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COUNTY

Martin County

North Carolina · 21,601 residents (2025 est.) · 456 sq mi
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The short version

Martin County is a county of 21,644 people in North Carolina. At a median age of 46.8, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Home values have risen by half since 2000, reaching $109,700. 2% of residents were born outside the United States. That trails the North Carolina median by roughly 33%.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 46.8
US median: 38.9
Less educated
17% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
21,644
−15%since 2000
from 25,593 in 2000
21,601 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
47 / sq mi
−9%since 2009
from 52 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
46.8
+21%since 2000
from 38.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
456 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
21K22K24K25K26K19902000201020202024Martin County
202422K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.9%(1,059)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.6%(1,205)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.3%(1,364)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.5%(1,181)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 244.7%(1,023)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3410.4%(2,244)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.4%(2,467)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.3%(2,445)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.4%(3,124)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7415.3%(3,309)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 848.4%(1,821)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.9%(402)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$48,578
−7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $28,793 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$29,355
+94%since 2000
from $15,102 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
33.9%
+20.2 ptssince 2009
from 13.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
20.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2000
from 20.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.448
Unchangedsince 2010
from 0.446 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade17.5%
US avg: 9.9%
Information7.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Finance & insurance6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade5.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services4.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration4.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3.8%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction3.7%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing1.6%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food0.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
Education & health services0.1%
US avg: 0.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$109,700
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $61,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$758
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $400 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
66.8%
−5.1 ptssince 2000
from 71.8% in 2000
33.2% rent
Vacancy rate
14.1%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.26 people
−5%since 2009
from 2.38 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
25.5%
−4.2 ptssince 2009
from 29.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
35.2%
−9.6 ptssince 2009
from 44.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.3
−7%since 2009
from 2.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
20
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic51.8%(13,264)
Black45.1%(11,542)
Hispanic / Latino2.1%(528)
Asian0.2%(61)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic51.2%(11,071)
Black40.1%(8,673)
Hispanic / Latino4.4%(963)
Asian0.6%(120)
Other3.8%(817)
Diversity Score
72
+4%since 2009
from 69 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
29
+32%since 2020
from 22 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican3%(657)
Salvadoran0.6%(136)
Puerto Rican0.5%(106)
Asian origin
Chinese0.5%(118)
Korean0%(1)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.5%(105)
Ancestry
American12.8%(2,760)
English9.1%(1,968)
Irish4.1%(879)
German2.7%(590)
Scottish1.1%(228)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(127)
Italian0.4%(93)
Arab0.4%(83)
French0.4%(83)
Dutch0.3%(74)
Welsh0.3%(62)
+ 14 more ancestry groups with data
British0.3%(58)
Finnish0.2%(53)
Danish0.1%(28)
Greek0.1%(24)
West Indian0.1%(16)
Moroccan0.1%(13)
Polish0%(5)
Russian0%(3)
Swedish0%(2)
Belgian0%(1)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
16.7%
+5.1 ptssince 2000
from 11.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
84.4%
+13.6 ptssince 2000
from 70.7% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
4.4%
+1.1 ptssince 2000
from 3.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
26.2 min
+53%since 2000
from 17.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
75.9%
−2.5 ptssince 2009
from 78.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
14.1%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 15.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
5.5%
+3.6 ptssince 2009
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
3.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
8.6%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 9.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.1%
−5.8 ptssince 2011
from 11.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
56.7%
−0.5 ptssince 2011
from 57.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
81.3%
+9.1 ptssince 2020
from 72.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
19.4%
+2.6 ptssince 2009
from 16.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
32.8%
+7.8 ptssince 2009
from 25.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
46.6%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 46.3% in 2009
Female
53.4%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 53.7% in 2009
Foreign born
1.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.9%
−5.1 ptssince 2009
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
19.7%
+0.3 ptssince 2012
from 19.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
7.1%
−12.3 ptssince 2013
from 19.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
83.5%
+26.0 ptssince 2017
from 57.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
91.2%
+6.3 ptssince 2020
from 84.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
91.3%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 92.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
96.2%
−0.6 ptssince 2016
from 96.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.3%
+0.6 ptssince 2016
from 2.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married28.9%(2,404)
Married55.2%(4,583)
Widowed6.2%(518)
Divorced9.7%(803)
Women 15+
Never married27.5%(2,669)
Married45.9%(4,457)
Widowed12.4%(1,201)
Divorced14.2%(1,381)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
7.1%
−12.3 ptssince 2013
from 19.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
47.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 47.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
18.4%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 16.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
28.5%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 25.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
23.9%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 24.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
4.0%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 3.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
62.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 61.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
48.5%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 47.9% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)20.8%(213)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)36.2%(370)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.9%(388)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0%(0)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.1%(1)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,023 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Martin County to nearby counties

MARTIN COUNTY VS
Bertie County
Income$48,750same
Home value$98,500−10%
Population17,086−21%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MARTIN COUNTY VS
Pitt County
Income$58,188+20%
Home value$208,900+90%
Population182,936+747%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MARTIN COUNTY VS
Edgecombe County
Income$51,265+6%
Home value$125,100+14%
Population49,121+127%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MARTIN COUNTY VS
Beaufort County
Income$58,357+20%
Home value$192,700+76%
Population44,670+107%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Martin County, North Carolina?

Martin County, North Carolina has about 21,644 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Martin County, North Carolina?

The typical household in Martin County, North Carolina earns about $48,578 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Martin County, North Carolina expensive?

In Martin County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $109,700, and the typical rent is about $758 a month.

How educated are people in Martin County, North Carolina?

About 16.7% of adults age 25 and over in Martin County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Martin County, North Carolina?

About 20.4% of people in Martin County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Martin County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Martin County, North Carolina has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 3,434 residents, a change of about -14 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →