1st Advantage MortgageOwners are 67% of Martin County households and renters pay a median of $758. A personal loan makes sense when its total cost beats your current debt and the payment fits your budget. Compare APR, fees and term in writing, and verify the lender is licensed in North Carolina before you sign.
On this page
- Local snapshot
- Work and pay in Martin County
- Martin County households and housing
- A median Martin County budget
- What the numbers suggest about borrowing in Martin County
- Martin County in context
- Martin County in brief
- Steps to take first in Martin County
- Martin County communities by size
- What kind of homes Martin County has
- Eight income bands for Martin County
- Neighbors of Martin County: people and schooling
- Martin County's outlier numbers
- Frequently asked questions
Local snapshot
Figures are American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates for Martin County, North Carolina, with margins of error. They describe the place, not you.
Work and pay in Martin County
Employment among Martin County residents centers on education and health care (29%), with manufacturing (18%) and arts, entertainment, lodging and food service (11%) next. One lean worth noting: education and health care, which employs 29% of Martin County residents compared with 22% in the median place. A lender verifies the income your own job produces. Tips, overtime and commission are harder to document than a flat salary.
The spread of incomes matters as much as the middle. In Martin County, 33% of households bring in less than $35,000 a year and 18% bring in $100,000 or more, while 4% reach $200,000 or more. Martin County trails the typical place in our set by 8.6 points at the top of the scale and exceeds it by 4.1 at the bottom. Whatever the averages say, your household is what gets underwritten.
Martin County households and housing
On education and age, Martin County shows 17% of adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher and a median age of 46.8. Martin County is older than typical by 4.5 years and less likely to hold a degree by 7 points. Age and schooling describe a place. A lender reads your own file.
Detached houses make up 68% of the homes in Martin County; buildings with five or more units account for 2% and mobile homes for 22%. That is -0 points against the Carolina county median on detached houses and -2 on large buildings.
A median Martin County budget
Monthly math for a typical Martin County household: $4,048 before taxes, from a median income of $48,578. After the median rent of $758 (19% of income), the 30% yardstick of $1,214 is not reached. If a lender capped total monthly debt at 36% of gross income, a common benchmark, the median household's ceiling would be about $1,457 a month. Home prices sit near 2.3x the median household's annual income.
What the numbers suggest about borrowing in Martin County
The median Martin County home was built in 1975, older than most in our Carolina county set. Older homes mean roofs, plumbing, electrical and HVAC work come due, and home improvement loans are common.
Homes in Martin County cost 2.3 times median income ($109,700 against $48,578), low for our Carolina county set. Affordable housing can leave room in a budget; use it to keep loan terms short.
Rent pressure is relatively mild in Martin County: 42% of renters are cost-burdened, versus higher shares in much of our Carolina county set. That leaves more room in many budgets, which still does not make a loan free: compare total cost, not just the payment.
Martin County in context
Ranked against 146 Carolina county places, Martin County shows a median household income of $48,578 (123rd highest of 146), a median gross rent of $758 (126th highest of 146), and a median home value of $109,700 (134th highest of 146). Rankings shift with every Census release.
Nearby in size, and also in North Carolina, are Madison County ($58,531 income, $780 rent), where Martin County runs 17% below on income and 3% below on rent and Anson County ($47,302 income, $814 rent), where Martin County runs 3% above on income and 7% below on rent. Size any payment to your own budget rather than to a neighbor's.
Martin County in brief
Martin County takes in 9 Census places, 9 of them incorporated towns or cities; the largest are Williamston, Robersonville, Jamesville, Parmele. No city guide for your Martin County town? Start here.
Steps to take first in Martin County
- Verify before you share details. The Commissioner of Banks lists licensed consumer finance lenders in North Carolina and accepts complaints.
- Stress-test the payment: could you still make it after one bad month?
- Try the free routes first: a credit union, a hardship plan or a nonprofit counselor may beat any loan (free options).
- Take a day to review a contract. A lender that rushes you has told you something.
- Run the offer checklist before you sign.
