Coeur d'Alene vs Sterling Heights
The short version
- Coeur d'Alene is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Sterling Heights area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $274,300 in Sterling Heights and $483,500 in Coeur d'Alene.
- Households earn more in Sterling Heights ($79,909 vs $72,338 median).
- Coeur d'Alene has the warmer winter: January highs of 36°F vs 32°F.
- Coeur d'Alene is growing faster: +6.5% since 2020 vs -0.3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Coeur d'Alene (18 vs 25 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | Sterling Heights, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 58,179 | 133,931 |
| Growth since 2020 | +6.5% | -0.3% |
| People per square mile | 3,449 | 3,674 |
| Median age | 40.1 | 41.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31% | 31% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $72,338 | $79,909 |
| Median home value | $483,500 | $274,300 |
| Home value to income | 6.7× | 3.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,468 | $1,292 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 98.3 | 100.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 105.6 | 94.7 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $73,700 | $75,200 |
| Homeowners | 60% | 76% |
| Top state income tax | 5.3% | 4.25% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.03% | 6% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 18.1 | 24.7 |
| Work from home | 13% | 16% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 2.9% | 6.1% |
| Poverty rate | 9.2% | 11.1% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 36° / 26° | 32° / 18° |
| July high / low | 83° / 57° | 82° / 62° |
| Precipitation per year | 25 in | 35 in |
| Snowfall per year | 27 in | 32 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 18 | 11 |
| Nights below freezing | 120 | 129 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 79.0 | 96.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 78% | 36% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.5% | +4.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +33.3% | +39.6% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Coeur d'Alene: May to September. Sterling Heights: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Coeur d'Alene weather by month and Sterling Heights weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $73,700 in Coeur d'Alene and $75,200 in Sterling Heights. Moving from Coeur d'Alene to Sterling Heights, you would need about $76,500 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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