Median Income
$95,364
household / year
Median Home Value
$416,300
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$2,009
gross / month
Cost of Living
104
national avg = 100

Is James Island, SC a Good Place to Live?

James Island is a small city of 11,689 in South Carolina, with a median household income of $95,364 and a 1.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 104 (US average = 100), which is 4% above the national average.

Strengths: James Island stands out for a well-educated population, short average commutes.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices. Whether James Island is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All James Island 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: 104.4

James Island's overall cost of living index is 104.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in James Island costs roughly 4% more than the average American city.

Metric James Island, SC National Avg
Median Home Value $416,300 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $2,009 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 86.2% 65.9%
Median Household Income $95,364 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Near National Average

James Island's violent crime rate is 475.7 per 100,000 residents — 25% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
475.7 /100k
Property Crime
2551.0 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric James Island, SC National Avg
School District N/A —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio N/A 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 51.1% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 95.6% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

James Island sees average highs of 58.0°F in January and 87.5°F in July, with 53.5 inches of annual precipitation and 0.3 inches of snow per year.

MetricJames Island, SC
Average High — January58.0°F
Average High — July87.5°F
Annual Precipitation53.5"
Annual Snowfall0.3"

Demographics

MetricJames Island, SCNational Avg
Population11,689—
Median Age41.438.9
Unemployment Rate1.7%3.7%
Avg Commute Time22.1 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)85.1%59.3%
Black or African American10.2%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino2.6%18.9%
Asian0.6%6.3%
Under 1821.5%22.2%
65 and over17.6%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Folly Beach, SC 5 mi Mount Pleasant, SC 7 mi Sullivan's Island, SC 7 mi Charleston, SC 7 mi Kiawah Island, SC 11 mi

James Island vs Other Cities

James Island, SC vs Folly Beach, SC James Island, SC vs Mount Pleasant, SC James Island, SC vs Sullivan's Island, SC James Island, SC vs Charleston, SC James Island, SC vs Kiawah Island, SC

Frequently Asked Questions

James Island's cost of living index is 104, where 100 is the national average. That puts James Island roughly 4% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $416,300 and median rent is $2,009/month.
James Island's violent crime rate is 475.7 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 2551.0 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
James Island, SC has a population of 11,689, a median household income of $95,364, and an unemployment rate of 1.7%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
James Island averages 58.0°F in January and 87.5°F in July. Annual rainfall is 53.5 inches with about 0.3 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
The population of James Island, South Carolina is 11,689 with a median age of 41.4. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in James Island: cost of living index 104 (100 = US average), median home $416,300, median household income $95,364, crime index 124 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare James Island side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.