[9] Until the 1950s, Sterling Township was an agricultural area, largely devoted to growing rhubarb and other crops sold in Detroit.

[10] Road improvements led to decreased commute times and lower costs for the delivery of goods and services to and from businesses.

The population increased when suburban homes were built for the workers in metropolitan Detroit's booming automobile industry.

In the 1960s and 1970s, many residents came to live in Sterling Heights to work in automobile plants operated by Chrysler and Ford.

It has received many people of eastern European origins, including ethnic Albanians, Bosnians, Croatians, Macedonians, Montenegrins, Poles, Serbians and Slovenians.

[12] After the 2003 U.S.-Iraqi War, millions of Iraqi citizens were displaced, particularly Assyrians, whom the majority of which adhere to the Chaldean Catholic Church.

Of these, 30,000-50,000 resettled in Sterling Heights, giving parts of the city the nickname "Little Nineveh", especially around 15 Mile Road and Ryan.

[13][14] Sterling Heights is a second-ring suburb, 14 to 20 miles (23 to 32 km) north of downtown Detroit.

Winters are cold, with temperatures not rising above freezing on 39.1 days annually, while dropping to or below 0 °F (−18 °C) on average 1.2 days a year.Sterling Heights sits on two main thoroughfares: As of the census[19] of 2010, there were 129,699 people, 49,451 households, and 34,515 families living in the city.

Taylor served as mayor pro tempore after Richard Notte died while in office in December 2014.

[21] Following his death, the municipal building was renamed the Richard J. Notte Sterling Heights City Center.

The city is located in Michigan's 9th Senate district, represented by Republican Michael Webber.

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

[24] The Sterling Heights Police Department serves as the main law enforcement agency in the city.

Sterling Heights' crime rate is lower than both the Michigan (449) and United States (381) averages.

[28] Sterling Heights had the fourth lowest crime rate per 100,000 population in 2018, compared to surrounding cities.

The city of Sterling Heights has three local newspapers, The Macomb Daily with daily and Sunday delivery (owned by the Journal Register Company), the Sterling Heights Sentry (C and G Newspapers), and the Sterling Heights Source (owned by Advisor & Source Newspapers), the last two are delivered to city residences free of charge.

The initiatives will facilitate the cultural, educational, municipal, business, professional and technical exchanges and projects among the sister cities.