7 Best Independent Living Communities in Sterling, IL

Independent Living

An Independent Living Community provides residents the chance to continue to live active lives while ensuring their care requirements are met. Residents may live their lives as they wish while their food is cooked by a professionall chef, housekeeping and laundry duties are handled by staff, and recreational activities are scheduled and organized. Along with their daily needs being met, residents can enjoy an opportunity to be among peers, surrounded by others of similar age groups and backgrounds. Within the individual units, residents have access to their own private living space and a full kitchen, and can even live with a partner if they prefer. While policies differ between locations, a number of residences allow pets as well. Nursing and health care services may always be arranged for with private care providers as desired. There are an assortment of benefits and costs to consider while choosing an independent living community. It is important to determine if these services are covered in the plan: move-in fee, meals, private phone, initial assessment fee, laundry, parking, internet access, and cable TV. The amenities associated with independent living include security guards, private rental hall, fitness center & swimming pool, golf course, community activities, transportation, beauty salon & barber shop, and laundry service.

Cost of Living

The price of care for a community is influenced by the destination in which it is located. The rent burden for Sterling is around 15.6% of the average person’s monthly income. The median monthly rent in Sterling is around $742 and the median home value for Sterling is approximately $85,885.

Demographics and Values

Out of the total population of Sterling, 62.6% participate in the labor force, 15.0% have some form of disability, 8.6% consider themselves widows, and 14.0% live in poverty. Out of the total city population, 51.2% are female and 48.8% are male. The median age of Sterling is 38 years old. Sterling has a population density of 976 people per square mile. In terms of education, 34.0% have a high-school diploma, 16.1% have a college degree, and 5.9% have a graduate degree. In Sterling, 10.2% of the citizens are veterans. Demographically, Sterling is 4.7% other or not specified, 26.0% Hispanic, 88.3% white, 0.1% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 1.4% Asian, 0.1% Native American, 3.1% mixed race, and 2.3% black.

State Information

An overview of Illinois

Overall, Illinois ranks 35th out of all states in quality of life and 22nd in healthcare. There are 199 hospitals and 383 health centers that service a population of 12,696,123. Sherman Hospital, Sam Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Centralia, and And Midwestern Region Medical Center are among the top three highest ranked hospitals in the state. In terms of resources, Illinois has a cost of living index of 95.7, a grocery index rating of 94.2, and a housing index rating of 87.2. These index ratings are based on a system where 100 is considered the national average and anything below 100 is considered less expensive than the national average. Based on natural beauty, Illinois ranks 43rd in the nation.

Social demographics of the state

In Illinois, 29% of the population is over the age of 55. The median age in the state is 38. In the most recent presidential election, 39% of Illinois residents voted Republican and 56% voted Democrat. In terms of diversity, Illinois ranks 10th in the nation and is considered LGBTQ friendly. In terms of religious values, 34% of Illinois’s population regularly attend some form of service and there are in total 12,453 different congregations. The top three Christian denominations in the state are Evangelical Protestant-20%, Mainline Protestant-16%, and Historically Black Protestant-7%. The top three non-Christian denominations in the state are Jewish-2%, Muslim-<1%, and Buddhist-<1%. In Illinois there are 518 masonic lodges.

State-wide weather information

The average monthly precipitation for the state of Illinois is around 3.33 inches. The average amount of precipitation peaks during the month of May at around 6.02 inches. The average temperature in the summer rises to around 73F. Over the summer months the average high temperature peaks at around 91F during the month of July. The average low summer temperature is around 53F in the month of June. During the winter, the average temperature in Illinois drops to around 28F. The average high winter temperature is around 49F in the month of February. In the winter months, the average low temperature falls to around 10F during the month of January. The average air quality index rating in Illinois is 37.7 AQI. The highest seasonal air quality index rating occurs in the month of May with a rating of 54.5 AQI. On average, the humidity rating for Illinois is around 71%. Humidity levels tend to reach their peak in the month of December at around 78%. While residents of Illinois mostly enjoy pleasant conditions, it’s important to be aware of inclement weather as well, which in Illinois can include floods, earthquakes (moderate), and and tornadoes.

Wildlife to be found in Illinois

The state of Illinois has a diverse array of plant and animal life. Local plant life can consist of viola pedata, aromatic aster, black eyedSusan, and bee balm. While venturing throughout the state, you might see animals such as the American pygmy shrew, the coyote, the eastern red bat, or the American black bear. The state animal of Illinois is the white-tailed deer.