City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Williamston, NC

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Williamston - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

5,157
Residents
$40,556
Median income
$108,900
Median home
$925
Median rent (state)

Williamston - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Williamston lands in the 8th percentile for household income and the 1st percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

8th
percentile, household income
13th
percentile, home value
7th
percentile, median rent
1st
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Williamston, NC

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 5,157 residents in Williamston, a small town within North Carolina. Williamston households earn a median of $40,556 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 31.3%. Home values in Williamston run a median of $108,900, and the median resident age is 43.9 years. About 13.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 53.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Williamston's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 7569.1 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 61.4°F with 53.2 inches of precipitation per year and 0.5 inches of snowfall.

Living costs in North Carolina run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts North Carolina at 94.3 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $925 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in North Carolina run around $215, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 17.6 minutes, with 67.2% driving alone and 8.7% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 65.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).

Population

5,157 residents

Census ACS 2023 - North Carolina

Median Household Income

$40,556 /yr

Poverty 31.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average

How does Williamston compare to other US cities?

Where Williamston sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 8% higher than other cities
Home value 13% pricier than other cities
Median rent 7% pricier than other cities
Safety 1% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at North Carolina, Williamston ranks #188 of 195 North Carolina cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Williamston's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in North Carolina, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

8thIncome percentile
1stSafety percentile

8th percentile nationally for median household income · 1st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Williamston's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Williamston's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 33 Avg. percentile National median
Williamston's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Williamston's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$108,900 Among the most affordable more affordable than 87% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). This entry sits in this band. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Williamston $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Williamston, NC Williamston, NC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Williamston, NC-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Williamston, NC median $40,556/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Williamston, NC's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Williamston, NC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 13.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 31.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 53.6%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
5,157
Median Income
$40,556
Median Home Value
$108,900
Median Age
43.9
Poverty Rate
31.3%
Labor force participation
53.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
13.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
7569.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
1161.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
6407.7
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
61.4°F
Annual Precipitation
53.2"
Annual Snowfall
0.5"

Schools

Total Schools
6
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
5,050 residents5,100 residents5,150 residents5,200 residents5,250 residents 202020212022202320242025 5,222 residents 5,086 residents ▼ -2.6%
Williamston's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
17.6 minutes
Drive Alone
67.2%
Carpool
13.8%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
10.3%
Work from Home
8.7%

Based on 2,253 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for North Carolina - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$215
estimated/month

Estimates reflect North Carolina state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a North Carolina state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Williamston sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$925/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
65.5 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in North Carolina

Whispering Pines
5,081 people
Westport
5,079 people
Archer Lodge
5,036 people
Ayden
5,035 people
Sawmills
5,027 people
Pleasant Garden
4,989 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Williamston's 5,157 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Cherokee, IA
5,157 people
Cut Off, LA
5,157 people
Camilla, GA
5,158 people
Bangor, PA
5,158 people
West Hazleton, PA
5,156 people
Smithville, TN
5,158 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Williamston's $40,556 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Marenisco, MI
$40,556 median income
Wells River, VT
$40,556 median income
Avenue B and C, AZ
$40,554 median income
Flippin, AR
$40,559 median income
Hollins, AL
$40,550 median income
Greendale, MO
$40,547 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Williamston, NC Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Williamston, NC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 39.7% 48.0% 9.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 6.3% White 39.7% Black or African American 48.0% Asian 2.4% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.4% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 9.5% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Williamston compares to nearby North Carolina cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Williamston (this city) 5,157 $40,556
Whispering Pines 5,081 $112,517
Westport 5,079 $132,206
Archer Lodge 5,036 $98,170
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Williamston, NC?

What is the population of Williamston, NC? +

5,157 people live in Williamston, NC according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Williamston, NC? +

Median annual household income in Williamston runs $40,556, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Williamston? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Williamston; the closest available measure is the North Carolina state average, a cost of living index of 94.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within North Carolina vary by metro area.

Is Williamston, NC safe? +

Williamston has a total crime rate of 7569.1 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Williamston, NC? +

Williamston's median home value sits at $108,900, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Williamston? +

Climate normals put Williamston's yearly average temperature at 61.4°F, 53.2 inches of precipitation, and 0.5 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.