Madison vs Sterling Heights
The short version
- Madison is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Sterling Heights area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $274,300 in Sterling Heights and $372,900 in Madison.
- Sterling Heights has the warmer winter: January highs of 32°F vs 27°F.
- Madison gets far more snow: 52 inches a year vs 32.
- Madison is growing faster: +4.2% since 2020 vs -0.3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Madison (19 vs 25 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Madison, WI | Sterling Heights, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 286,233 | 133,931 |
| Growth since 2020 | +4.2% | -0.3% |
| People per square mile | 3,423 | 3,674 |
| Median age | 31.8 | 41.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 60% | 31% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $78,050 | $79,909 |
| Median home value | $372,900 | $274,300 |
| Home value to income | 4.8× | 3.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,413 | $1,292 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 97.3 | 100.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 99.7 | 94.7 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $73,000 | $75,200 |
| Homeowners | 46% | 76% |
| Top state income tax | 7.65% | 4.25% |
| Combined sales tax | 5.72% | 6% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.4 | 24.7 |
| Work from home | 21% | 16% |
| Take public transit | 5% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 2.7% | 6.1% |
| Poverty rate | 16.4% | 11.1% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 27° / 12° | 32° / 18° |
| July high / low | 82° / 62° | 82° / 62° |
| Precipitation per year | 37 in | 35 in |
| Snowfall per year | 52 in | 32 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 9 | 11 |
| Nights below freezing | 147 | 129 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 93.9 | 96.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 66% | 36% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.9% | +4.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +49% | +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: Madison: May and August to September. Sterling Heights: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Madison 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 $73,000 in Madison and $75,200 in Sterling Heights. Moving from Madison to Sterling Heights, you would need about $77,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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