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Martin County
Zone 8a, 239 frost-free days, farmland at $3,011 an acre. Top hazard: hurricane.
6.6 out of 10 overall, #2 of 100 NC counties with every factor weighted equally. Re-rank with your own weights
Scores out of 10, compared with the other 99 NC counties
- 9.7Land cost
- 6.8Rain
- 7.8Sun
- 9.1Growing
- 9.3Rules
- 6.4Clean
- 7.8Hazards
- 2.5Farm country
- 0.0Mesh
Land and living costs
| Farmland and buildings, per acre (2022) | $3,011 source |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $109,900 source |
| Median rent | $729/mo source |
| People | 21,773 source |
| Farms (2022) | 286 source |
Growing food
| Hardiness zone | 8a (8a–8b across the county) source |
|---|---|
| Last spring frost (typical) | Mar 20 source |
| First fall frost (typical) | Nov 12 source |
| Frost-free days | 239 source |
| Rain, April–September | 29.7 in source April–September |
| Rain, whole year | 51.2 in source |
| Prime farmland | 56% of soils source includes 'prime if drained/irrigated/protected' |
| July average high / January average low | 89.4°F / 31.8°F source |
Frost dates and season length come from the Williamston 1 E weather station: the 50% chance date for 32°F.
County rules: RVs, tiny homes, animals
Zoning: We found no county zoning ordinance. Martin County's 2023 Unified Development Ordinance covers subdivisions, manufactured-home and RV parks, setbacks and road access but sets up no zoning districts, and the county code (American Legal) has no zoning chapter. Martin County Unified Development Ordinance (approved 2023-09-13), table of contents; Martin County Code of Ordinances table of contents (amlegal)
These are rules for county land outside town limits. Towns have their own. Read on 2026-11-13.
Living in an RV on your landNo county zoning
No zoning districts. The UDO regulates RV parks (Article IX) and defines an RV as not meant for permanent dwelling, but has no rule for one RV lived in on your own lot.
“Designed primarily not for use as a permanent dwelling, but as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel, or seasonal use.”
UDO Article I definitions (Recreational Vehicle); Article IX, read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Martin County before you buy land or build.
Tiny house on wheelsNo county zoning
No zoning districts; the UDO does not define tiny homes on wheels. It would likely be read under the RV definition, which says RVs are not designed for permanent dwelling.
“Designed primarily not for use as a permanent dwelling, but as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel, or seasonal use.”
UDO Article I definitions (Recreational Vehicle), read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Martin County before you buy land or build.
Small house on a foundationNo county zoning
No zoning districts and no minimum dwelling size found. Countywide UDO rules still apply: setbacks of 30 ft front, 10 ft side, 20 ft rear, and up to three principal residential structures per tract with a site plan.
“Up to three principal residential structures are permitted on a single, unsubdivided tract pursuant to a site plan approved by the Planning Administrator”
UDO § 6.4.1, § 6.4.2, read 2026-11-13
State law: farm buildings outside town limits skip the building code (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-138(b4)).
State law: homes on 10+ acres in farm districts (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-903(b)).
State law: building permits (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-1110).
Confirm with Martin County before you buy land or build.
ChickensNo county zoning
No zoning districts; neither the UDO nor the county Animals chapter (Ch. 4: general, dangerous dogs, beavers) regulates keeping poultry.
Code Ch. 4 Animals; UDO (whole document searched), read 2026-11-13
State law: real farms are exempt from county zoning (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-903(a), (a1)).
State law: right to farm (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 106-701(a)).
Confirm with Martin County before you buy land or build.
Goats and livestockNo county zoning
No zoning districts; neither the UDO nor the county Animals chapter (Ch. 4) regulates keeping livestock.
Code Ch. 4 Animals; UDO (whole document searched), read 2026-11-13
State law: real farms are exempt from county zoning (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-903(a), (a1)).
State law: right to farm (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 106-701(a)).
