Commercial Real Estate Market in Sterling, NE
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: August 31
27 active listings and 80 off-market properties in Sterling, NE.
Market Trends
Sterling, NE spans 95.9 square miles in Johnson County, Nebraska. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 31 August 2026.
Office
Office vacancy in Sterling, NE 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, NE runs 6.3% across the Midwest region in 2025, down from 8% in 2020.
Vacancy Rate % in Midwest region
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Sterling, NE 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, NE 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 55.2%
- Commercial 31.6%
- Industrial 13.2%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Residential District
Downtown Commercial District
Highway Commercial District
Light Industrial District
Sterling, NE zones 328 acres across 4 districts. Commercial zoning covers 31.6% of zoned land, residential 55.2% and industrial 13.2%. The largest single district is Residential District at 55.2%. For commercial buyers the practical constraint is that only 44.8% of land carries a commercial or industrial designation.
Residential District (R-1)
Section 5.07 (R1) Residential District. A. Intent. The intent of the Residential District is to provide for a mix of residential developments, including single-family, two-family and multi-family residences, in locations where all public facilities and supporting facilities to maintain and encourage a residential character similar to existing neighborhoods i…
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Sterling, NE has 1,029 residents in 479 households. Density runs 11 people per square mile. Median household income here is $71,250 and median gross rent $779 a month.
1,029
Population
479
Households
2.1
Avg Household Size
44
Median Age
28%
College-Educated
96%
High-School Grad
95.9 sq mi
ZIP Area
11
Density / Sq Mi
$71,250
Median Household Income
$36,711
Median Earnings
$779
Median Rent
$181,500
Median Home Value
Tools
Nearby Markets
Frequently Asked Questions
What zoning applies to commercial property in Sterling?
Sterling, NE zones 328 acres across 4 districts, of which 31.6% is commercial and 13.2% industrial. The largest single district is Residential District at 55.2% of zoned land. Section 5.07 (R1) Residential District. A. Intent. The intent of the Residential District is to provide for a mix of residential developments, including single-family, two-family and multi-family residences, in locations where all public facilities and supporting facilities to maintain and encourage a residential character similar to existing neighborhoods i… Residential zoning covers 55.2% and open space 0%.
Where does Realmo's Sterling market data come from?
Realmo compiles Sterling, NE figures from 27 active sale listings, 80 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 27 active for-sale and 0 active for-lease listings in Sterling, NE. 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: 328 zoned acres across 4 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
