Census place 4536430

James Island

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: James Island town

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in James Island.

According to the 2025 estimate, James Island has a population of 12,660 and 2,616 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 43 covered South Carolina places are: median home value is $508,600, above the comparison median of $295,100; population density is 2,616/sq mi, above the comparison median of 1,692/sq mi; and median household income is $104,217, above the comparison median of $73,585. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

median home value
$508,600
Above the comparison median of $295,100
population density
2,616/sq mi
Above the comparison median of 1,692/sq mi
median household income
$104,217
Above the comparison median of $73,585

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare James Island's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
12,660
2025 estimate
Annual change
+1.3%
Population estimate
Density
2,616/sq mi
4.8 sq mi land area
Median age
41.7 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$104,217
Median home value
$508,600
Median gross rent
$1,695
Bachelor’s degree or higher
49.5%
Typical commute
22.5 min
Drive-alone commute
73.1%
Public transit commute
0.2%
Walked to work
1.7%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
12.5%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
46.6%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
65.7%
Unemployed residents 16+
0.8%
Working from home
18.2%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
88.7%
Homes built 2020+
0.6%
Households without a vehicle
6%
Households with children
30.2%
Residents with a disability
13.1%
Residents without insurance
3.1%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Charleston County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
20
Hurricane declarations
13
Severe Storm declarations
3
Tropical Storm declarations
2

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: DWTN CHARLESTON (3 mi from place center)
Average high
73.3°F
Average low
61.1°F
Annual rainfall
44.3"
Annual snowfall
0"

Month by month

A year in James Island.

Typical high and low °F
40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Tega Cay, SC

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
14,457
Median home
$529,200

Ukiah, CA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
16,068
Median home
$458,400

Elon, NC

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
11,366
Median home
$366,300

Keep exploring

Compare James Island with Tega Cay