Ideal CityOpen the map

Atwood vs Sterling

Atwood, Colorado versus Sterling, Colorado: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.

Overall livability

Atwood

Mixed · objective livability46/100

Sterling

Mixed · objective livability45/100

Atwood and Sterling score about the same overall (46 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.

Factor-by-factor comparison

FactorAtwoodSterling
Affordability
Median Household Income$57k$45k
Cost of Living$45k$45k
Home Value$176k$183k
Monthly Rent$838
Monthly Owner Costs$57$3k
Property Tax Rate0.46%0.49%
Income Tax4.40%4.40%
Sales Tax7.81%7.81%
Estimated total tax burden8.40%8.97%
Unemployment19.3%3.3%
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)28°F28°F
Summer Temp (Jul)74°F74°F
Annual Precipitation17.2 in17.2 in
Annual Snowfall36.6 in36.6 in
Sunny Days282 days282 days
Summer Humidity53°F53°F
Comfortable Days40 days39 days
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk80.581.1
Air Quality49 AQI49 AQI
School Quality32.432.4
Violent Crime909/100k1079/100k
Property Crime2069/100k2684/100k
Community
Population14413,466
Median Age41.637.7
Racial Diversity0.070.37
Male/Female Ratio1.091.20
Political LeaningR+57R+57
White (%)89.6%71.8%
Black (%)0.0%1.6%
Hispanic (%)6.9%19.7%
Asian (%)0.0%0.5%
Other / Multiracial (%)3.5%6.4%
Getting Around
Commute Time15 min
Walkability7.9/208.1/20
Airport Distance88 mi94 mi
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access94.7%83.6%
Amenities Nearby0.0015.59
Park & Nature AccessLimitedLimited

Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.

Frequently asked questions

Is Atwood or Sterling more affordable?
Sterling has the lower cost of living: its index is $45k, compared with Atwood's $45k and Sterling's $45k.
Is Atwood or Sterling safer?
Atwood has the lower violent crime rate. Atwood reports 909/100k and Sterling reports 1079/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
Are homes cheaper in Atwood or Sterling?
The median home value is $176k in Atwood and $183k in Sterling, so homes are more affordable in Atwood.
See each on the map

Explore AtwoodExplore Sterling

Full profiles