Martin County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Serious · 70.8 | 21,447 people · 14th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Martin County, NC shows significant household financial distress with a score of 70.8 — 173rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within North Carolina, it ranks 14th of 100 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Martin County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 88.5 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 88.5
Poverty Rate 85
Income vs. State Median 89
Child Poverty Rate 92
Debt & Delinquency 86.7
Debt in Collections 88
Medical Debt 86
Student Loan Delinquency 99
Auto Loan Delinquency 86
Credit Card Delinquency 96
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 66
Community Vulnerability 64.9
Uninsured Rate 46
Disability Rate 83
Housing Cost Burden 59.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 49
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 34
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 72
Homeownership Rate 76
Rent-to-Income Ratio 64
Employment & Wages 54.8
Unemployment Rate 45
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 75
Business Formation Rate 44

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Martin County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Martin County
Martin County, NC 70.8 Serious —
Halifax County, NC 77.3 Serious +6.5
Bertie County, NC 77.1 Serious +6.3
Edgecombe County, NC 75.8 Serious +5.0
Washington County, NC 71.6 Serious +0.8
Pitt County, NC 62.5 Elevated -8.3
Beaufort County, NC 61.2 Elevated -9.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Martin County
Desha County, AR 70.8 Serious +0.0
Decatur County, GA 70.7 Serious -0.1
Greene County, NC 70.9 Serious +0.1
Campbell County, TN 70.9 Serious +0.1
Hampton County, SC 70.9 Serious +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Martin County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Martin County

Find an Attorney

North Carolina State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

North Carolina State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-662-7407

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Martin County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid of North Carolina 1-866-219-5262
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy 704-376-1600
NC Equal Access to Justice Commission
Duke Law School Community Enterprise Clinic

Self-Help Resources

NC Courts Self-Help Resources — Foreclosure Official NC court system resources for foreclosure proceedings and borrower rights
NCHFA Homeowner Resources Assistance programs, counselor referrals, and HAF information

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in North Carolina →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Martin County, North Carolina?

    Martin County has a County Distress Index score of 70.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 173rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 14th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Martin County?

    The primary driver of distress in Martin County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 88.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Martin County compare to neighboring counties?

    Martin County (70.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Halifax County, NC (77.3); Bertie County, NC (77.1); Edgecombe County, NC (75.8).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Martin County?

    Martin County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 21,447 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.