Sterling City, Texas Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Sterling City, Texas
City
U.S. Highway 87 as it passes through Sterling City, Texas
Nickname(s): The Windmill City
Location of Sterling City, Texas

Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Sterling
Area
• Total	0.98 sq mi (2.54 km²)
• Land	0.98 sq mi (2.54 km²)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Elevation	2,287 ft (697 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	888
• Estimate (2019)	998
• Density	1,019.41/sq mi (393.47/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	76951
Area code(s)	325
FIPS code	48-70232
GNIS feature ID	1347899
Website	sterlingcitytexas.com

Sterling City is the county seat of Sterling County, Texas, United States. Its population was 888 at the 2010 census.

History
Geography
Demographics
Gallery
Education
See also

History

Most people in Sterling County reside in Sterling City, which in 1891 became the county seat. W.S. Sterling, Indian fighter and buffalo hunter, was the namesake of the town.

Land for Sterling City was donated in January 1891 by R.C. Stewart, and was platted by H.B. Tarver in February. Before the year end, the town had its own newspaper, a hotel, a post office, and several other businesses. The next year, a school was built and Sterling City had 300 citizens in another four.

Sterling City began as home to a portion of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1910, but the service was eventually abandoned. The depot is still available for visitors to see.

During World War II, the population reportedly decreased, but by 1990, it peaked at nearly 1,100 residents, but since has dropped again to 982 by 2009.

Geography

Sterling City is located at 31°50′21″N 100°59′9″W / 31.83917°N 100.98583°W / 31.83917; -100.98583 (31.839066, -100.985871).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.0 square miles (2.5 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1960	854	—
1970	780	−8.7%
1980	915	17.3%
1990	1,096	19.8%
2000	1,081	−1.4%
2010	888	−17.9%
2019 (est.)	998	12.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, 1,081 people, 393 households, and 297 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,105.9 people/sq mi (425.9/km²). The 467 housing units averaged 477.7/sq mi (184.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 82.05% White, 0.09% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 14.80% from other races, and 2.59% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 33.30% of the population.

Of the 393 households, 36.9% had children under 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were not families. About 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.69, and the average family size was 3.18.

In the city, the age distribution was 29.6% under 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,359, and for a family was $38,958. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $18,654 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,955. About 14.3% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.3% of those under age 18 and 19.3% of those age 65 or over.

Gallery

City Hall is located across from the courthouse in Sterling City.
A windmill on the courthouse grounds in Sterling City
Wind turbines off U.S. Highway 87 south of Sterling City
First Baptist Church at 401 Water Street in Sterling City, pastor, Jason McGuire (2013)