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St. James Parish

Economy

St. James Parish is located midway between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. It is beautifully nestled in the wooded marshes and swamps along the Mississippi River, where its historic past continues to live on in the midst of today’s economic growth. Throughout the parish’s history, St. James’ rich, fertile soil has made the area a top Louisiana producer of sugarcane and soybeans. Following its agricultural tradition, the parish has attracted investments from a wide variety of industries, including several major petrochemical, fertilizer, oil and gas, and sugar refinery companies that serve many of the world’s leading businesses and markets. The St. James Parish transportation infrastructure is both modern and diverse, with major highways, railroads, a local airport and the nearby Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, bridges, and the Port of South Louisiana. The port, which serves as an important strategic location for waterborne commerce to and from the ten-parish Greater New Orleans region, is one of the largest tonnage ports in the United States. St. James, along with St. John the Baptist and St. Charles parishes, comprises an area commonly known as Louisiana’s Industrial Corridor, which offers a growing economic base, low cost of living, and a highly skilled manufacturing workforce that is 56% more productive than the national average.

Lifestyle

St. James Parish residents enjoy a high quality of life. Activities include some of the nation’s best boating, hunting and fishing at locations like Blind River and Bayou Chevreuil. Eight recreational facilities offer organized leagues for baseball, soccer, football, tennis and basketball. Each year on Christmas Eve, the community comes together as residents take part in a tradition shared by many of the River Parishes in lighting towering bonfires along the Mississippi River levees. Life is good in St. James Parish.

Largest Corporations

Gramercy Alumina
Quality Marine Services
Imperial Sugar
Mosaic Phosphates Mp, Inc.
Occidental Chemical Corporation
St. James Parish Hospital
Zen-Noh Grain Elevator
Chevron Phillips Chemical
Motiva Enterprises

Statistics

Population (2009) – 21,954

Households

Housing Units- 8,526
Households – 7,569
Persons Per Household – 2.78
Median Age – 34.0
Median Rent for Apartments (2009) – $311
Estimated Median House or Condo Value (2009) – $119,549

Income

Median Household Income – $46,774
Average Household Income – $49,758
Per Capita Income – $21,818

Employment (April 2011)

Business Establishments – 398
Civilian Labor Force – 9,243
Number Employed – 8,132
Number Unemployed – 1,111
Unemployment Rate – 12%

Jobs Advertised Online (2009)

Job Openings – 426
Entry Level Wage – $32,370
Mean Wage – $60,962
Median Wage – $48,578
Experienced Wage – $73,612