St. James: Housing & Real Estate
$122,100 is the median home value in St. James (estimated market value runs 8% higher at $131,819), with median rent $839 (1.1× higher than Watonwan County median $736; 1.4× below Minnesota median $1,170). Homeownership rate: 66.4%. That's about the same as the Watonwan County median ($119,200); 2.4× below the Minnesota median ($290,542). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 12.3%. New construction makes up 0.5% of stock. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 2.0× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs Minnesota 3.2×).
- 12.1 years to break even renting at the median (vs Minnesota 21y).
- 4-BR rent is 1.9× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent 13% below HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $122,100 — 0.4× the Minnesota median ($290,541). Median rent $839/month. homeownership rate 66.4% — near the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Home Price To Income | 2.0× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Home Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Rent Pct Income | 16.0% |
| Affordability · Rent Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Pct Severely Rent Burdened | 21.4% |
| Affordability · Poverty Rate | 18.0% |
| Affordability · Property Tax Pct Income | 3.3% |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $671 |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $842 |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $973 |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,283 |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $1,288 |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Watonwan County, MN |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $131,819 |
| Median Home Value | $122,100 (vs Minnesota $290,542) |
| Median Rent | $839 (vs Minnesota $1,170) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | warm |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 12.3% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 0.5% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 11.4% |
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Systems (1)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 9.2% |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 2,085 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 15.45¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 2,581,180 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $3,409 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0% |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 100% |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 100% |
| Mobile Home Parks Detail · County total | 1 |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · HIFLD / IRS BMF · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 66.4% |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1969 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12