Williamston, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 Washington Street | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Motto: "Easy Living with Hometown Values" | |
 Location in North Carolina | |
| Coordinates:35°50′48″N77°03′58″W / 35.84667°N 77.06611°W /35.84667; -77.06611 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Martin |
| Area | |
• Total | 4.51 sq mi (11.68 km2) |
| • Land | 4.51 sq mi (11.68 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 62 ft (19 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 5,248 |
| • Density | 1,163.38/sq mi (449.14/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 27892 |
| Area code | 252 |
| FIPS code | 37-74220[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2406889[2] |
| Website | townofwilliamston |
Williamston is a town and thecounty seat ofMartin County,North Carolina, United States.[5] The population was 5,248 at the2020 census.[6] It is located in North Carolina'sInner Banks region. The closest major city isGreenville,[5] approximately 28 miles (45 km) to the southwest.
Williamston was founded in 1779 and named after Williams William, a local military commander during theAmerican Revolution.[7]
Williamston was a focus of activity in theCivil Rights Movement.[8] Beginning in June 1963, civil rights activists led byGolden Frinks protested at City Hall for 29 consecutive days.[8] TheKu Klux Klan was very active in this part of the state during this time, including a well-documented rally in Williamston on October 5, 1963, attended by mostly local residents but with several carloads of attendees traveling over 150 miles to attend.[9]
On August 3, 2023, Martin General Hospital in Williamston announced that it would suspend operations due to Quorum Health, which operated the hospital, filing forbankruptcy. The hospital said that it faced challenges due to a declining population and residents opting to go to other hospitals. The next day, former hospital employees organized aprotest after its closure. They said the goal was to get the attention of an elected official in hopes they would rethink the decision of the hospital being shut down.[10][11] On August 14–15, GovernorRoy Cooper visited Williamston to hold roundtable discussions about the lack of access of medical care in rural areas. He used the recent closure of the hospital as an example of why he supported expandingMedicaid across rural areas of North Carolina.[12] On October 5, four clinics in Williamston also closed, further adding to the current healthcare crisis in the town.[13]
Williamston is in eastern North Carolina, in central Martin County. It is bordered to the north by theRoanoke River, which serves as theBertie County line.
Major highways includeUS 13,US 17 andUS 64.Tarboro is 30 miles (48 km) to the west andPlymouth is 20 miles (32 km) to the east, both by US 64.Washington is 22 miles (35 km) to the south by US 17, andWindsor is 13 miles (21 km) to the north via US 17 and 13 combined.Greenville is 35 miles (56 km) to the southwest via US 13 or 27 miles (43 km) by local highways.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the town of Williamston has a total area of 4.5 square miles (11.7 km2), all land.[1]
| Climate data for Williamston, North Carolina, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1952–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 80 (27) | 86 (30) | 89 (32) | 95 (35) | 97 (36) | 101 (38) | 101 (38) | 101 (38) | 100 (38) | 97 (36) | 86 (30) | 82 (28) | 101 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 73.3 (22.9) | 75.0 (23.9) | 81.0 (27.2) | 86.3 (30.2) | 90.6 (32.6) | 94.7 (34.8) | 95.9 (35.5) | 94.5 (34.7) | 90.9 (32.7) | 86.0 (30.0) | 79.5 (26.4) | 74.0 (23.3) | 97.4 (36.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 51.8 (11.0) | 54.9 (12.7) | 62.0 (16.7) | 71.4 (21.9) | 78.2 (25.7) | 85.3 (29.6) | 88.5 (31.4) | 86.9 (30.5) | 81.8 (27.7) | 73.0 (22.8) | 63.1 (17.3) | 55.3 (12.9) | 71.0 (21.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 42.5 (5.8) | 45.2 (7.3) | 51.8 (11.0) | 60.8 (16.0) | 68.5 (20.3) | 76.3 (24.6) | 79.9 (26.6) | 78.4 (25.8) | 73.0 (22.8) | 62.6 (17.0) | 52.7 (11.5) | 45.8 (7.7) | 61.4 (16.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 33.1 (0.6) | 35.4 (1.9) | 41.7 (5.4) | 50.1 (10.1) | 58.8 (14.9) | 67.3 (19.6) | 71.4 (21.9) | 69.9 (21.1) | 64.3 (17.9) | 52.1 (11.2) | 42.2 (5.7) | 36.3 (2.4) | 51.9 (11.