Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in St. James, North Carolina
A $599,000 home here costs
$4,228per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $3,079. The real number is $1,149 higher every month — 37% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
St. James against Brunswick County and North Carolina
| Measure | St. James | Brunswick County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $599,300 | $314,700 |
| Median property tax | $2,746 | $1,789 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.458% | 0.568% |
| Median gross rent | $2,258 | $1,267 |
| Population | 6,901 | 145,889 |
The weather behind that power bill
St. James sits in Brunswick County, which averages a high of 87.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 36.4°F in its coldest, with 56.53" of precipitation a year and 38% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,865 cooling and 2,429 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Brunswick County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Brunswick County
Full Brunswick County cost breakdown · Every county in North Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in St. James?
A $599,000 home in St. James, North Carolina costs approximately $4,228 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $3,079 principal and interest, $229 property tax, $217 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $499 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in St. James?
St. James has an effective property tax rate of 0.458%, based on a median home value of $599,300 and median real estate taxes of $2,746. That is lower than the Brunswick County average of 0.568%.
What is the average home price in St. James?
The median owner-occupied home value in St. James, North Carolina is $599,300, against $314,700 across Brunswick County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in St. James?
Median gross rent in St. James is $2,258 a month, against $4,228 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for St. James — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for North Carolina.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.