Population 4,852 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in James City
Household size in James City
| Period | James City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.57 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.51 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.40 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.27 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.30 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
James City is a place of small households, averaging 2.27 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.57, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in James City
| Period | James City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.6 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.0 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.5 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 51.3 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +13.6 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
James City skews older: half of its residents are older than 51.3, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Only 23 of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people are older.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in James City
| Period | James City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.3% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.8% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.8% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in James City as they are nationally: 10.8%, against 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in James City
Renters in James City
| Period | James City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.8% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.6% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.9% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 12.9% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −9.8 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 12.9% of households in James City rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. More than four in ten owners (44.2%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Only 23 of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in James City
| Period | James City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.7% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.2% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.3% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in James City is close to the national rate: 10.3% of homes are empty, against 9.6%.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in James City
| Period | James City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1988 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1987 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1991 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1991 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in James City is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1991, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The picture is much the same across North Carolina.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in James City
| Period | James City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,055 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,005 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,085 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,248 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$194 | +$528 | +$606 |
A typical rental in James City costs $1,248 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 25.1% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the east; the highest are in the southwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in James City
Bachelor's degrees in James City
| Period | James City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.8% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.0% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.6% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 31.2% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.4 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in James City than nationally: 31.2% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the southeast. Compared with other North Carolina cities, though, James City has a higher share of college graduates than most.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in James City
| Period | James City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.0% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.2% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.0% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.1% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in James City have finished high school (92.1%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. James City has a higher share of high school graduates than most North Carolina cities.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in James City
| Period | James City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.4% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.3% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.7 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in James City has been strong: just 2.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Only 20 of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have lower unemployment. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
James City compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James City | 2.27 | 51.3 | 10.8% | 12.9% | 10.3% | 1991 | $1,248 | 31.2% | 92.1% | 2.3% |
| Thurman | 2.32 | 44.7 | 5.6% | 9.6% | 2.4% | 2008 | $1,257 | 40.0% | 96.9% | 2.9% |
| New Bern | 2.32 | 42.6 | 11.5% | 31.9% | 11.8% | 1988 | $1,188 | 27.4% | 92.3% | 4.6% |
| Fairfield Harbour | 2.50 | 53.1 | 1.7% | 10.3% | 15.6% | 2000 | $1,158 | 25.8% | 93.9% | 0.0% |
| Bridgeton | 2.04 | 36.8 | 27.9% | 45.4% | 24.9% | 1980 | $884 | 13.8% | 89.7% | 11.5% |
| Trent Woods | 2.23 | 55.6 | 6.4% | 8.6% | 4.6% | 1978 | $1,346 | 65.1% | 97.8% | 3.2% |
| Forest | 1.43 | 46.7 | 11.9% | 48.3% | 18.2% | 1984 | $688 | 27.1% | 88.5% | 29.3% |
| River Bend | 2.06 | 53.4 | 5.3% | 12.0% | 14.0% | 1984 | $1,191 | 31.3% | 91.2% | 4.4% |
| Kennel Beach | 2.32 | 47.2 | 2.8% | 15.6% | 34.8% | 1979 | $726 | 16.4% | 89.5% | 1.6% |
| Reelsboro | 2.43 | 42.4 | 12.5% | 4.5% | 20.5% | 1985 | $726 | 22.1% | 86.6% | 2.4% |
| Olympia | 2.37 | 45.1 | 13.7% | 3.0% | 5.1% | 1989 | $726 | 15.6% | 88.4% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Talking Rock, GA · Vidalia, LA · Tarrant, AL · Tarawa Terrace, NC · Ashville, OH · Ashville, AL · Windcrest, TX · Ashland, MO · Windom, MN · Ashdown, AR
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up James City. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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