Commercial Real Estate Market in Sterling, KS
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: August 31
4 active listings and 111 off-market properties in Sterling, KS.
Market Trends
Sterling, KS spans 204.4 square miles in Rice County, Kansas. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 31 August 2026.
Office
Office vacancy in Sterling, KS runs 21.3% across the Midwest region in 2025, up from 13.7% in 2019.
Vacancy Rate % in Midwest region
Retail
Retail vacancy in Sterling, KS runs 6.3% across the Midwest region in 2025, down from 8% in 2020.
Vacancy Rate % in Midwest region
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Sterling, KS runs 4.9% across the Midwest region in 2025, up from 4.4% in 2019. Nearly 1.6x the 2022 low of 3.1%.
Vacancy Rate % in Midwest region
Multifamily
Multifamily vacancy in Sterling, KS runs 8% across the Midwest region in 2025, up from 6.5% in 2022.
Vacancy Rate % in Midwest region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Residential 90.8%
- Industrial 5.7%
- Commercial 3.5%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Single Family Residential District
Multiple Family Residential District
Industrial District
Central Business District
General Business District
Sterling, KS zones 1,095 acres across 6 districts. Commercial zoning covers 3.5% of zoned land, residential 90.8% and industrial 5.7%. The largest single district is Single Family Residential District at 82.6%. For commercial buyers the practical constraint is that only 9.2% of land carries a commercial or industrial designation.
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Sterling, KS has 2,959 residents in 1,179 households. Density runs 14 people per square mile. Median household income here is $56,977 and median gross rent $618 a month.
2,959
Population
1,179
Households
2.5
Avg Household Size
36
Median Age
37%
College-Educated
95%
High-School Grad
204.4 sq mi
ZIP Area
14
Density / Sq Mi
$56,977
Median Household Income
$25,349
Median Earnings
$618
Median Rent
$149,400
Median Home Value
Tools
Nearby Markets
Frequently Asked Questions
What zoning applies to commercial property in Sterling?
Sterling, KS zones 1,095 acres across 6 districts, of which 3.5% is commercial and 5.7% industrial. The largest single district is Single Family Residential District at 82.6% of zoned land. Residential zoning covers 90.8% and open space 0%.
Where does Realmo's Sterling market data come from?
Realmo compiles Sterling, KS figures from 4 active sale listings, 111 tracked off-market properties, the current Sterling zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 31 August 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 4 active for-sale and 0 active for-lease listings in Sterling, KS. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 1,095 zoned acres across 6 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 31 August 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- office vacancy is reported at Midwest region level, retail vacancy is reported at Midwest region level and industrial vacancy is reported at Midwest region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 31 August 2026 · report a data issue
