Sterling Heights is a city in Macomb County, Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Detroit and is situated about 18 miles (29 kilometers) north of Downtown Detroit. According to the 2020 census, the city had a population of 134,346. This makes Sterling Heights the second-largest suburb of Detroit and the fourth-most populous city in Michigan.

History

The War of 1812 and the 1817 Treaty of Fort Meigs led to the first survey of the area now known as Sterling Heights in the Michigan Territory. Deputy Surveyor Joseph Wampler conducted this survey, and it was approved on February 20, 1818. Wampler had previously worked as one of two deputy surveyors in Perrysburg, Ohio, in 1816.

The area was originally part of Shelby Township, created in April 1827. It became Jefferson Township in March 1835 and was renamed Sterling Township in March 1838.

Until the 1950s, Sterling Township was primarily an agricultural region, with crops like rhubarb grown for sale in Detroit. Improved roads reduced travel times and costs for businesses, leading to population growth. Suburban homes were built to accommodate workers in Detroit’s growing automobile industry, and the area became a destination for people moving from Detroit. In 1968, the township was incorporated as a city, and "Heights" was added to its name to comply with a state law that prevents cities from sharing names with other towns. A small village named Sterling already existed in Arenac County.

Gerald Donovan became the city’s first mayor, and F. James Dunlop served as the first mayor pro-tempore. In the 1960s and 1970s, many residents moved to Sterling Heights for jobs at Chrysler and Ford automobile plants. Lakeside Mall opened in 1976.

Sterling Heights is home to many immigrant groups, including people from Eastern Europe such as Albanians, Bosnians, Croatians, Macedonians, Montenegrins, Poles, Serbians, and Slovenians. After the 2003 U.S.-Iraqi War, many Iraqi citizens, including Assyrians who mostly follow the Chaldean Catholic Church, were displaced. Between 30,000 and 50,000 of these individuals settled in Sterling Heights. Parts of the city, especially near 15 Mile Road and Ryan, are nicknamed "Little Nineveh" due to this community.

Geography

Sterling Heights is a city located about 14 to 20 miles (23 to 32 km) north of downtown Detroit. Its southern border is 6 miles (10 km) away from Detroit’s northern border. The city is 6 miles long and varies in width. It is bordered by several nearby cities: to the south is Warren, to the southwest is Madison Heights, to the west is Troy, to the north are Utica and Shelby Township, to the northeast is Macomb Township, to the east is Clinton Township, and to the southeast is Fraser.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Sterling Heights covers a total area of 36.72 square miles (95.10 km²). Of this, 36.45 square miles (94.41 km²) are land, and 0.27 square miles (0.70 km²), or 0.74%, are water. The Clinton River flows through the northeast part of the city, heading east toward Lake St. Clair near Mount Clemens.

Sterling Heights has a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfa). In summer, temperatures often exceed 90 °F (32 °C) for about 8.6 days. Winters are cold, with temperatures below freezing for 39.1 days each year and temperatures dropping to or below 0 °F (−18 °C) on average 1.2 days annually.

Sterling Heights is connected by several major roads:

• M-53, also known as Van Dyke Avenue or the Van Dyke Freeway, splits within the city but reconnects to the north. It leads north toward the Thumb region of Michigan.
• M-59, often called Hall Road, connects areas north of Mount Clemens through Utica as a surface road and becomes a limited-access highway heading toward Pontiac. It serves as a main route between Macomb County and Oakland County.
• Mound Road runs continuously through the city from Hamtramck in the south to 32 Mile Road in Romeo. It briefly ends at River Bends Park in Shelby Township before continuing as Auburn Road.
• Mile roads, such as 14 Mile Road through 20 Mile Road (M-59) and 16 Mile Road (also called Metro Parkway), are key east-west routes.
• Utica Road crosses the city diagonally from southeast to northwest, passing near the intersection of Dodge Park Road and the city hall.
• Dequindre Road marks the boundary between Sterling Heights and Troy and separates Macomb and Oakland counties.
• Hayes Road divides Clinton Township (between Utica Road and south of M-59) and Fraser (between Masonic and Moravian roads).

Large parts of Sterling Heights are dedicated to retail and commercial areas, such as Lakeside Mall.

Demographics

In 2020, the Census reported that 13,641 people in the city identified as Chaldean alone or with other groups, while 1,174 people identified as Assyrian.

In 2010, the city had 129,699 people, 49,451 households, and 34,515 families. The population density was 3,552.4 people per square mile (1,371.6 per square kilometer). There were 52,190 housing units, with an average density of 1,429.5 per square mile (551.9 per square kilometer). The racial makeup of the city included 85.1% White, 5.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 6.7% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Additionally, 1.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 49,451 households. Of these, 31.0% had children under 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples, 10.5% had a female householder without a husband, 4.3% had a male householder without a wife, and 30.2% were non-families. Twenty-six point five percent of households included only one person, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.61 people, and the average family size was 3.20 people.

The median age in the city was 40.4 years. Twenty-one point seven percent of residents were under 18, 8.8% were between 18 and 24, 25.8% were 25 to 44, 28.6% were 45 to 64, and 15.2% were 65 or older. The gender distribution was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

In 2000, the city had 124,471 people, 46,319 households, and 33,395 families. The population density was 3,397.0 people per square mile (1,311.6 per square kilometer). There were 47,547 housing units, with an average density of 1,297.6 per square mile (501.0 per square kilometer). The racial makeup included 90.70% White, 1.30% African American, 0.21% Native American, 4.92% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 2.50% from two or more races. Additionally, 1.34% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Common ancestries included Polish (19.0%), German (14.4%), Italian (12.5%), Macedonian (5.7%), English (5%), Chaldo-Assyrians (20.7%), American/US (4%), and Irish (4%).

