New Haven vs Sterling Heights
The short version
- Sterling Heights is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the New Haven area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $274,300 in Sterling Heights and $287,100 in New Haven.
- Households earn more in Sterling Heights ($79,909 vs $56,851 median).
- New Haven has the warmer winter: January highs of 38°F vs 32°F.
- New Haven is growing faster: +3.6% since 2020 vs -0.3%.
- Commutes are shorter in New Haven (22 vs 25 minutes each way).
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | Sterling Heights, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 138,774 | 133,931 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.6% | -0.3% |
| People per square mile | 7,425 | 3,674 |
| Median age | 31.9 | 41.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39% | 31% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $56,851 | $79,909 |
| Median home value | $287,100 | $274,300 |
| Home value to income | 5.1× | 3.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,488 | $1,292 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 104.6 | 100.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 124.3 | 94.7 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $78,400 | $75,200 |
| Homeowners | 28% | 76% |
| Top state income tax | 6.99% | 4.25% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.35% | 6% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.5 | 24.7 |
| Work from home | 14% | 16% |
| Take public transit | 7% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 8.4% | 6.1% |
| Poverty rate | 23.9% | 11.1% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 38° / 23° | 32° / 18° |
| July high / low | 82° / 66° | 82° / 62° |
| Precipitation per year | 42 in | 35 in |
| Snowfall per year | 34 in | 32 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 6 | 11 |
| Nights below freezing | 102 | 129 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | n/a | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | n/a | 96.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 67% | 36% |
| Home prices, past year | +6% | +4.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +54.9% | +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: New Haven: May to October. Sterling Heights: May to September.
Full monthly tables: New Haven 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 $78,400 in New Haven and $75,200 in Sterling Heights. Moving from New Haven to Sterling Heights, you would need about $71,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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