How old are the homes in St. James, MN?

Name: Age of homes in St. James, MN, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

60.7% (±10.4 points) of the homes in St. James, MN were built before 1980 (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

21.8% were built before 1940.

0.5% were built in 2010 or later.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Built before 1980: 60.7% (±10.4 points)
Built before 1940: 21.8%
Built 2010 or later: 0.5%

When the homes in St. James were built

Housing units by year structure built, 2020–2024
Year built	St. James	Watonwan County	Minnesota	United States
2020 or later	0.0% (±1.1 points)	0.0%	1.9%	2.0%
2010 to 2019	0.5% (±0.8 points)	2.2%	8.5%	9.4%
2000 to 2009	12.7% (±4.3 points)	8.8%	13.3%	13.6%
1990 to 1999	6.3% (±4.3 points)	5.7%	12.2%	12.4%
1980 to 1989	19.9% (±6.6 points)	11.0%	12.0%	12.9%
1970 to 1979	9.7% (±3.6 points)	12.3%	14.2%	14.2%
1960 to 1969	15.6% (±5.4 points)	12.1%	9.1%	9.9%
1950 to 1959	8.1% (±4.2 points)	10.2%	9.1%	9.5%
1940 to 1949	5.5% (±2.9 points)	7.3%	4.1%	4.4%
1939 or earlier	21.8% (±6.4 points)	30.5%	15.6%	11.7%

In St. James, the share of homes built before 1980 is lower than in Watonwan County (72.4%).

It is not measurably different from Minnesota (52.1%).

It is higher than the national figure (49.7%).

In Watonwan County, St. James ranks 19 of 19 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest share of homes built before 1980.

Statewide, it ranks 1307 of 2,629.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

Why the age of a home matters: lead-based paint

Federal law treats housing built before 1978 as likely to contain lead-based paint.

Before a lease or sale of most pre-1978 housing, the landlord or seller must disclose any known lead-based paint and hazards and give the tenant or buyer the EPA pamphlet (42 U.S.C. § 4852d; 40 CFR part 745, subpart F; 24 CFR part 35, subpart A).

A contractor paid to renovate, repair or paint a pre-1978 home must be a certified firm, use a certified renovator and follow lead-safe work practices under the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (40 CFR part 745, subpart E) whenever the job disturbs more than 6 square feet of painted surface in a room or more than 20 square feet outside; window replacement and demolition always count (40 CFR 745.83).

Certification comes from EPA, or from the state where EPA has authorized the state to run the program.

The Census Bureau groups construction by decade, so the share built before 1978 lies between the share built before 1970 (51.0%) and the share built before 1980 (60.7%).

Homes built before 1980 in places near St. James

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with St. James
Place	Distance	Homes built before 1980	Compared with this place
St. James	—	60.7% (±10.4 points)	—
Rosendale Township	3.6 mi	66.8% (±19.8 points)	Not measurably different
St. James Township	3.8 mi	89.4% (±18.4 points)	Higher
Long Lake Township (Watonwan County)	5.0 mi	66.8% (±15.6 points)	Not measurably different
Nelson Township	6.0 mi	70.8% (±23.2 points)	Not measurably different
Riverdale Township	6.5 mi	87.5% (±21.9 points)	Higher
La Salle	6.6 mi	100.0% (±97.0 points)	Not measurably different
South Branch Township	7.3 mi	80.2% (±22.0 points)	Not measurably different
Butterfield Township	8.2 mi	72.6% (±33.6 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: St. James Township, MN (89.4%), Riverdale Township, MN (87.5%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes built before 1980 across Watonwan County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes built before 1980
13	Odin Township	73.9% (±34.2 points)
14	Butterfield Township	72.6% (±33.6 points)
15	Fieldon Township	72.4% (±25.0 points)
16	Nelson Township	70.8% (±23.2 points)
17 (tie)	Long Lake Township (Watonwan County)	66.8% (±15.6 points)
17 (tie)	Rosendale Township	66.8% (±19.8 points)
19	St. James	60.7% (±10.4 points)

Showing 7 of 19 places in Watonwan County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in St. James

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near St. James, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for St. James beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near St. James, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Questions about St. James

How old are most homes in St. James?

60.7% of homes in St. James, MN were built before 1980 (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Do homes in St. James need a lead paint disclosure?

A home built before 1978 does, before it is rented or sold, unless an exemption applies (42 U.S.C. § 4852d); between 51.0% and 60.7% of homes in St. James were built before then.

Does a contractor need lead certification to work on older homes in St. James?

Yes, when the job disturbs more than 6 square feet of paint in a room or 20 square feet outside, or replaces a window: the firm must be certified and a certified renovator must direct the work under the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (40 CFR part 745, subpart E).

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — St. James city, Minnesota

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for St. James city, Minnesota (place:57040, in state:27).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0017PE, DP04_0017PM, DP04_0018PE, DP04_0018PM, DP04_0019PE, DP04_0019PM, DP04_0020PE, DP04_0020PM, DP04_0021PE, DP04_0021PM, DP04_0022PE, DP04_0022PM, DP04_0023PE, DP04_0023PM, DP04_0024PE, DP04_0024PM, DP04_0025PE, DP04_0025PM, DP04_0026PE, DP04_0026PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.