City comparison
Farmington Hills, MI is about 20 miles (30 km) from Sterling Heights, MI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 24 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Farmington Hills, MI to Sterling Heights, MI takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Sterling Heights has a population of 133,744, vs 83,562 in Farmington Hills — about 1.6× larger by population. By land area, Sterling Heights covers about 36 sq mi vs 33 sq mi for Farmington Hills.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Farmington Hills | Sterling Heights | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,401/mo | $1,215/mo | 15.3% higher in Farmington Hills |
| Median home value | $319,000 | $243,400 | 31.1% higher in Farmington Hills |
| Median household income | $101,728 | $75,381 | 35.0% higher in Farmington Hills |
| Groceries index | 98.6 | 98.6 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 105.6 | 105.6 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 102.1 | 102.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 102.3 | 102.3 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Farmington Hills, you'd need $99,436 in Sterling Heights to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sterling Heights, MI is about 0.6% cheaper overall than Farmington Hills, MI, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Farmington Hills, you'd need about $79,549 in Sterling Heights to keep the same standard of living.