
0.7%Badnarik191
+2.8%
26,873
D
51.9%Gore12,886
45.3%Bush11,252
2.8%Nader699
+6.6%
24,837
D
51.0%Clinton11,913
37.9%Dole8,859
11.0%Perot2,572
+13.1%
23,344
D
45.4%Clinton12,329
37.4%Bush10,146
17.2%Perot4,678
+8.0%
27,153
R
46.3%Dukakis11,328
53.1%Bush12,978
0.6%Paul156
−6.7%
24,462
R
40.0%Mondale11,226
59.6%Reagan16,743
0.5%Bergland127
−19.6%
28,096
R
27.6%Carter7,191
66.7%Reagan17,389
5.7%Anderson1,484
−39.1%
26,064
R
43.5%Carter11,255
55.3%Ford14,308
1.1%McCarthy291
−11.8%
25,854
R
31.3%McGovern7,909
68.4%Nixon17,305
0.3%Schmitz87
−37.1%
25,301
R
33.1%Humphrey8,132
61.9%Nixon15,177
5.0%Wallace1,225
−28.7%
24,534
R
49.2%Johnson12,536
50.8%Goldwater12,940
0.0%
−1.6%
25,476
R
34.3%Kennedy9,112
65.6%Nixon17,434
0.2%Byrd46
−31.3%
26,592
R
25.9%Stevenson6,158
74.0%Eisenhower17,589
0.2%Andrews37
−48.1%
23,784
R
26.4%Stevenson6,238
73.3%Eisenhower17,294
0.3%Hallinan67
−46.8%
23,599
R
28.8%Truman5,299
70.3%Dewey12,922
0.8%Thurmond154
−41.5%
18,375
R
27.9%Roosevelt5,555
71.2%Dewey14,162
0.9%Thomas171
−43.3%
19,888
R
31.6%Roosevelt7,356
67.8%Willkie15,752
0.6%Thomas134
−36.1%
23,242
R
37.6%Roosevelt7,982
59.6%Landon12,666
2.8%Lemke595
−22.0%
21,243
R
37.6%Roosevelt7,010
61.1%Hoover11,388
1.2%Thomas228
−23.5%
18,626
R
23.0%Smith4,079
76.6%Hoover13,580
0.4%Thomas69
−53.6%
17,728
R
12.6%Davis1,957
74.0%Coolidge11,532
13.4%La Follette2,087
−61.5%
15,576
R
14.4%Cox1,927
81.7%Harding10,923
3.8%Debs513
−67.3%
13,363
R
26.5%Wilson3,839
69.3%Hughes10,045
4.2%Benson609
−42.8%
14,493
O
25.9%Wilson1,996
18.6%Taft1,437
55.5%Roosevelt4,278
Roosevelt +29.6
7,711
R
26.8%Bryan2,140
65.7%Taft5,257
7.5%Debs600
−39.0%
7,997
R
19.5%Parker1,546
71.2%Roosevelt5,636
9.3%Debs737
−51.6%
7,919
R
31.7%Bryan2,758
65.2%McKinley5,663
3.1%Woolley266
−33.4%
8,687
R
32.7%Bryan2,788
65.4%McKinley5,577
1.9%Palmer159
−32.7%
8,524
R
39.3%Cleveland2,779
54.0%Harrison3,819
6.7%Weaver474
−14.7%
7,072
presidential history
Presidential margin, 1892–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over timeDemocratic-minus-Republican presidential margin from 1892 to 2024. Most recent: −14.7% in 2024.flipped R · 2016−14.7%DR18922024
Presidential margin over time
YearMargin (D minus R)
1892−14.7%
1896−32.7%
1900−33.4%
1904−51.6%
1908−39.0%
1912+7.2%
1916−42.8%
1920−67.3%
1924−61.5%
1928−53.6%
1932−23.5%
1936−22.0%
1940−36.1%
1944−43.3%
1948−41.5%
1952−46.8%
1956−48.1%
1960−31.3%
1964−1.6%
1968−28.7%
1972−37.1%
1976−11.8%
1980−39.1%
1984−19.6%
1988−6.7%
1992+8.0%
1996+13.1%
2000+6.6%
2004+2.8%
2008+17.6%
2012+17.0%
2016−6.2%
2020−8.3%
2024−14.7%
DemocraticRepublican
voter registration
Registered voters
Total registered voters, over time
Voter registration in Sterling, ILTotal registered voters, 2016–2024. Latest 38,035 in 2024.10.4K20.7K31.1K41.4K38K20162024
Registered voters
Voter registration in Sterling, IL
YearTotal registered
201641,435
201839,657
202039,768
202238,953
202438,035
Source: U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAVS)

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.

Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 17.6 points in 2008 and a Republican high of 67.3 points in 1920. Between 2020 and 2024 the metro moved 6.4 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 14.7 points.

A population of 54,947, a 81% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $67,500 describe the metro. The metro's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Clinton, IA and Platteville, WI.

Political twins — metros

The metros whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.

Clinton, IA
89.9twin score
12-yr trend2000–2012 trajectory≠ % unaffiliated
Platteville, WI
84.8twin score
12-yr trend2004–2012 trajectory≠ median age
Baraboo, WI
81.9twin score
2000–2012 trajectory≠ % unaffiliated

Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.

Compare two places, side by side

Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →

Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Sterling, IL, Illinois. Akashic. https://akashic.app/cbsa/44580/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Places within Sterling, IL

counties1
Whiteside County

Frequently asked questions

How did Sterling, IL, Illinois vote in 2024?
In 2024, Sterling, IL, Illinois voted Republican by 14.7 points (R+14.7), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 26,447 votes cast, 11,012 went Democratic and 14,898 went Republican.
When did Sterling, IL, Illinois last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Sterling, IL, Illinois voted Democratic was 2012.
How many people live in Sterling, IL, Illinois?
Sterling, IL, Illinois has a population of 54,947 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Sterling, IL, Illinois?
Median household income in Sterling, IL, Illinois is $67,500 — below the national median of $80,734. The Illinois state median is $83,390.
What is the political history of Sterling, IL, Illinois?
Akashic tracks 34 presidential elections in Sterling, IL, Illinois from 1892 to 2024. Of those, 6 went Democratic and 27 went Republican.