RANK #774 / 1001 NAT · #25 / 37 VA · POP 81,013
1YR FORECAST: -0.1%
5YR OUTLOOK: +24%
James City County, Virginia, is perhaps best known as home to Historic Jamestowne, the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America. The county is situated on the Virginia Peninsula, adjacent to the independent city of Williamsburg, and is part of the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News metropolitan area. Interstate 64 bisects the county, providing access to nearby cities like Richmond and Norfolk. The community offers a blend of historical attractions and natural scenery, with 152 miles of shoreline along the James, York, and Chickahominy Rivers. Residents have access to numerous parks, including Freedom Park with its mountain biking trails and Go Ape Zipline & Adventure Park, and Chickahominy Riverfront Park, which offers camping, fishing, and kayaking. The Virginia Capital Trail also provides miles of dedicated biking paths.
Life in James City County appeals to a range of residents, including families and retirees, drawn by its schools and amenities. The Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools system is a combined division serving both the county and Williamsburg, with its high schools considered above average. The local economy benefits from a strong tourism sector, driven by historical sites and attractions like Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Beyond tourism, the county has seen growth in small businesses and start-up companies. There is also a focus on attracting and retaining talent in knowledge, technology, and professional fields, with efforts to support manufacturing industries.
James City County's data profile doesn't fit any single market profile cleanly — its housing, labor, and demographic signals pull in different directions (home prices +0.2% YoY, population +1.2%, wages +4.0%). About 414 U.S. counties show this kind of mixed-signal pattern.
See all 414 Idiosyncratic Markets counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Well below national median
Moderate climate & terrain
Above national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 21.8x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: CDC/NCHS vital statistics via County Health Rankings (2020–2022 avg). Rates per 100,000 population. Grade based on homicide rate relative to national average (~6.3). Learn more →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
James City County Government Center
James City County
|
$179M | Under Construction |
|
Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace Missile Manufacturing Facility
Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace
|
$100M | Planned |
|
Rochambeau Solar
Rochambeau Solar (previously)
|
$26M | Operating |
|
CEL Critical Power Manufacturing Facility
CEL Critical Power
|
$5M | Operating |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
At 22/100, James City County faces headwinds that place it in the lower third of the 1001 counties we track. Median income of $109,985 combined with job growth of +1.0% suggests the local economy is struggling to keep pace with national trends.
James City County leans toward the expensive side. A median home value of $447,200 against an income-to-home-value ratio of 0.25 means housing eats a bigger share of local earnings than the national norm. Renters face $1,552/month on average.
James City County's population is growing — up +1.2% YoY — while the job market is roughly flat (employment change of +1.0%). Home values shifted +0.2% over the past year. In-migration is outpacing local hiring, which often points to remote workers or retirees driving the headcount.
There's a moderate stream of newcomers. About 4.64% of residents moved from another state, which is above average and suggests James City County has appeal as a relocation destination — though it's not among the highest-inflow counties nationally.