Martin County, North Carolina

NC · FIPS 37117 Republican

Located in North Carolina, Martin County has a population of 21,644 residents and a median age of 46.8 years, making it the #1,786 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 20.4%. The median home value is $109,700, and the median household income is $48,578, which is 35% below the national median.

21,644
Population
#1,786 of 3,222
$48,578
Median Income
-35.4% #2,853 of 3,222
46.8 years
Median Age
+20.3% #506 of 3,222
20.4%
Poverty Rate
+61.6% #2,703 of 3,222

Demographics

Martin County has a population of 21,644, making it the #1,786 most populous county in the US. The median age is 46.8 years, which is 20.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.3%
Native Born
1.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Martin County is $48,578, ranking #2,853 out of 3,222 counties — 35.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 20.4% and unemployment stands at 6.1%.

Income#2,853
$48,578
-35.4%
vs nation
11th percentile
Per Capita#2,527
$29,355
-28.9%
vs nation
22th percentile
Poverty#2,703
20.4%
+61.6%
vs nation
16th percentile
Unemployment#2,575
6.1%
+15.6%
vs nation
20th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Martin County is $109,700 (-61.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $758/mo and the homeownership rate is 66.8%.

Home Value#2,855
$109,700
-61.1%
vs nation
11th percentile
Rent#2,427
$758
-34.8%
vs nation
25th percentile
Homeownership#2,591
66.8%
+3.7%
vs nation
20th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Martin County, 16.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 50.4% below the national average, ranking #2,549 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
16.7% −50.4% vs nation
Rank #2,549 of 3,222
21th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Martin County is 71.1 years. 23.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,686
71.1
-5.3%
vs nation
12th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,468
23.3%
+19.1%
vs nation
22th percentile
Diabetes#2,611
13.3%
+19.5%
vs nation
17th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,005
38.9%
+4.3%
vs nation
36th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,119
5.4
-3.8%
vs nation
64th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,911
4.6
+3.2%
vs nation
39th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,259
12.6%
+20.7%
vs nation
28th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,089
28.4%
+7.6%
vs nation
34th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,451
17.0%
+18.0%
vs nation
22th percentile

Substance Use

19.7% of adults in Martin County smoke , 38.5% are obese , and 17.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 39.7 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,203
19.7%
+9.7%
vs nation
30th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,602
38.5%
+1.6%
vs nation
49th percentile
Excessive Drinking#610
17.2%
-13.4%
vs nation
81th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,595
39.7
+22.9%
vs nation
25th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Martin County is 10.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 20.4 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,210
10.9
+35.7%
vs nation
21th percentile
Suicide Rate#264
11.8
-40.4%
vs nation
90th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,549
19.0
+6.3%
vs nation
37th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,636
20.4
+1.0%
vs nation
42th percentile

Families & Children

30.8% of children in Martin County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 12.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 27.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,334
12.3
+81.2%
vs nation
2th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,147
27.4
+25.6%
vs nation
28th percentile
Child Poverty#2,883
30.8%
+62.2%
vs nation
8th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Martin County is 71.4%. The mean commute time is 28.5 min, which is 3.2% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
71.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
28.5 min +3.2% vs nation
Rank #1,166 of 3,222
64th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Martin County voted Republican with a margin of 10.3%. The vote was 44.6% Dem / 54.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.3 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +10.3%
44.6% 54.9%
Dem 12,028 votes Rep
2020 REP +5.0%
47.1% 52.1%
Dem 12,540 votes Rep
2016 REP +0.5%
49.1% 49.6%
Dem 11,852 votes Rep
2012 DEM +4.4%
51.9% 47.5%
Dem 12,541 votes Rep
2008 DEM +4.6%
52.1% 47.5%
Dem 12,541 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Martin County, North Carolina

Martin County, North Carolina has a total population of 21,644, making it the 1,786th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Martin County is 46.8 years, which is 20.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Martin County is $48,578, which ranks #2,853 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 35.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 20.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.1%.

The median home value in Martin County is $109,700, 61.1% below the national median. Renters in Martin County pay a median gross rent of $758 per month. The homeownership rate is 66.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Martin County, 16.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 50.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.5 min.

Martin County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 51.2% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (40.1%) and Hispanic or Latino (4.4%).

All data for Martin County, North Carolina comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.