Is St. Pauls, NC a Good Place to Live?
St. Pauls is a small town of 2,261 in North Carolina, with a median household income of $36,490 and a 9.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 88 (US average = 100), which is 12% below the national average.
Strengths: St. Pauls stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include a higher-than-average crime index, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether St. Pauls is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All St. Pauls city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 88.1St. Pauls's overall cost of living index is 88.1, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in St. Pauls costs roughly 12% less than the average American city.
| Metric | St. Pauls, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $100,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $736 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 55.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $36,490 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Higher than AverageSt. Pauls's violent crime rate is 487.8 per 100,000 residents — 28% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
St. Pauls is served primarily by Public Schools of Robeson County. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15.9:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | St. Pauls, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Public Schools of Robeson County | — |
| Elementary Schools | 22 | — |
| Middle Schools | 8 | — |
| High Schools | 6 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 15.9:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 8.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 70.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
St. Pauls sees average highs of 54.4°F in January and 90.8°F in July, with 48.9 inches of annual precipitation and 0.4 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | St. Pauls, NC |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 54.4°F |
| Average High — July | 90.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.4" |
Demographics
| Metric | St. Pauls, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,261 | — |
| Median Age | 42.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 9.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 19.5 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 42.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 25.9% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 25.8% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 27.3% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 22.1% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in St. Pauls
St. Pauls, NC is covered by 1 ZIP code: