Living In St. Thomas: 21 Pros And Cons (Local Guide)
There are A LOT of things to consider before moving to an island. So, I decided to gather all the information you need here to help guide you through deciding if living on St Thomas is right for you…and me!
This information comes straight from friendly locals and exlocals who have grown up on the island, currently live on the island, and those who chose to move away from the island.
US Virgin Islands living means being steps away from the most beautiful beaches in the world, but also comes with a high cost of living, high weather risk, and of course, island fever.
Before you make a decision, take a look at all the pros and cons to living in St Thomas USVI. There’s a chance that I may just sway you one way or another. It will all come down to personal preference, and I’m going to do my best to provide you with everything you should consider before moving.
Pros of Living in St Thomas
We’ll start with my favorite parts before getting into the not-so-great parts! Remember, these are just my opinions on moving to the Virgin. Islands – some people love it and others hate it.
1. US Citizens Don’t Need a Passport or Visa!
US Citizens don’t need a passport or a Visa to travel to, visit, or live in the US Virgin Islands. This can save you a lot of moving stress and paperwork. Moving is hard another, but moving to another country? That’s a whole different ball game! Luckily, living in St Thomas alleviates that stress.
Moving from the mainland to St Thomas USVI is just like moving from Maryland to Colorado.
Your friends and family ALSO won’t need to worry about paperwork to visit. Not only will you be the cool friend on a Caribbean island, but they won’t need to jump through any hoops to get to you!
However, if you want to show your visitors around the British Virgin Islands, you’ll want to remind them to get their passports updated for that adventure.
2. Very Little Rainfall
You’ll only get about 40 inches of rainfall every year. So almost every day is a beach day!
The rainiest months will vary around the fall months and winter months, with hurricane season, the most rainfall coming down in November. But the weather will still be warm and usually sunny as well!
Most rain storms pass through the island quickly, so just keep an umbrella on hand and don’t let it ruin your day. On hot days, it can be a great cool down from the sun beating down on the beach!
3. Home to the World’s Most Beautiful Beaches
St Thomas beaches are frequently voted some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
Popular spots like Coki Beach and Secret Harbor Beach consist of white sand and clear, turquoise waters with access to well-protected coral reefs.
The water on the beaches in St Thomas is calm and clean. The visitors and locals in St Thomas care deeply about maintaining these beaches.
Most beaches hold easy-access parking, restaurants, picnic spots, and rentals for snorkeling, scuba diving, watersports, sailing, and more.
4. Incredible Weather in St Thomas
Temperatures in St Thomas are pretty consistent, ranging from the lowest 70s to the highest 90s. You’ll get occasional scattered rainstorms that usually pass right by!
Your beach days will consist of sunshine and light breezes, even on colder days! The USVI monitors hurricanes closely, so you’ll know well in advance if you need to evacuate or hunker down for a storm.
5. Unbeatable Scenery and Views
Overlooks like Paradise Point and Drake’s Seat will give you some of the most beautiful, panoramic views of St Thomas.
I can’t imagine anyone would get tired of walking outside to the clear waters, white sand, palm trees, and mountains – I certainly don’t.
6. St Thomas is Full of History
St Thomas has a rich history and culture of pirates, the slave trade, and structures dating back to the 1660s.
Christopher Columbus discovered the US Virgin Islands during his second voyage. From there, the Dutch conquered this island in the 1660s and began the construction of Fort Christian.
In 1796, a small Jewish community was developed in Charlotte Amalie, creating the oldest functioning Synagogue in the west.
Blackbeard’s Castle is a popular tourist attraction and Fort Christian holds a museum with collections dating back to the Stone Age!
The US purchased St Thomas for 25 million dollars in 1917 and granted residents US Citizenship shortly after.
7. It’s a US Territory
St Thomas is an unincorporated territory of the United States and abides by the United States laws.
This is important to people that want the option of island living without too much of a legal culture shock! They also elect governors every four years and have 15 district senators holding two-year terms – 7 from St Croix, 7 from St Thomas, and 1 from St John.
On the other hand, if you’re looking to head out of the US, consider living in the Cayman Islands.
8. Currency is the US Dollar
Being a United States territory, the US Virgin Islands’ currency is the US Dollar.
This makes it easy for visitors, convenient when you want to travel to the other US Virgin Islands, and is one less thing to worry about if you choose to move here!
It’s also good to know you’ll be in a territory with a stable currency.
9. Easy to Island Hop
Getting from St Thomas to St John or the British Virgin Islands is as easy as hopping on a ferry! There are also multiple hopper planes to get between islands like St Thomas and St John. And, the lesser-known island in USVI, Water Island, is also a boat ride away!
Living in St Thomas, you’ll also be close to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, and other popular Caribbean destinations.
If you love the idea of being able to hopper over to explore more islands, St Thomas is a great home base.
10. Proximity to Protected National Parks
Most of St John, located just a 15-minute ferry ride from St Thomas, is protected land in a national park! Check out all the hikes in St John in the Virgin Island National Park before you go!
St Croix is also home to a national park and right off the coast is Buck Island, home to Turtle Beach, voted one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and home to some of the most incredible coral reefs in the Caribbean.
If you want to be even closer to Virgin Islands National Park, consider living in St John!
11. Affordable House Costs
Yes! You can own your own house in St Thomas. There are a wide variety of real estate options available (for an island, of course).
While luxurious beach houses and villas are scattered throughout the island, there are many affordable areas and homes if you choose to settle down and want your property in St Thomas.
It’s possible to find houses or condos in the $200-$400s, depending on what you’re looking for, so don’t write that option off just yet! Don’t expect a luxury villa near the ocean for this price, but nice homes do exisit.
Comparing the real estate and your budget should definitely be one of the first things you do before deciding to move to St Thomas.
Property taxes in St Thomas come in at 1.25%, though sometimes there are incentives for US Citizens choosing to move to USVI.
12. Small Population
As of the 2020 census, the population of St Thomas was just over 50,000.
Depending on what you’re looking for in your new home, this could be a pro or a con!
If you’re looking to be a token local and live a secluded life, and you’re okay with being part of a small crew of those locals, living in St Thomas is for you.
13. Close Proximity to an Airport
The Cyril E. King Airport in St Thomas (STT) is located in the southwestern part of the island. No matter where you are on the island, you’ll be within 30 minutes of the airport. Talk about easy travel! St Thomas is also easy to get around, so you won’t have problems traveling about the island either.
Most major airlines fly to STT, including American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, Alaska, British Airways, and more. Because of this, you’ll have access to major international airports like Atlanta, GA, and Charlotte, NC.
Having access to these major airports makes it easier to find affordable flights back to the United States and quick access to international flights!
14. Fairly Commercialized
St Thomas is home to the capitol, Charlotte Amalie, and therefore has more commercial brands than the other US Virgin Islands. Brands like Home Depot, Mcdonald’s, Marriott, IBM, and KMART operate in St Thomas.
Phone companies like AT&T and Sprint operate in US Virgin Islands, so you likely won’t need an international travel plan while living in St Thomas.
This will make it easier to find some more common items, but they still probably won’t carry those specialty items you might need.
15. It’s a Safe Island
The island follows US law, so the same rules and regulations generally apply, making it a safe spot for US Citizens to travel and live.
Like all places, you should be smart and cautious around the island. There are areas with higher crime rates and if possible, you should avoid wandering around alone at night.
Instances of petty crime and assault, unfortunately, happen, as they do anywhere.
I will add a con to this, however. Being a small island, resources are short. That includes the police force. If you do run across any crime or legal troubles, it may take longer to be resolved than you’re used to.
Cons to Living in St Thomas
Now on to some of the grittier parts of living in the Caribbean.
16. Hurricane Season
St Thomas is a small island in the Caribbean! With that being said, it will always be at risk for natural disasters like hurricanes and flooding.
Hurricane season in St Thomas can range from June to November, but is most prevalent in late summer and early fall.
They frequently track hurricane radars, and you’ll be given many days’ notice to prepare or evacuate for an incoming storm.
Most recently, St Thomas and the US Virgin Islands were hit fairly hard in 2017 by Hurricane Maria and Irma. You’ll find that some beaches and areas on the island are still recovering from hurricanes.
These storms can take a major toll on the locals and economy in St Thomas. This is something important to consider if you choose to move here.
If you’re concerned about the hurricane risk, living in Aruba, farther from the hurricane belt, might be a better option for you.
17. Higher Cost of Living in St Thomas
Goods are less available in St Thomas, as they are with most islands!
We all know about supply and demand, so expect to pay a bit more for your groceries, goods, and services. Milk and meat are surprisingly higher expenses you’ll have to adjust to on an island.
Living on an island is definitely different than the mainland when it comes to the affordability of necessities. You’ll be able to find all your basic necessities at grocery stores and hardware stores, but you’ll pay a premium to get them.
