St. James Chapel · National Register of Historic Places
St. James’s story
St. James in pictures
1 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
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St. JamesMO
A town of 3,916. Nearly 3.1% of it is conserved land.
Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
3,916
−6.7% since 2010
Typical home
$242K
+8.3% in a year
Household income
$53K
median
Median age
49.3
years
Jobs based here
3,166
A job hub
What makes St. James stand out
The 3 things St. James does most differently from other towns.
A job hub
Every workday, about 2,852 people come to St. James for work
Where St. James’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
3,166jobs based in St. James
20%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
St. James’s report card
Outdoors9 mi#4 for trails in MOSchoolsA−Beats 83% of MO districtsHousing$242K10% below the MO typical homeCommute12 miHalf of commuters travel lessHealthCHealthier than 32% of U.S. townsHazards20/100Low risk of storm & flood damageSafetyCLess crime than 25% of U.S. townsClimate88°/22°Summer high · winter low · 17″ snow
Now in St. James
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
St. James is #250 of 256 in MO for “Youngest”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in St. James’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →73°
Clear
H 89° · L 70°
Local news
All →- St. James Varsity Softball @ Cubamaxpreps.com · Sep 26
- Liberty Girls Varsity Soccer @ St. Jamesmaxpreps.com · Sep 25
- St. Clair Varsity Softball @ St. Jamesmaxpreps.com · Sep 25
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in St. James. Another town gets a different order.
Outdoors
3.1% of St. James is conserved land
9.4 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves.
#4for trails in MO
3.1%
conserved · 84 of 2,703 acres
9.4 mi
of trails · 2.2 per sq mi
#77
most conserved land in MO
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Schools
St. James’s public schools outperform 83% of Missouri districts
The public schools St. James’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 83% of Missouri’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
A−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucy Wortham James Elem. | PK–5 | 681 | A− |
| ST. James Middle | 6–8 | 369 | B− |
| ST. James High | 9–12 | 509 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduationAll 3 schools →
Housing
A typical St. James home is worth about $242K
The typical St. James home is worth about $242,000, up 8.3% in a year, 10% below the Missouri typical home.
$242KZillow home value
Typical home value
St. James$242K
Missouri$268K
Market temperature
36
days on market
99.4%
sale-to-list price
+8.3%
value change, 1 year
9
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute
About one in five working residents works right in St. James
About one in 5 of St. James’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Rolla (23%), Cuba (4%) and Jefferson City (3%). Half commute less than 12 miles.
20%work in town
Where working residents work
In St. James20%
Rolla23%
Cuba4%
Jefferson City3%
Columbia3%
12 mi
median commute distance
3,166
jobs based in St. James
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Health
Healthier than 32% of U.S. towns
St. James beats the Missouri average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
CHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Missouri
0 better28 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | St. James | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with heart disease | 8.4% | 6.8% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.2% | 3.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10% | 8.6% |
Phelps County Regional Medical Center
10 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
61st
percentile among MO towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards
Low risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 20% of U.S. communities.
20risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat wavesCold waves
1
paid flood claims since 1997
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 25% of U.S. towns
St. James reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 75% report less.
CSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
St. James1.5
Missouri4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
St. James20.1
Missouri16.9
U.S.15.5
25th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
34th
percentile among MO towns
6
violent crimes reported in 2025
79
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Four seasons, hot summers
St. James has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
17″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–45°
Spring43–67°
Summer63–87°
Fall45–68°
Nov 1
typical first frost
Apr 5
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
About St. James
City in Phelps County, Missouri, United States
St. James or Saint James is a city in Phelps County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,920 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 3,935
- Area
- 4.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,093 ft
- ZIP code
- 65559
More about St. James
Still missing for St. James:archive photosupcoming events