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 New York, 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 151, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in St. James is 1.5x higher than the national average.
St. James ranks as the #234 cheapest in New York out of 341.
St. James ranks as the #5,719 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in St. James is $716,719.
The median income in St. James is $130,556.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, St. James has an overall cost of living index of 151, which is 1.5x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New York, St. James has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than New York's index of 119.
The standard of living in St. James ranks as #234 most affordable out of the 341 places we measured in New York. By definition, that implies St. James ranks as the #107 most expensive place in the Empire 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 112.
The Groceries index in St. James is 107.
The Health index in St. James is 111.
The Housing index in St. James is 232.
The Transportation index in St. James is 103.
The Utilities index in St. James is 129.
| Living Expense | St. James | New York | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 151 | 119 | 100 | |
| Services | 112 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 107 | 103 | 100 | |
| Health | 111 | 101 | 100 | |
| Housing | 232 | 145 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 103 | 105 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 129 | 99 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in New York, 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 $716,719.
The Median Rent in St. James is $2,192.
The Median Income in St. James is $130,556.
The Home Value To Income in St. James is 5.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in St. James is 0.2x.
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:
Commack, NY has a cost of living index of 154, 1.0x St. James.
Centereach, NY has a cost of living index of 138, 0.9x St. James.
Plainview, NY has a cost of living index of 167, 1.1x St. James.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. St. James |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commack, NY | 36,353 | 154 | 1.0x |
| Centereach, NY | 31,501 | 138 | 0.9x |
| Plainview, NY | 26,251 | 167 | 1.1x |
| Smithtown, NY | 24,940 | 157 | 1.0x |
| Huntington, NY | 20,117 | 169 | 1.1x |
| Lake Ronkonkoma, NY | 18,289 | 138 | 0.9x |
| Syosset, NY | 18,274 | 182 | 1.2x |
| Bethpage, NY | 17,334 | 161 | 1.1x |
| South Farmingdale, NY | 14,953 | 147 | 1.0x |
| Nesconset, NY | 13,344 | 159 | 1.1x |