Sterling Heights receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Sterling Heights
Pontiac
Opportunity
51 · Bottom 38%
vs33 · Bottom 9%
Growth
66 · Top 23%
vs50 · Bottom 49%
Climate
62 · Bottom 19%
vs61 · Bottom 16%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 25%
vs94 · Top 5%
Housing affordability
92 · Top 27%
vs75 · Bottom 42%
Schools
51 · Bottom 49%
vs51 · Bottom 49%
Access
85 · Bottom 30%
vs85 · Bottom 30%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 45%
vs38 · Bottom 14%
Measured values
| Metric | Sterling Heights | Pontiac | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 133,573 | 62,104 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $79,909 | $44,329 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,084 | $26,080 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,665/sq mi | 3,123/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $274,300 | $121,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,292 | $1,063 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.8% | 46.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 10.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.2% | 1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.1% | 16.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.1% | 24.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 728 | 59 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.5 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 89.6% | 1.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 17°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 35.0" | 29.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 30 mi | 30 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.9 min | 23.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.7 | 36.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 35 | 22 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.64 | 16.38 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 30.2% | 34.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 46.7% | 43.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 62.7% | 52.7% | 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.
Your best match
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Sterling Heights
68
Your Score
66
Area Score
Pontiac
61
Your Score
60
Area Score
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Full profiles: Sterling Heights, MI · Pontiac, MI · How this is calculated: methodology