St. James, NC housing market
Homes typically sell in 143 days, below asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how St. James compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
St. James at a glance
A balanced market
About 6 months of supply: neither buyers nor sellers have a clear edge.
Home prices up 55% in 5 years
The federal house price index for the ZIP code around St. James rose 55% over the past 5 years, slower than across North Carolina (60%). Last year prices rose 3.3%. Carrying the Census median home value forward with that index puts the typical St. James home at roughly $1,115,000 today.
Show as a table
| Year | Change that year | Since 2000 | North Carolina since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | +3.3% | +169% | +159% |
| 2024 | +7% | +161% | +153% |
| 2023 | +2.3% | +144% | +141% |
| 2022 | +22% | +138% | +121% |
| 2021 | +13% | +96% | +83% |
| 2020 | +7.1% | +74% | +62% |
| 2019 | +5.5% | +62% | +56% |
| 2018 | +2.5% | +54% | +47% |
| 2017 | +7% | +50% | +39% |
| 2016 | +2.7% | +40% | +31% |
| 2015 | +7.1% | +37% | +26% |
| 2014 | +1.2% | +28% | +21% |
| 2013 | +1.5% | +26% | +18% |
| 2012 | −5.1% | +24% | +17% |
| 2011 | −5% | +31% | +20% |
| 2010 | −12% | +38% | +25% |
| 2009 | −7.3% | +56% | +32% |
| 2008 | −3% | +68% | +36% |
| 2007 | +0.9% | +74% | +34% |
| 2006 | +19% | +72% | +28% |
| 2005 | +21% | +45% | +19% |
| 2004 | +8.2% | +20% | +12% |
| 2003 | +3.1% | +11% | +8.3% |
| 2002 | +1.5% | +7.2% | +6.7% |
| 2001 | +5.6% | +5.6% | +4.2% |
| 2000 | — | — | — |
How St. James ranks on rising home prices →
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (annual, developmental) for ZIP code 28461, weighted by land area. It tracks repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, so it shows how prices changed, not what homes cost. The estimated value scales the Census (ACS 2020-2024) median home value by that change.
42 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 42 new homes in St. James in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $12.5 million to build. That's 5.9 per 1,000 residents, slower than across North Carolina (11). Over the past 10 years, St. James has permitted 1,655 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, St. James gained 3,364 residents while 2,200 new homes were permitted: about 1.5 new residents per new home. Building and growth moved roughly in step. Across North Carolina: 1.7 new residents per new home.
How St. James ranks on housing keeping up with growth →
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 21 | 21 | 0 | $6.9 million |
| 2025 | 42 | 42 | 0 | $12.5 million |
| 2024 | 75 | 75 | 0 | $27.7 million |
| 2023 | 82 | 82 | 0 | $22.7 million |
| 2022 | 120 | 120 | 0 | $30.1 million |
| 2021 | 276 | 276 | 0 | $66 million |
| 2020 | 180 | 180 | 0 | $79.7 million |
| 2019 | 221 | 221 | 0 | $90.1 million |
| 2018 | 244 | 244 | 0 | $109.2 million |
| 2017 | 216 | 216 | 0 | $90.4 million |
| 2016 | 199 | 199 | 0 | $86.9 million |
| 2015 | 244 | 244 | 0 | $72.5 million |
| 2014 | 326 | 326 | 0 | $51.3 million |
| 2013 | 293 | 293 | 0 | $35.5 million |
| 2012 | 206 | 206 | 0 | $25.7 million |
| 2011 | 147 | 147 | 0 | $26.1 million |
| 2010 | 104 | 104 | 0 | $15.1 million |
| 2009 | 60 | 60 | 0 | $11.5 million |
| 2008 | 28 | 28 | 0 | $5.7 million |
How St. James ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
St. James and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. James | — | +3.3%† | $1,570 | 42 | $116,383 |
| Oak Island | $604K | +4.5% | $1,540 | 139 | $85,872 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
5.5 years of income
The typical St. James home costs about 5.5 years of the town's median household income, more than across North Carolina (4.6 years).
How St. James ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,570
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in St. James is $1,570 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. A two-bedroom takes about 16% of the town's median household income.
Studio $1,370 · 4 bedrooms $2,630
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (28461; Brunswick County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Price trend: Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.