The good news though? There’s no sales tax in St Thomas! You might know USVI as a favorite stop for some due to the $1600 duty-free law! US Citizens can bring home $1600 worth of duty-free items back to the United States every 30 days.
18. High Cost of Shipping (and Longer Ship Time)
Say goodbye to 2-day shipping! Shipping to most islands is much more expensive and will take longer than shipping on the mainland.
Although it’s a US Territory, FedEx and Amazon consider US Virgin Islands an international shipping territory.
Shipping to islands will require planes or cargo ships that will take longer to arrive and may take longer to be sorted at packing facilities as well.
Shipping out of the islands is equally difficult and expensive. Reserach companies like Tropical Shipping and ShipVI to get an idea of how expensive your letters and packages will cost.
19. Harder to Get Ahold of Less Common Items
Because the cost of shipping is high on St Thomas, generally, stores will only carry the most common items.
If you require specialty food, clothing, or materials, be prepared to order it from the mainland, and most likely pay a hefty premium for it.
Locals will tell you to pack an extra suitcase of your favorite mainland items – shampoos, conditioners, lotions, perfumes, makeup, etc. Likely, you won’t be able to find your usual items when you arrive on the island.
20. Fewer Employment Options
The economy in St Thomas is heavily focused on tourism, hosting 2 million visitors per year. Because of this, many jobs available will be in hospitality and retail at the major attractions, resorts, and stores.
The USVI government is one of the largest employers on the island. Still, many consulting and technology businesses are moving operations to US Virgin Islands to take advantage of the government’s incentive programs.
Available jobs to search for when you arrive could include front desk hotel staff, bartenders, servers, boating positions like deckhands and captains, and tour guides!
21. Traffic and Road Maintenance
For an island that is 32 square miles and hosts millions of people each year, you can expect to spend some time on those 2-lane roads.
During the “tourist season” (most months that aren’t hurricane season), plan some extra travel time if you’re taking your car to high-traffic areas like Red Hook or Charlotte Amalie. The most popular time people choose to visit St Thomas is from December to April.
Additionally, some roads in St Thomas were destroyed or heavily damaged during the 2017 hurricanes. Those hurricanes took a toll on the infrastructure of the island and they are continually doing construction to fix the potholes and damaged roads.
St Thomas is also built on steep hills – smaller cars or scooters may have difficulty getting up some of the rougher, steep terrains, especially in more secluded areas of the island.
Many people on the island use jeeps or 4-wheel drive vehicles to get around the island, which is recommended if you plan to live there. 4-wheel drive vehicles will definitely make your rides easier and smoother to get around rough roads and steep hills.
22. Power Outages
Power outages are not an uncommon occurrence in St. Thomas, USVI, often leading to a multitude of inconveniences for residents. The Water and Power Authority (WAPA), while tasked with maintaining the island’s power supply, often struggles to prevent frequent and unpredictable disruptions. These outages can occur multiple times a week or even several times a day, creating significant disruptions in daily life for locals.
The impact on households is far-reaching, causing food spoilage due to refrigerator outages and hampering the operation of small businesses unable to function without power.
These challenges serve as a stark reminder of the island’s struggles with infrastructure and highlight the need for investment in more reliable and robust power systems.
Until these improvements are made, residents have to adapt to this unfortunate reality, with some opting to install generators at their homes as a backup power source (if they can afford it), ensuring a more reliable power supply despite the frequent outages.
23. Fewer Rental Opportunities
As someone who’s lived in many major cities in my life, I’d say rental costs are similar to big city living! If you’re coming from a small town, the price tags obviously may come as a shock.
However, this small island only has so much room! Housing shortages are common on the islands and it can be “slim pickings!” You should prepare to start making some compromises on your living situation, as the right house or apartment on the island may be hard to find.
Give yourself plenty of time to search for housing. You can try Facebook Groups, Property Management groups, and chatting around with locals to see what’s available. Additionally, short term housing is even harder to find, so I wouldn’t suggest relying on finding a short term rental while you search long term
If you do end up needing a short-term rental, be prepared to pay island vacation prices (aka Airbnbs or rental homes).
FAQs About Living in St Thomas
Is it expensive to live on St. Thomas?
Can you live in St. Thomas as a U.S. citizen?
Which Virgin island is best to live on?
What is it like to live in St. Thomas Virgin Islands?
What is the cheapest US Virgin island to live on?
