City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

St. James, NC

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for St. James - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

6,901
Residents
$113,670
Median income
$599,300
Median home
$1,426
Median rent (state)

St. James - the verdict

Nationally, St. James sits in the 85th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

85th
percentile, household income
89th
percentile, home value
56th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: St. James, NC

6,901 people live in St. James, North Carolina - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. St. James households earn a median of $113,670 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 5.9%. Typical homes in St. James are valued around $599,300, and the median resident age is 68.1 years. Educational attainment runs 65.7% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 23.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 75 residential building permits were authorized in St. James (Construction Slowdown), down 66% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data.

Living costs in North Carolina run below the national norm: the state registers 94.3 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,426 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $215 across North Carolina, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 95.8 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

6,901 residents

Census ACS 2023 - North Carolina

Median Household Income

$113,670 /yr

Poverty 5.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average

How does St. James compare to other US cities?

St. James measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 85% higher than other cities
Home value 89% pricier than other cities
Median rent 56% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares St. James against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to North Carolina only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

North Carolina-relative analysis

Median Home Value is St. James's strongest outlier among North Carolina cities

Among the 708 North Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, St. James ranks #17 - the 98th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares St. James only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#39 of 700
94th percentile in North Carolina
Median Gross Rent
#159 of 746
77th percentile in North Carolina
Median Home Value
#17 of 708
98th percentile in North Carolina
Poverty Rate
#474 of 746
36th percentile in North Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#32 of 746
96th percentile in North Carolina

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within North Carolina only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

85thIncome percentile

85th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How St. James's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$599,300 11th percentile more affordable than 11% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. St. James $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - St. James, NC St. James, NC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not St. James, NC-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution St. James, NC median $113,670/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
St. James, NC's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for St. James, NC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 65.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 23.4%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
6,901
Median Income
$113,670
Median Home Value
$599,300
Median Age
68.1
Poverty Rate
5.9%
Labor force participation
23.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
65.7%

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
6,000 residents6,500 residents7,000 residents7,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 6,548 residents 7,318 residents ▲ +11.8%
St. James's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
75
housing units authorized
Single-Family
75
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
10.9
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 221
2020 180
2021 276
2022 120
2023 82
2024 75

Permit volume decreased 66% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
44.0%
Carpool
6.8%
Public Transit
13.1%
Walk
3.2%
Work from Home
30.7%
Other
2.2%

Based on 1,585 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for North Carolina - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$215
estimated/month

Estimates reflect North Carolina state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a North Carolina state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county St. James sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,426/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
95.8 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in North Carolina

Unionville
6,826 people
Trinity
7,066 people
Porters Neck
7,102 people
Carolina Beach
6,665 people
Selma
6,611 people
Mills River
7,214 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to St. James's 6,901 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Live Oak, FL
6,901 people
Lincroft, NJ
6,901 people
Radisson, NY
6,901 people
Tellico, TN
6,901 people
Oyster Bay, NY
6,900 people
Wayne, PA
6,902 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to St. James's $113,670 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

DeCordova, TX
$113,676 median income
Pompton Plains, NJ
$113,661 median income
Wylie, TX
$113,661 median income
Loxahatchee Groves, FL
$113,654 median income
Grayslake, IL
$113,697 median income
Alexandria, VA
$113,638 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - St. James, NC Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition St. James, NC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 88.9% 8.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 6.6% White 88.9% Black or African American 0.4% Asian 0.4% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 2.1% Two or more races 8.1% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How St. James compares to nearby North Carolina cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
St. James (this city) 6,901 $113,670
Unionville 6,826 $92,009
Trinity 7,066 $80,349
Porters Neck 7,102 $115,417
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about St. James, NC?

What is the population of St. James, NC? +

St. James, NC counts 6,901 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in St. James, NC? +

In St. James, the typical household earns $113,670 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in St. James? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for St. James; the closest available measure is the North Carolina state average, a cost of living index of 94.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within North Carolina vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in St. James, NC? +

Homes in St. James carry a median value of $599,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.