The Town Files

St. Pauls, North Carolina

Town in Robeson County · population 2,045 (2020 Census)

Map: where St. Pauls is in North CarolinaSt. Pauls
Median home
$111,000
Household income
$36,800
Jan low / Jul high
33° / 91°
Snow a year
1 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
21
Median age
35.9

St. Pauls is a town of 2,045 people in Robeson County, North Carolina. The median home is worth $111,000, below the typical North Carolina town ($228,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 70% of North Carolina towns.

How St. Pauls ranks

Percentile among North Carolina towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of North Carolina towns.

St. Pauls lifestyle rankings vs other North Carolina townsRetirement2nd pctFamilies8th pctQuiet42nd pctWalkability35th pctFirst-time buyers70th pctYoung professionals21st pctVibrancy51st pctHip & trendy28th pctCollege town1st pctUpscale6th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving56th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in St. Pauls is worth $111,000, below the typical North Carolina town ($228,900). Homes cost about 3.0 times the median household income of $36,800, which is more affordable than 80% of North Carolina towns. Median rent is $781 a month. 53.6% of households own their home.

St. Pauls vs Robeson County vs typical North Carolina townSt. PaulsRobeson CountyTypical North Carolina townHome value$111,000$94,500$228,900Household income$36,800$41,978$60,458Monthly rent$781$805$969
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of North Carolina towns with 500+ people.
HousingSt. PaulsTypical North Carolina town
Median home value$111,000$228,900
Median rent$781$969
Median household income$36,800$60,458
Home value ÷ income3.0×3.7×
Homeownership53.6%69.5%
Median year built19691984
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in St. Pauls

PeopleSt. PaulsTypical North Carolina town
Median age35.941.1
Age 65 and over18.1%19.0%
Under 1831.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher9.6%24.5%
Below the poverty line37.7%14.3%
Veterans4.8%—
Born outside the U.S.22.4%—
Work from home7.6%9.8%
Average commute24.0 min24.6 min
Homes with broadband83.3%89.5%

Weather in St. Pauls

July highs average 90.8°F and January lows 33.2°F. About 50.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 1.0 inches of snow (typical North Carolina town: 2.2 in). Expect about 58 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 55 nights at or below freezing.

St. Pauls monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing54°33°Jan58°35°Feb65°41°Mar74°49°Apr81°59°May88°68°Jun91°71°Jul89°70°Aug84°64°Sep75°52°Oct65°41°Nov57°36°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.70.43.40.33.63.44.35.25.66.25.23.43.23.60.3
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Lumberton station (12.9 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

21 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of St. Pauls since 1950, compared with 13 for the typical North Carolina town. 8 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on March 28, 1984 about 8.3 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 296 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 14, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of St. Pauls by decade31950s21960s21970s31980s31990s32000s42010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 26 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on May 3, 2016.

Severe weather in Robeson County since 1996

Storm events in Robeson County since 1996 by typeHail138Flood10Drought12Tornado29High Wind7Lightning8Heavy Rain6Flash Flood30
NOAA Storm Events Database, Robeson County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 6 deaths recorded.

Robeson County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for tornado, hurricane, biological.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3637: Severe Winter Storm
September 26, 2024Tropical StormEM-3617: Hurricane Helene
August 6, 2024Tropical StormEM-3608: Tropical Storm Debby
October 1, 2022HurricaneEM-3586: Hurricane Ian
March 3, 2021Severe StormDR-4588: Tropical Storm Eta

Jobs and pay in Robeson County

Robeson County had 38,484 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $45,957 a year. Unemployment was 5% in 2023; in St. Pauls itself the ACS puts it at 8.8%.

Largest industries in Robeson CountyHealth care & social assistan…7,501 jobs · $44,144Manufacturing7,283 jobs · $55,556Retail4,927 jobs · $32,781Administrative & support1,604 jobs · $38,526Construction1,199 jobs · $52,905Wholesale trade982 jobs · $58,667
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Robeson County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023Robeson 5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in St. Pauls

3 public schools with 2,581 students, about 18.0 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Saint Pauls High9-121,16418.5
Saint Pauls ElementaryPK-471417.4
Saint Pauls Middle5-870318.0

Towns near St. Pauls

St. Pauls questions

Is St. Pauls, North Carolina a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, St. Pauls scores better for retirees than 2% of North Carolina towns and quieter than 42%. 18.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.9).

How much does a house cost in St. Pauls?

The median owner-occupied home in St. Pauls is valued at $111,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $36,800, so homes cost about 3.0 times income. Median rent is $781 a month.

What is the weather like in St. Pauls?

July highs average 90.8°F and January lows 33.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 50.8 inches of precipitation a year and 1.0 inches of snow.

Does St. Pauls get tornadoes?

21 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of St. Pauls since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on March 28, 1984. The typical North Carolina town has had 13.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to St. Pauls's Census boundary (GEOID 3758720). Comparisons use the median of North Carolina towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.