Cost of living in St. James research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means St. James is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in North Carolina, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in St. James is 140, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in St. James is 1.4x higher than the national average.
St. James ranks as the #155 cheapest in North Carolina out of 157.
St. James ranks as the #5,404 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in St. James is $698,330.
The median income in St. James is $113,670.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, St. James has an overall cost of living index of 140, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to North Carolina, St. James has a cost of living index that's 1.5x higher than North Carolina's index of 92.
The standard of living in St. James ranks as #155 most affordable out of the 157 places we measured in North Carolina. By definition, that implies St. James ranks as the #2 most expensive place in the Tar Heel State.
For more reading on life in St. James, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in St. James. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in St. James is 101.
The Groceries index in St. James is 99.
The Health index in St. James is 113.
The Housing index in St. James is 234.
The Transportation index in St. James is 94.
The Utilities index in St. James is 96.
| Living Expense | St. James | North Carolina | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 140 | 92 | 100 | |
| Services | 101 | 100 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 99 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 113 | 106 | 100 | |
| Housing | 234 | 86 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 94 | 93 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 96 | 95 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in North Carolina, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in St. James is $698,330.
The Median Rent in St. James is $2,258.
The Median Income in St. James is $113,670.
The Home Value To Income in St. James is 6.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in St. James is 0.24x.
| Statistic | St. James | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $698,330 | $332,681 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,258 | $1,162 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $113,670 | $69,904 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.1x | 4.8x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | St. James | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.09 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $10.27 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $11.0 | $18 |
| Haircut | $19.0 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $29.58 | $45.56 |
| Item | St. James | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.93 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.59 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.57 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.18 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $10.47 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.29 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.65 | $3.7 |
| Item | St. James | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $141.56 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $136.38 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $100.17 | $113.29 |
| Item | St. James | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.45 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $63.55 | $59.92 |
| Item | St. James | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $201.14 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $187.32 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around St. James. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Leland, NC has a cost of living index of 111, 0.8x St. James.
Myrtle Grove, NC has a cost of living index of 115, 0.8x St. James.
Oak Island, NC has a cost of living index of 109, 0.8x St. James.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. St. James |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leland, NC | 26,307 | 111 | 0.8x |
| Myrtle Grove, NC | 12,404 | 115 | 0.8x |
| Oak Island, NC | 8,888 | 109 | 0.8x |
| Carolina Beach, NC | 6,665 | 122 | 0.9x |
| Silver Lake, NC | 6,242 | 99 | 0.7x |
| Boiling Spring Lakes, NC | 6,206 | 101 | 0.7x |