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 17.1 (−8.3) | 21.6 (−5.8) | 26.7 (−2.9) | 35.0 (1.7) | 45.0 (7.2) | 54.5 (12.5) | 62.0 (16.7) | 60.0 (15.6) | 51.8 (11.0) | 36.9 (2.7) | 27.1 (−2.7) | 23.0 (−5.0) | 15.6 (−9.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −3 (−19) | 8 (−13) | 7 (−14) | 24 (−4) | 34 (1) | 45 (7) | 51 (11) | 49 (9) | 40 (4) | 22 (−6) | 20 (−7) | 4 (−16) | −3 (−19) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.69 (94) | 3.22 (82) | 4.13 (105) | 3.72 (94) | 3.69 (94) | 5.13 (130) | 5.75 (146) | 5.70 (145) | 6.92 (176) | 4.29 (109) | 3.39 (86) | 3.57 (91) | 53.20 (1,351) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.4 (1.0) | 0.5 (1.3) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 10.9 | 9.8 | 11.3 | 9.9 | 10.4 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 10.8 | 10.3 | 8.2 | 8.5 | 10.9 | 122.3 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Source 1: NOAA[14] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[15] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 616 | — | |
| 1870 | 520 | −15.6% | |
| 1880 | 482 | −7.3% | |
| 1890 | 751 | 55.8% | |
| 1900 | 912 | 21.4% | |
| 1910 | 1,574 | 72.6% | |
| 1920 | 1,800 | 14.4% | |
| 1930 | 2,781 | 54.5% | |
| 1940 | 3,966 | 42.6% | |
| 1950 | 4,975 | 25.4% | |
| 1960 | 6,924 | 39.2% | |
| 1970 | 6,570 | −5.1% | |
| 1980 | 6,159 | −6.3% | |
| 1990 | 5,503 | −10.7% | |
| 2000 | 5,843 | 6.2% | |
| 2010 | 5,511 | −5.7% | |
| 2020 | 5,248 | −4.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[16] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,638 | 31.21% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 3,234 | 61.62% |
| Native American | 23 | 0.44% |
| Asian | 60 | 1.14% |
| Other/Mixed | 147 | 2.8% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 146 | 2.78% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 5,248 people, 2,274 households, and 1,388 families residing in the town.
As of thecensus[4] of 2000, there were 5,844 people, 2,350 households, and 1,536 families residing in the town. Thepopulation density was 1,581.3 people per square mile (610.5 people/km2). There were 2,506 housing units at an average density of 678.2 per square mile (261.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 57.50%African American, 40.41%White, 0.29%Native American, 0.46%Asian, 0.09%Pacific Islander, 0.50% fromother races, and 0.75% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.49% of the population.
There were 2,350 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.4% weremarried couples living together, 26.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 72.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 65.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $22,925, and the median income for a family was $32,984. Males had a median income of $28,661 versus $20,337 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $14,125. 29.0% of the population and 22.8% of families were below thepoverty line. 40.5% of those under the age of 18 and 28.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Williamston has long been a town centered aroundequine activity. Its logo showcases a horse, and the town houses one of the largest agricultural centers in Eastern North Carolina - the Senator Bob Martin Agricultural Center. Many events includinghorse shows,rodeos,tractor pulls, andmonster truck shows take place in the Agricultural Center. Williamston also draws thousands of people to its annual "Carolina Country Stampede" in September. The two-day festival showcases local food, vendors, business owners, and bands, typically with a well known headlining band to end the festival such asEmerson Drive in 2017.
Williamston is served byMartin County Schools, apublicschool district that covers the entire county.[18] The schools in the Williamston area include:
Williamston is also home toMartin Community College, a publiccommunity college noted for having its own equine health program.[19]
The Williamston Fire Rescue EMS responds to approximately 2,500 fire, rescue, EMS or hazardous materials calls per year, and covers a 122 sq mi (320 km2) area. It has 19 full-time members, and approximately 37 volunteers.[20]
Municipalities and communities ofMartin County, North Carolina,United States | ||
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| Towns |  | |
| International | |
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| National | |
