St. Helena: Housing & Real Estate
St. Helena's median home value is $215,600 (estimated market value runs 7% higher at $231,586), with median rent $1,696 (1.6× higher than Pender County median $1,039; 1.6× higher than North Carolina median $1,080). Homeownership rate: 85.9%. That's 1.1× below the Pender County median ($240,800); 1.2× below the North Carolina median ($248,730). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 8.5%. New construction makes up 13.8% of stock. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 2.9× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs North Carolina 3.3×).
- 10.6 years to break even renting at the median (vs North Carolina 19y).
- 4-BR rent is 1.9× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent runs 45% above HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $215,600 — 0.9× the North Carolina median ($248,729). Median rent $1,696/month. homeownership rate 85.9% — above the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Home Price To Income | 2.9× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Home Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Rent Pct Income | 26.5% |
| Affordability · Rent Affordability | moderate |
| Affordability · Pct Severely Rent Burdened | 94.1% |
| Affordability · Poverty Rate | 20.6% |
| Affordability · Property Tax Pct Income | 2.0% |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $1,016 |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $1,064 |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $1,166 |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,622 |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $1,956 |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Pender County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $231,586 |
| Median Home Value | $215,600 (vs North Carolina $248,730) |
| Median Rent | $1,696 (vs North Carolina $1,080) |
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 | 8.5% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 13.8% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 3.1% |
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 (5)
| 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 | 0.0% |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 226 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 14.13¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 5,067,762 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $8,727 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0% |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 100% |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 99% |
| Mobile Home Parks Detail · County total | 6 |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · HIFLD / IRS BMF · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 85.9% |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1985 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12