St. James Plantation, St. James, NC

About St. James Plantation

St. James Plantation is in St. James, in the Wilmington & Cape Fear region of North Carolina. Developer: St. James Plantation developer (the association's board includes one developer-appointed member). Status: Open. Not age-restricted; it is included for retiree-oriented amenities.

St. James Plantation is the gated residential core of the Town of St. James in southern Brunswick County, a few miles from Southport and, according to the property owners' association, about 30 miles south of Wilmington. The association's history page calls St. James a residential town with a large population of vibrant, active retirees who enjoy four and a half golf courses, many tennis courts, swimming pools, a full-service marina and a beach club along the Oak Island seashore, and says it is also home to many young families. It puts the current population at about 7,000 residents from across the United States, and the town estimates about 12,000 at full build-out.

The town was incorporated on July 1, 1999, and the association says residents explored incorporation beginning in the summer of 1997 to gain self-determination and independence, particularly in the face of possible annexation by neighboring towns. The Town of St. James describes 9.2 square miles of residential and commercially zoned property, 2,450 acres held in conservancy, and a gated residential area with 81 holes of golf, four club houses, four swimming pools, 13 tennis courts, 10 pickleball courts, a marina and a beach club, plus 32 miles of walking and biking trails and two parks. Waterway Park has volleyball, bocce ball and a kayak launch to the Intracoastal Waterway; Woodlands Park has a large pavilion, an amphitheater and an event lawn.

Governance has two layers that a buyer should keep separate. The St. James Plantation Property Owners' Association (POA) says it was established to operate, maintain and preserve the common areas and to exercise architectural control. Its board has six representatives elected by owners and one member appointed by the developer, and its governance page says a large portion of the common property has already been turned over to the POA. The Town government is separate and its limits extend beyond the plantation, so for any specific address ask whether it lies inside the gated plantation, inside the town limits, or both.

The POA's governance page lists its services: operation and maintenance of landscaping and other improvements on common properties and the private streets, security and traffic control, lighting of entrances, boardwalks, sidewalks and walking paths, insect and pest control, the Beach Club, dog parks, Waterway Park and Woodlands Park, and the library building, with committees for architectural control, communications, finance, infrastructure, landscaping, nominating and safety and security. The Beach Club is at 123 Southeast 72nd Street on Oak Island and is open to St. James residents and their accompanied guests. The golf, dining, fitness and marina side is operated separately by The Clubs at St. James, which describes a private residential golf community with 81 holes, five dining options and a private marina; club membership is its own decision and cost.

The Town's Homer E. Wright Event Center hosts the Town of St. James and UNCW Speaker Series, trivia night, board games, poker, line dancing, Zumba and an arts and crafts room. The St. James Fire Department describes itself as 100% volunteer, and the association highlights a volunteer culture that runs from fire and EMS to a service club. Residents who want a community where neighbors organize their own fire service and events will find that culture here; those who prefer a staffed, contracted model may find it demanding.

Ownership rules sit in the POA's governing documents. Its Rules and Policies handbook, effective January 1, 2026, says the POA levies assessments under the Master Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions and the North Carolina Planned Community Act, that special assessments and segment assessments are possible, and that unpaid assessments with interest and costs may be secured by a lien. The handbook bars golf carts from plantation streets except for golfers on designated crossings and connections and for golf course personnel, and the POA's architectural control committee and design guidelines govern changes to the exterior of a home. Because rules and covenants differ by plat or section, read the recorded covenants for the specific lot rather than relying on the handbook alone.

For tax context, see the St. James page, which compares the Brunswick County rate with the Town's rate, and the NC retirement taxes guide for income-tax rules. For a nearby alternative with a village and waterfront rather than a gated golf town, see Southport.

Age restrictions at St. James Plantation

No age restriction is described for St. James Plantation. The POA's history page calls it a town with a large population of active retirees and also many young families, and mentions school buses and children playing, so buyers should not assume all neighbors are over 55. Use and architectural rules come from the recorded Master Declaration and plat covenants; request them and the POA Rules and Policies before contract.

Housing types at St. James Plantation

• Single-family homes
• Homesites and vacant lots (the POA publishes a vacant lot maintenance policy)

Pricing at St. James Plantation

Prices vary widely by section and by golf, marina or waterfront location. Ask a local agent for recent sold prices by section, for golf, marina and waterfront locations separately, and compare the total cost of ownership (county and town tax, POA assessment and any club membership) rather than list price alone.

HOA and fees at St. James Plantation

The POA's 2026 Board Approved Budget shows 2026 residential assessments of $7,108,400, compared with $6,190,595 in the 2025 column and $5,780,093 in the 2024 column, within total operating income of $7,389,000. Operating expenses for 2026 total $5,922,500, including security at $1,603,700, the landscape maintenance contract at $1,341,700, administrative costs of $1,456,200 and Beach Club operations of $167,700. The budget lists reserve expenses of $3,017,300 for 2026, including $1,100,000 for front gate landscaping and signs, $900,000 for major roadwork and $500,000 for a fifth gate, and a year-end reserve balance of $2,783,551, down from $4,064,351 in the 2025 column.

These are association totals, not a per-home fee, so ask the POA office for the current per-lot assessment schedule. Under the handbook, regular annual assessments are billed in semi-annual installments due January 1 and July 1, payments more than ten days late are subject to interest and penalties, and amounts not paid within thirty days of the billing date bear interest at up to 1.5 percent per month. A lien claim may be filed with the Brunswick County Clerk of Superior Court if an amount is unpaid after six months. Request the budget, reserve information, governing documents and any planned special assessments before you sign.

Membership in The Clubs at St. James is separate from the POA assessment. The club offers golf, racquet sports, fitness and dining to members, so request current membership categories and initiation terms directly from the club before comparing total costs.

Amenities at St. James Plantation

• 81 holes of golf across four club houses (The Clubs at St. James, membership required)
• Marina on the Intracoastal Waterway
• Beach Club on Oak Island for residents and accompanied guests
• 32 miles of walking and biking trails, Waterway Park and Woodlands Park
• 13 tennis courts, 10 pickleball courts and four swimming pools (per the Town)
• Homer E. Wright Event Center with speaker series, line dancing, trivia and arts and crafts

Healthcare near St. James Plantation

Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center, on Highway 17 in Bolivia, lists 24/7 emergency care, heart and vascular care and maternity, and has served Brunswick County since 1977. Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington is the larger regional hospital, a Level II Trauma Center. The association puts St. James about 30 miles south of Wilmington; test the drive from the specific address. Emergency response inside the community is by the volunteer St. James Fire Department in coordination with Brunswick County EMS.

Airport access from St. James Plantation

Wilmington International Airport's home page shows 25 nonstop destinations on its route map. The association's history page places St. James about 30 miles south of Wilmington; check the drive to the airport from a specific address and at the times you would travel.

Why St. James Plantation is included

A gated golf and marina community of about 7,000 residents in the Town of St. James that its own property owners' association describes as home to a large population of active retirees, with no age restriction described.

Alternatives to St. James Plantation

• Del Webb Wilmington at Mallory CreekA Del Webb 55+ community of ranch-style single-family homes in Leland, with an amenity clubhouse, indoor and outdoor pools and pickleball courts.

Guides relevant to St. James Plantation

• 55-Plus Community vs. Conventional Neighborhood in the Carolinas