Kewanee and Sterling receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Kewanee
Sterling
Opportunity
36 · Bottom 12%
vs40 · Bottom 17%
Growth
16 · Bottom 5%
vs16 · Bottom 5%
Climate
59 · Bottom 10%
vs58 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
67 · Top 40%
vs65 · Top 43%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 12%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
39 · Bottom 34%
vs36 · Bottom 30%
Access
83 · Bottom 26%
vs74 · Bottom 16%
Economic stability
35 · Bottom 12%
vs45 · Bottom 25%
Measured values
| Metric | Kewanee | Sterling | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,913 | 14,717 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $50,886 | $57,350 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,324 | $36,040 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,806/sq mi | 2,475/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $73,200 | $108,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $797 | $859 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.2% | 65.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.0% | 21.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.9% | 15.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 3 | 2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 14°F | 14°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 39.6" | 40.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 33 mi | 48 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.2 min | 19.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 46.3 | 42.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.71 | 15.13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 12.2% | 17.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 28.2% | 19.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 64.8% | 60.5% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Kewanee
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail.
Sterling
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Kewanee, IL · Sterling, IL · How this is calculated: methodology