St. James, Michigan Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 269, St. James's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

St. James is a small community located in Michigan, within Charlevoix County. The total population is 269. It ranks as the 640th most populous out of 745 Census-designated places in Michigan.

Age Demographics

The median age in St. James is 46.5 years. This is 16% higher than the state median of 40.2 years. With 32.7% of the population under 18, St. James has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community. 14.1% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in St. James is $62,917. This is 14% lower than the state median of $72,875. It is also 22% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 10.2%. This is 23% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.2%. The unemployment rate is 18.8%. This is 230% higher than the state rate of 5.7%. The median home value is $325,000. Housing costs are 40% higher than the state median of $231,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 5.2x. 85.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 17% higher than the state average of 73.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

St. James has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 89.6% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 1.5%. The Hispanic or Latino population (1.5%) is well below the state average of 5.9%. The Asian population (1.5%) is well below the state average of 3.4%.

Education

48.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 51% higher than the state rate of 32.5%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 98.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for St. James, Michigan is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Michigan state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 745 Census-designated places in Michigan. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.