While Sterling Heights started as an agricultural town, it’s grown into a city that blends suburban living with commercial hubs. Despite its bustling main streets, pockets of suburban enclaves offer modern houses on quiet, tree-lined cul-de-sacs. With about 133,000 residents across its 37 square miles, it’s Michigan's fourth most populous city.
“It’s a great Midwest town,” says Michelle Carey, an Associate Broker with Century 21 Town & Country-Clinton and Sterling Heights resident. “It's neighborly, we all look out for each other, but not in an annoying way.”
As a Macomb County suburb, its property taxes are much lower than those of its Oakland County neighbors. Carey says this is one of the primary draws, especially because it maintains “excellent” city services. “The trash pickup, the snow removal, [highly rated] schools, everything is paid for in your taxes,” she says.
While commercial districts and industrial employers play massive roles in the city’s economy, Sterling Heights prioritizes environmental consciousness, highlighted in its tagline “Innovating Living.” Think Sterling Green, a sustainability initiative launched in 2023, offers free rain barrels for homeowners, gives grants to clean energy home improvements, plants trees around the city and handles cleanup efforts. In 2024, the city adopted Visioning 2040, a plan that prioritizes sustainable practices along with mobility options, more diverse housing, the creation of opportunities for entrepreneurs and more.
Sterling Heights is a safe suburb of Detroit with a variety of housing types to enjoy.
Sterling Heights is and ideal mix of residential, retail, and parks.
Even in cold weather Sterling Heights residents enjoy their parks.
Van Dyke Rd. is Sterling Height's retail hub.
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More than 20 parks and greenspaces
The city has 28 parks and miles of hiking and biking trails. Dodge Park, which Carey describes as the “main park,” is over 51 acres and offers various facilities, including an ice rink, basketball court and sand volleyball court. The park is also home to the Thursday Farmer’s Market, which features dozens of vendors, live music and food trucks.
“When you buy a house in Sterling Heights, there’s probably going to be a park you can walk to,” Carey says. “I can walk to a park with baseball courts, tennis courts and a trail that connects to Dodge Park. Just about every neighborhood has a park.”
The Clinton River Park North wooded area stretches for 461 acres and connects five area parks through a network of trails. The Clinton River has kayaking and canoeing for residents, along with plenty of ways to enjoy the woods, all within a ten-minute drive from anywhere in Sterling Heights. Maple Lane Golf Club is open to residents and doesn’t require a membership to access its greens; it only requires fees for the rounds themselves.
Clinton River Heritage Park offers paved trails to enjoy in Sterling Heights.
The Farmer's Market pavilion at Sterling Heights' Dodge Park houses an ice rink in winter.
Clinton River Park North has walking trails beside the river in Sterling Heights..
A gaggle of Canada geese enjoy the water at Clinton River Heritage Park in Sterling Heights.
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Plentiful options for shopping and entertainment
Much like parks, shopping and dining options are plentiful. While Van Dyke is the primary shopping hub, every main street, from Hall Road down to East 14 Mile Road, has commercial services. The city is also 10 miles east of Somerset Collection in Troy, and 9 miles west of Partridge Creek Mall in Macomb.
“Everything is spread throughout, so no matter where you are, you’re going to be close to a grocery store, really good restaurants, entertainment—like a movie theater,” Carey says.
Located on the city's east side, the Michigan Lottery Amphitheater draws national and local acts. MJR Marketplace Cinema 20 is a massive movie theater known for its ScreenX auditorium, a multi-projection system with a 270-degree immersive view. MJR is a local chain with memberships that feature discounted movie tickets, free pop and popcorn refills and more.
Sterling Heights is only 10 miles from the upscale Somerset Collection in Troy.
The Michigan Lottery Amphitheater hosts outdoor concerts in Sterling Heights.
The MJR Cinema 20 is a popular entertainment venue in Sterling Heights.
There are a variety of grocery stores in Sterling Heights including Walmart on E 14 Mile.