Martin County communities by size
The 2024 Census place list for Martin County has 9 entries: 9 towns or cities with their own government and 0 unincorporated CDPs. Median home values run from $94,500 in Robersonville to $107,100 in Williamston (places of 1,000+ people).
| Place | Status | Residents | Share of county | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williamston | incorporated town | 5,112 | 23.6% | $107,100 |
| Robersonville | incorporated town | 1,220 | 5.6% | $94,500 |
| Jamesville | incorporated town | 457 | 2.1% | $97,600 |
| Parmele | incorporated town | 374 | 1.7% | $85,200 |
| Oak City | incorporated town | 353 | 1.6% | $96,100 |
| Hamilton | incorporated town | 243 | 1.1% | $69,300 |
| Everetts | incorporated town | 193 | 0.9% | $85,000 |
| Bear Grass | incorporated town | 133 | 0.6% | $131,800 |
| Hassell | incorporated town | 45 | 0.2% | n/a |
What kind of homes Martin County has
Detached single-family houses make up 68% of Martin County's housing units, compared with 65% across North Carolina. After that, the largest category is mobile home at 22%. Housing type matters for repair costs in Martin County: manufactured homes, older detached houses and condos each bring different bills.
| Housing units by type | Martin County | Gap to North Carolina average |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family detached | 67.6% | +2.4 pts |
| Townhouse or attached | 0.1% | -4.7 pts |
| 2 to 4 units | 7.5% | +2.8 pts |
| 5 to 19 units | 1.4% | -6.9 pts |
| 20 or more units | 1.0% | -5.0 pts |
| Mobile home | 22.4% | +11.4 pts |
Eight income bands for Martin County
The most common income step in Martin County is $35,000 to $49,999, which holds 18% of households. At the bottom, 15% earn under $15,000; at the top, 6% earn $150,000 or more. 18.1% of Martin County households sit at $35,000 to $49,999 and 11.9% at $100,000 to $149,999; the same loan payment means very different things at each.
| Yearly income step | Martin County households | Difference from North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Under $15,000 | 14.8% | +6.1 pts |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 8.9% | +1.8 pts |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 9.5% | +2.1 pts |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 18.1% | +6.4 pts |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 14.9% | -1.9 pts |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 16.0% | +3.0 pts |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 11.9% | -4.7 pts |
| $150,000 or more | 5.9% | -12.7 pts |
Neighbors of Martin County: people and schooling
Bertie County is nearest at 17 miles. Across the group, the median age peaks at 48.8 in Washington County.
| County | Distance | Population | Median age | Bachelor's+ | Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin County | - | 21,644 | 46.8 | 17% | 20% |
| Bertie County, NC | 17 mi | 17,170 | 46.6 | 19% | 16% |
| Pitt County, NC | 23 mi | 177,193 | 33.0 | 34% | 20% |
| Edgecombe County, NC | 27 mi | 48,736 | 41.7 | 18% | 22% |
| Beaufort County, NC | 30 mi | 44,499 | 47.7 | 21% | 18% |
| Washington County, NC | 31 mi | 10,812 | 48.8 | 15% | 24% |
Martin County's outlier numbers
Martin County ranks furthest from the middle of North Carolina on uninsured residents and home values, then six-figure households.
- Martin County: 7.1% for uninsured residents, #4 lowest of 100 in North Carolina. Deductibles still bite; ask for payment plans.
- Home values puts Martin County at #4 lowest of 100 among North Carolina counties ($109,700). Little equity to tap; unsecured loans are the norm.
- On six-figure households (18%), Martin County ranks #9 lowest of 100 statewide, against 26% for the middle Carolina county. Smaller loans are the local norm.
| Indicator | Martin County figure | Rank | Median of 146 NC/SC counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uninsured residents | 7.1% | #4 lowest of 100 | 10.0% |
| Home values | $109,700 | #4 lowest of 100 | $213,900 |
| Six-figure households | 18% | #9 lowest of 100 | 26% |
Frequently asked questions
Should Martin County homeowners use a personal loan or home equity?
It depends on how much risk you accept. About 67% of Martin County households own, and a home-equity loan or line puts the home at risk, while a personal loan is usually unsecured. For smaller, one-time costs the unsecured loan is often the simpler path; compare both in writing.
Does my Martin County ZIP code matter to the check?
No. We never score neighborhoods. Martin County residents are screened on the same four answers as everyone else.
Who regulates personal lenders in North Carolina?
For Martin County borrowers, the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks is the licensing agency for consumer finance lenders. Payday loans are illegal in the state.
How long do lenders take to decide for Martin County borrowers?
A soft-pull prequalification is often instant; a full decision and deposit can take from one day to about a week, depending on the lender.