In 2000, more people in Sterling Heights were born in Iraq than any other foreign country, with 5,059 residents born there. The next largest groups were from North Macedonia (1,723), Italy (1,442), and Poland (1,427).

There were 46,319 households. Of these, 32.9% had children under 18 living with them, 60.4% were married couples, 8.5% had a female householder without a husband, and 27.9% were non-families. Twenty-four point one percent of households included only one person, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.66 people, and the average family size was 3.21 people.

In 2000, the population was distributed as follows: 24.1% under 18, 8.5% aged 18 to 24, 30.4% aged 25 to 44, 25.2% aged 45 to 64, and 11.8% aged 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

The median household income was $60,494, and the median family income was $70,140. Men earned a median income of $51,207, while women earned $31,489. The average income per person was $24,958. Four percent of families and 5.2% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 6.6% of those under 18 and 7.5% of those aged 65 or older.

Law and government

The city uses a council-manager form of government. The mayor and six council members are elected directly by city residents. Before 2021, city council and mayoral positions had two-year terms. After a ballot proposal passed in the November 2020 election, these positions changed to four-year terms, starting with the 2021 election cycle.

As of January 2021, the mayor was Michael C. Taylor. Taylor served as mayor pro tempore after Richard Notte died in office in December 2014. Notte was the city's longest-serving mayor, first elected in 1993, and served through 11 consecutive elections. He was the first mayor elected by popular vote. After his death, the municipal building was renamed the Richard J. Notte Sterling Heights City Center.

The city manager, Mark Vanderpool, has held this position since 2004. In December 2020, the City Council voted to increase Vanderpool’s salary by 23%, making him the third-highest-paid city administrator among similar cities in Michigan. The city manager is appointed by the mayor and the city council.

Sterling Heights is located in Michigan’s 57th and 58th House of Representatives districts. District 57 is represented by Republican Thomas Kuhn, and District 58 is represented by Republican Ron Robinson. The city is also in Michigan’s 9th Senate district, represented by Republican Michael Webber.

Nationally, Sterling Heights is in Michigan’s 10th congressional district, represented by Republican John James.

In the 2020 presidential election, 70,204 ballots were cast. Incumbent Donald Trump received 38,451 votes (54.77%), and Joe Biden received 30,587 votes (43.56%).

Mayors of Sterling Heights:
• Gerald N. Donovan, 1968–1971
• Al Martin, 1972–1973
• Anthony Dobry, 1974–1981
• Jerry Mann, 1982–1983
• Arthur Madar, 1984–1985
• Jean DiRezze Gush, 1986–1991
• Stephen M. Rice, 1992–1993
• Richard J. Notte, 1994–2014
• Michael C. Taylor, 2015–2024

Crime

The Sterling Heights Police Department is the main group that enforces laws in the city.

In 2018, Sterling Heights had a crime rate of 180.38 per 100,000 people. This was a decrease of 2.16% compared to 2017. The city’s crime rate is lower than the average for both Michigan (449) and the United States (381). In 2018, Sterling Heights had the fourth lowest crime rate per 100,000 people when compared to nearby cities. Rochester (61.19), Troy (61.74), and Fraser (157.25) had lower crime rates than Sterling Heights.

Sterling Heights also had a lower crime rate than Utica (222.27), Madison Heights (295.68), Clinton Township (317.93), and Warren (509.03).

Education

Sterling Heights has two public school districts. Utica Community Schools serves the northern half of the city, and Warren Consolidated Schools serves the southern half. Utica has two high schools: Stevenson High School and Henry Ford II High School. Warren Consolidated has Sterling Heights High School. There is also Parkway Christian School, a private K–12 Christian school located in the city.

Media

The city of Sterling Heights has three local newspapers. The Macomb Daily is delivered daily and on Sundays and is owned by the Journal Register Company. The Sterling Heights Sentry and the Sterling Heights Source are both owned by C and G Newspapers and Advisor & Source Newspapers, respectively. These two newspapers are delivered free of charge to city homes. The city also has two local television channels. SHTV is operated by the city's community relations department and usually shows locally made programming, such as City Council meetings and community announcements. Another channel is used by the Sterling Heights Public Library. This channel features educational programs, library updates, and outreach activities for the LGBT community in Sterling Heights. SHTV can be found on Comcast channel 5, Wide Open West channel 10, and online. The public library channel is available on Comcast channel 12 and WOW channel 20.

The city's official radio station is AM 1700. The city also provides a seasonal magazine and a city calendar free of charge to every household and business in the city.

WKEG, which is connected to Relevant Radio, is located in Sterling Heights.

Sister cities

Sister City programs help people in different cities learn about each other's traditions and ways of life. These programs support exchanges in areas like culture, education, government, business, and technology between the cities. Sterling Heights' sister cities include:

Notable people

• Porcelain Black (Alaina Marie Beaton) – industrial pop singer
• Matt Busch – filmmaker and Star Wars artist
• Pete Chryplewicz – former NFL player
• Shawn Hunwick – retired NHL goaltender
• Tom Jankiewicz – screenwriter; raised in Sterling Heights
• Craig Krenzel – former NFL player
• Kalin Lucas – former NBA player
• Greg Pateryn – NHL defenseman
• Frank Zombo – NFL linebacker for Kansas City Chiefs