What is the average income in St. Thomas Virgin Islands?
About St Thomas USVI
St Thomas Virgin Islands is the second largest of the three main US Virgin Islands territories with 32 square miles of land. It’s also home to the US Virgin Islands capital, Charlotte Amalie.
The island welcomes tourists from all over the world with its pristine beaches and protected lands.
Where is St Thomas Virgin Islands?
St Thomas is located east of Puerto Rico in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It’s located near its sister islands, St John and St Croix. There’s also the lesser-known Water Island nearby. You can take a ferry easily from St Thomas to St John and the British Virgin Islands.
How Much Does it Cost to Live on St Thomas
A common question when it comes to the pros and cons of living in St Thomas – is St Thomas expensive? Depends on what you’re budget is!
A rental room in St Thomas will range depending on the location, but you can expect to pay roughly $1,200 for a room.
2-3 bedroom apartments range anywhere from $2,000-$4,000, on average.
Home prices are not as bad as you might think. You can own a home or apartment in St Thomas for $200,000-$400,000 and up.
With that being said, you can most likely find a room in your budget somewhere on the island.
The most costly part of living on the island is the cost of general resources and materials.
Because shipping is more expensive and difficult, most groceries, especially milk, meat, and specialty items will cost you significantly more than you’re used to on the mainland!
Who Can Live on St Thomas?
American citizens do not need new documents to move to USVI. The same applies to those working in USVI. If you are not American, you’ll be required to have a visa.
United States Citizens can drive with their regular license in St Thomas for 90 days, then you’ll need to secure a St Thomas license, which you can get at the USVI BMV (Bureau of Motor Vehicles).
The VI moving center has helpful relocation information to get you started!
Is St Thomas Part of the US?
Yes – St Thomas is part of the United States.
Is St Thomas Safe?
The island follows US law, so the same rules and regulations generally apply, making it a safe spot for US Citizens to travel and live.
There are areas with higher crime rates around the island. You’ll quickly adjust to this as a local if you move there. Like anywhere, you should avoid wandering around alone at night.
USVI warns its citizens and travelers about theft, assault, and drug violence.
Unfortunately, but similar to many other cities, crime increased during COVID, with a 14% increase in homicides and a 24% increase in domestic violence calls.
The general crime rate is higher in St Thomas and seems to be geared within the local community, not tourists, in regard to most vandalism, drugs, violence etc.
St Thomas is similar to any US city; there will always be some amount of crime and you’ll always have to use your best judgment to be careful in some areas.
Cheapest Place to Live in Virgin Islands
St Croix and St Thomas are the cheaper of the choices, whereas St John will be the most costly.
St Croix has a larger amount of space and a wider variety of options. St Thomas is a bit more crowded, but also has more nightlife and daily activities to choose from.
Living in St John USVI
St John is another territory of US Virgin Islands. It is the smallest of the three islands, and the most unpopulated and underdeveloped. This makes it a great place to live if you want to really immerse yourself in the island life.
Living in St John is great for a variety of reasons. The top being it is fairly untouched by tourism. St John is uncrowded most of the year. You’ll truly feel like you have the island to yourself! The beaches are my favorite, and most locals and visitors will agree with that, and the snorkeling is top notch.
The people in St John are chill, welcoming, and living on island time. However, compared to St Thomas, St John is also the most expensive of the US Virgin Islands, and that included being a permanent resident.
If living in St John is on your bucket list, it’s probably time to start saving!
Conclusion: Living in St Thomas
Think moving to St Thomas US Virgin Islands is your next adventure? Overall, living in St Thomas Virgin Islands has its pros and cons, as does any city!
Whether it’s the right place for your next home or not, is up to you.
The island life offers so many beautiful benefits, being steps away from the beach, so close to breathtaking scenery, protected nature, and wildlife all around.
However, you give up a bit of convivence to live this slow life. Higher expenses, longer shipping times, and being farther away from family and friends are all sacrifices island dwellers make.
Island fever can be a real thing, no surprise when you’re living in the middle of an ocean! You’ll likely run into the same people very frequently.
If that sounds like life for you, St Thomas can be a great place to live. But, of course, island life isn’t for everyone!
If you’re serious about living in St Thomas, it’s best to plan a trip there first and see if it feels like home. A few resources to get your trip to St Thomas started:
Things to Do in St Thomas
Where to Stay in Charlotte Amalie
How to Get Around St Thomas
The Ultimate Guide to Hiking in St Thomas