Confirm with Martin County before you buy land or build.
BeesNo county zoning
No zoning districts; bees are not mentioned in the UDO or the Animals chapter.
Code Ch. 4 Animals; UDO (whole document searched), read 2026-11-13
State law: real farms are exempt from county zoning (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-903(a), (a1)).
Confirm with Martin County before you buy land or build.
Composting toiletNot addressed
The UDO and county Buildings chapter (Ch. 6) do not mention composting toilets; the UDO defers sewage to the Martin-Tyrrell-Washington District Health Department.
UDO § 6.3.1, § 7.4.3; Code Ch. 6, read 2026-11-13
State law: composting toilets are allowed, but you still need a septic permit (15A NCAC 18E .1001 (eff. Oct. 1, 2021)).
Confirm with Martin County before you buy land or build.
What we couldn't confirm
- No county page found that says in words 'Martin County has no zoning'; the 'none' status rests on the UDO having no zoning districts, the American Legal code having no zoning chapter, and the UNC School of Government county zoning map (Aug. 2016, https://www.sog.unc.edu/resources/microsites/planning-and-development-regulation/county-zoning-2016) showing Martin with no county zoning.
- Older session laws (1961, 1991) refer to Martin County zoning powers; I found no current zoning ordinance, but a small zoned area (e.g. around the airport, Appendix A Airport Height) was not ruled out.
- Did not open UDO Chapter 25 as codified on amlegal; used the county-hosted 2023 PDF.
What breaks here
9 federal disaster declarations covered Martin County in the last 10 years: 4 hurricane, 2 biological, 2 tropical storm, 1 winter storm. source
FEMA's biggest risks for the county: hurricane (relatively moderate), winter weather (relatively moderate), drought (relatively moderate). source
Gear that answers it
- Portable power station with solar panelRuns a freezer, fridge or medical device for a day or more when the grid is down, without fumesSee price on Amazon
- Stackable water storage (7-gallon)One gallon per person per day for drinking and cookingSee price on Amazon
- NOAA weather radio (hand-crank)Alerts when cell service and power are outSee price on Amazon
- Pocket mesh radioPairs with your phone to send texts over the meshFrom RAKwireless
We may earn from these links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Mesh radio coverage
| MeshCore radios heard (30 days) | 0 source |
|---|---|
| Repeaters | 0 source |
| County near a repeater | 0% source share of the county within 10 km of an active repeater — a rough line-of-sight guess, not a measured signal |
| Nearest repeater to the county centre | 32.5 km source from the county centre |
Most of Martin County is out of range. A solar repeater on high ground near the red X would cover the biggest gap. Solar repeater kits
Data: MeshCore map. Coverage assumes about 10 km per repeater; real range depends on height and terrain. State gap map
Animals nearby
Livestock already in the county is a fair sign of feed stores, vets and neighbours who know how.
| Laying hens | 280 source |
|---|---|
| Goats | 68 source |
| Cattle | 578 source |
| Hogs | withheld by USDA to avoid disclosing individual farms source |
| Bee colonies | 32 source |
- Chicken coop for 4–6 hensWhere chickens are allowed
- Beginner beehive kitBees help every garden
- Seed starting kit with heat matStart tomatoes and peppers indoors before your last frost
Clean ground, sun and power
| Active Superfund sites | None source |
|---|---|
| Toxics Release Inventory facilities | 7 source facilities registered with EPA's Toxics Release Inventory, active or open status |
| FEMA overall risk | Relatively Low source |
| Sun, kWh per m² per day | 4.47 source |
| Public EV charging stations | 0 source |
Rooftop solar credit depends on your utility. Duke Energy customers: see the state rules on the North Carolina page.
Nearby counties
| County | Overall |
|---|---|
| Bertie | 5.6 |
| Pitt | 5.9 |
| Beaufort | 5.3 |
| Edgecombe | 5.2 |
| Hertford | 4.5 |
| Washington | 5.7 |