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Mid-priced homes that sell in 20 days
The median home price in Sterling Heights is $305,000, which is more expensive than cities such as Warren, but less expensive than places including Shelby Township. This city is the epitome of suburbia, with houses in each neighborhood strongly resembling one another. Styles vary by location, but generally, multi-story modern traditional houses that sell for upwards of $400,000 sit west of Mound Road, while many single-story homes starting at $300,000 are on the east side. Homes sell very fast at 20 days on average. For comparison, the US average is 44 days.
There are many new neighborhoods in Sterling Heights featuring fine, upscale homes.
A neighborhood of mid-priced homes on the east side of Sterling Heights.
A row of homes featuring large lots, sidewalks and safe streets in Sterling Heights.
A new home located in one of Sterling Heights' finest neighborhoods.
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Getting around Sterling Heights and employment opportunities
Many residents use cars to get around the area, and the city’s primary thoroughfare is Van Dyke Avenue, which connects the city in a north-south direction to the area, Hall Road, which crosses Van Dyke on the city’s northern border, provides an east-west connection. These two major thoroughfares make accessing Interstates 75 and 696 easy without dealing with the noise. The city is served by the SMART bus system, which has six routes that connect residents to downtown Detroit and the surrounding area. The nearest airport is Coleman A. Young International Airport, which is 12 miles south. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is 40 miles southwest in Romulus. The nearest full-service hospital, Corewell Health Beaumont Troy, sits on the border of Sterling Heights and Troy on Dequindre.
Most employers are in the center of the city. Manufacturing is the largest industry, with Stellantis being one of the biggest employers. There are also warehouses such as Frito Lay and dozens of part manufacturers. Places such as Velocity offer coworking spaces to people in white-collar fields. General Dynamics Land Systems, a military parts manufacturer, has a corporate office in the city.
Velocity is a co-working space that provides space for new businesses in Sterling Heights.
General Dynamics is a military contractor located in Sterling Heights.
Stellantis manufactures and sells automobiles in Sterling Heights.
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Two highly rated school districts
The city is served by two public school districts, Utica Community Schools and Warren Consolidated Schools, which have A-minus and B-minus ratings on Niche, respectively According to the site, Utica Community Schools is the second-best school district in Macomb County.
Utica Community Schools is the second largest district in metro Detroit, home to 25 elementary schools, six middle schools and four high schools. It also offers specialty programs, early childhood care and an alternative high school. It serves over 25,700 students. Warren Consolidated Schools serves 12,600 students, with 12 elementary schools, five middle schools, and four high schools.
Sterling Heights High School, in the Warren Consolidated Schools district hold a B- rating.
Jefferson Elementary School is in the Warren Consolidated Schools district with a B- rating.
Utica High School holds a stellar A- overall rating on Niche.com.
Messmore Elementary School is in the Utica Community School district with an A rating.
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Sterling Heights Annual Events
The city hosts various of events throughout the year, including a Memorial Day Parade and the city’s signature event, Sterlingfest. The three-day festival offers music, an art fair, plenty of food and the Sterlingfast 5K. It also offers jazz, blues and rock music at night and a carnival to enjoy during the day. From exercise to fried Oreos, Sterlingfest has an activity or attraction for most residents in the city.
Sterlingfest is just one of the many delights awaiting you in Sterling Heights.
Extremely low crime rates
Crime rates in Sterling Heights are far below the Michigan average. In fact, it has ranked as the “safest” big city for five conservative years based on FBI crime data. According to the FBI 2022 Crime Data Explorer, Sterling Heights reported the lowest violent and property crime rate among all Michigan communities with a population of 100,000 or above.
Todd has been a full time Professional Realtor for over 33 years in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne county. He has helped thousands of Buyers and Sellers buy and sell homes including new construction homes. He offers home sale staging expertise from years of managing furniture stores and assisting builders to stage and merchandise their models.
His experience in construction details and assisting home buyers to select a lot to build a home is unmatched in the Metro Detroit area.
Member - Greater Metropolitan Association of REALTORS, Michigan Association of REALTORS, National Association of REALTORS, Green Resource Council
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
