Williamston is a town in and the county seat of Martin County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,248 at the 2020 census. It is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. The closest major city is Greenville,
Williamston was a focus of activity in the Civil Rights Movement. Beginning in June 1963, civil rights activists led by Golden Frinks protested at City Hall for 29 consecutive days.
On August 3, 2023, Martin General Hospital in Williamston announced that it would suspend operations due to Quorum Health, which operated the hospital, filing for bankruptcy. 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 a protest 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. On August 14–15, Governor Roy 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 expanding Medicaid across rural areas of North Carolina. On October 5, four clinics in Williamston also closed, further adding to the current healthcare crisis in the town.
Geography
Williamston is in eastern North Carolina, in central Martin County. It is bordered to the north by the Roanoke River, which serves as the Bertie County line.
Major highways include US 13, US 17 and US 64. Tarboro is to the west and Plymouth is to the east, both by US 64. Washington is to the south by US 17, and Windsor is to the north via US 17 and 13 combined. Greenville is to the southwest via US 13 or by local highways.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town of Williamston has a total area of , all land.
|source 2 = National Weather Service
Demographics
2020 census
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Williamston racial composition
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| White (non-Hispanic)
| 1,638
| 31.21%
|-
!scope="row"| Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
| 3,234
| 61.62%
|-
!scope="row"| Native American
| 23
| 0.44%
|-
!scope="row"| Asian
| 60
| 1.14%
|-
!scope="row"| Other/Mixed
| 147
| 2.8%
|-
!scope="row"| Hispanic or Latino
| 146
| 2.78%
|}
As of the 2020 census, there were 5,248 people, 2,271 households, and 1,388 families residing in the town.
The median age was 44.6 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.8% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 76.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.6 males.
Of all households, 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 26.8% were married-couple households, 18.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 49.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The schools in the Williamston area include:
- Williamston Primary School, a school serving grades PK-2
- E.J Hayes Elementary School, a school serving grades 3-5
- Riverside Middle School, a school serving grades 6-8
- Martin County High School, a school serving grades 9-12
Williamston is also home to Martin Community College, a public community college noted for having its own equine health program.
Infrastructure
thumb|upright=1.15|Williamston Fire Rescue EMS
Emergency services
The Williamston Fire Rescue EMS responds to approximately 2,500 fire, rescue, EMS or hazardous materials calls per year, and covers a area. It has 19 full-time members, and approximately 37 volunteers.
Notable people
- Asa Biggs, U.S. congressman from North Carolina and federal judge
- Tillie Ehringhaus, First Lady of North Carolina
- William E. Ingram Jr., former director of the Army National Guard
- Gaylord Perry, Major League Baseball pitcher and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
- Jim Perry, Major League Baseball pitcher
- Sarah J. C. Whittlesey, author, poet, hymn writer