Sterling is a city in Rice County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,248. Sterling is home to Sterling College.

For millennia, the land and future state known as Kansas was inhabited by Native Americans. In 1803, most of modern Kansas was secured by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1867, Rice County was founded.

Sterling was founded in 1872, originally called Peace for Mr. Ninde, a Quaker. In 1876, the name was changed to Sterling, by two brothers after their father Sterling Rosan.

In the 1890s, Jonathan S. Dillon sold groceries at his general store in Sterling. Later in 1913, he opened his first J.S. Dillon Cash Food Market in Hutchinson. Later he expanded into the Dillons grocery supermarket chain.

In the 1970s, Sterling was considered a national "Broomcorn Capital."

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.71 square miles (4.43 km²), of which 1.67 square miles (4.33 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) is water.

As of the 2020 census, Sterling had a population of 2,248. The median age was 32.6 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.6 males age 18 and over.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.