Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
This town of 4,789 people was settled in 1888.
Where it falls short is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 97% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. A typical home there costs about $204K, 3.2 years of the New Bern area’s $64K median household income. Its strongest subject is health: residents are healthier than 59% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The overall grade comes out at C+, 139th of 286 in North Carolina. On that grade it does better than 36% of U.S. towns. Mount Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church is on the National Register of Historic Places. James City’s age of the median resident is 51.7 years, against 40.1 years in North Carolina’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Creekside Park, 110 acres with 1.3 miles of trail.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · FEMA National Risk Index · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places · OpenStreetMap.
5,899 counted in 2010 and 5,291 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far James City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1866 and 5 maps from 1901 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
James City is unincorporated, so Craven County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in James City.
James City is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of North Carolina (mostly hurricanes).
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 92% of North Carolina towns, with expected losses of about $959 per resident a year; that rating is what its D− for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1996, James City has seen 32 flood insurance claims paid out. 83% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from hurricanes, followed by inland flooding at 7%.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The public schools here belong to the Craven County Board of Education school district. Below: Two of its 3 schools, each with why it was picked. 2 public schools serve James City, with 820 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brinson Memorial ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 446 | B− |
| New Bern Christian Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 479 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
People 65 and older are 27% of residents (17% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (23% statewide). Among residents in James City, 15% are under 18. 28% of adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, against 36% across North Carolina.
| James City | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.7 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 15% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 27% | 18% | 18% |
53% women, 47% men
About 88 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.3 points). Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women. Among residents 25 to 34, 62% are men (NC 50%).
| James City | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.9% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.3% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.3% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.4% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.6% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.3% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.2% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.9% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.4% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.1% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.2% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.2% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.7% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.3% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,800, single groups can be off by several points
The typical July afternoon high in the town is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
There are 2.9 miles of trail across 1 park or preserve. The concentration of trails for James City comes to 0.2 miles per square mile.
| James City | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.7% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Creekside Park | 1.3 mi | 110 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Half of commuters travel less than 11 miles. James City’s median household income is $59,000. Commuting out is the norm here: 9% of working residents work locally. The top destinations are New Bern (33%), Havelock (5%) and Raleigh (4%).
| James City | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.5% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 13% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 8,656 U.S. towns with household incomes like James City’s, it is healthier than 86%, so that grade isn’t only a matter of income.
16% of adults report frequent mental distress in James City. CDC measures, 32 in all: James City beats North Carolina on 5 and trails on 4. Among adults in the town, 40% have high blood pressure and 82% had a checkup this year.
| James City | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 34% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 80% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| What stands out | James City | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.9% | 12.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.5% | 15.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10% | 7.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The share of households in James City who live in a home they own: 85%. A home in James City typically sold within 54 days of listing. For James City, the median rent is $1,019 a month.
| James City | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,019 a month | $1,086 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
2 within 15 miles of the center of James City
About 4 of every 100 James City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
Census-designated place in North Carolina, United States
James City is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Craven County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, James City had a population of 5,291. It is part of the New Bern, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with James City.
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James City | #139 | C+ | B− | — | C+ | B |
| New Bern | #230 | D | C | C | C+ | B− |
| Brices Creek | #136 | C+ | C+ | — | C+ | B+ |
James City and Brices Creek report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare James City with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
James City grades C+ overall, better than 36% of U.S. towns and #139 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades B for health and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
The typical home is worth about $204,000, 38% below the North Carolina typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.