Leland, NC, USA, 2016
Leland’s story
128 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,801 in 1990, 22,908 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1980 on.
- 1898Leland is settled
Photo: Idawriter · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
35,731
2025 Census estimate · +52.9% since 2020
Typical home
$383K
−0.4% in a year
Household income
$92K
median
Median age
47.3
years
Jobs based here
4,864
A commuter town
TownGrade
B−
#104 of 286 in NC
Is Leland a good place to live?
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Overall it grades B−, 104th of 286 graded towns in North Carolina. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 79% of the country. Its weakest subject is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $383K for a typical one and 5 times the Wilmington metro’s $76K median household income. Only 17 of North Carolina’s 190 towns score higher on safety. Leland has 1 place on the National Register. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 69% of U.S. towns.
What makes Leland stand out
Where Leland beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A growing town
Leland has grown 159% since 2010
13,527 counted in 2010 and 22,908 in 2020; an estimated 35,731 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 52.9% since 2020, after 69.4% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Leland grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Leland is from typical.
Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listD−Open →HealthNovant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center 8.2 miles awayA−Open →Cost of livingC−Open →SafetyB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.3 of 20; 1.9% of households have no car; 0.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Jobs & income$92K median household incomeB+Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors10 miles of trails; 6% conserved landCOpen →HistoryDOpen →Civic life3.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market$383K typical home, down 0.4% in a year; 81 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 47.3–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 13 attractions →Fort Fisher and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Leland. Close and well known come first.
16 mi LandmarkFort Fisher
9 mi GardenOrton Plantation
11 mi MuseumBrunswick Town
20 mi National BattlefieldMoores Creek National Battlefield56K visitors a year12 mi GardenAirlie Gardens
6 mi TheatreThalian HallSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Fort Fisher: Eric T. Gunther, CC BY 3.0 · Orton Plantation: AgnosticPreachersKid., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Brunswick Town: Brunswick1726, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Moores Creek National Battlefield: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Thalian Hall: Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Leland: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Leland, and how to reach them.
PowerDuke Energy15.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBrunswick Regional Water and Sewer H2go1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpLeland Convenience CenterCounty or districtTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn North Carolina you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person with same-day registration during the early voting period, or by mail (postmarked 25 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBrunswick County Board of ElectionsBrunswick County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2021
ZIP codes28451, 2847928451 86% · 28479 14%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Leland.
Leland fares better on crime within North Carolina than nationally and has added half again as many jobs in ten years, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of North Carolina (mostly hurricanes).
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Leland faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by hurricanes
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 85% of North Carolina towns, with expected losses of about $637 per resident a year; that rating is what its D− for hazard risk is built on. 58 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 11 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1999, 58 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Leland.
94risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland flooding
58
paid flood claims since 1999
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsB−
On state tests, Leland’s schools beat 52% of North Carolina districts
Its public schools are run by the Brunswick County Schools. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is North Brunswick High, with 1,620 students.
52%of NC districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leland MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 806 | C |
| North Brunswick HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,620 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
HealthA−
Leland’s grade for health is an A−
29% of adults feel lonely in Leland, below both North Carolina’s towns (33%) and U.S. towns (33%). 14% of Leland adults report frequent mental distress. Leland beats the North Carolina average on 14 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
79%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Leland | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 33% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 80% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
14 better14 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Leland | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10% | 15.2% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.2% | 13.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.5% | 7.9% |
Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center
In Wilmington · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
72nd
percentile among NC towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
#96for trails in NC
| Leland | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 6.1% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
6.1%
conserved · 1,125 of 18,306 acres
9.9 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Annsdale Park | 0.9 mi | 13 |
| 2. Leland Community Park | — | 10 |
| 3. Founders Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of Leland’s workers commute out
Jobs based here grew from 2,648 in 2013 to 4,864.
Most working residents leave Leland for work: only 7% work in town. 6.1% of residents live below the poverty line in Leland, below both the North Carolina town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Since 2013, Leland has added 2,216 jobs, to 4,864 in 2023.
7%work in town
| Leland | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 18% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.1% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $92,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Leland7%
Wilmington37%
Raleigh3%
Charlotte3%
Belville2%
11 mi
median commute distance
4,864
jobs based in Leland
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 31% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Older than North Carolina overall
People 65 and older are 28% of residents (17% statewide); children under 18 are 16% of residents (22% statewide). 44% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Leland. Leland has grown 53% since 2020, to 35,731 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
47.3median age · NC 39.1
| Leland | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 28% | 18% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 16% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 47.3 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 44% | 29% | 29% |
LelandNorth CarolinaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school22%
Some college21%
Associate’s12%
Bachelor’s30%
Graduate14%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.8 points. Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Leland | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.9% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.4% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.7% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.9% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.6% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.3% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.8% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.6% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.8% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.7% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.5% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.6% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.5% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 29.5% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.3% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
SafetyB+
Leland reports less crime per resident than 69% of U.S. towns
At 11.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 94% of North Carolina’s graded towns. Reported crimes rose from 190 to 312 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Leland’s property crime rate is 7.1 per 1,000 residents.
69%of U.S. towns report more crimeB+Safety Grade
| Leland | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.1 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.3 per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Leland1.3
North Carolina3.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Leland7.1
North Carolina18.2
U.S.15.5
69th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
94th
percentile among NC towns
47
violent crimes reported in 2025
265
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Leland
Leland has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Leland is 90°F.
90°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter36–59°
Spring50–74°
Summer69–88°
Fall53–76°
Nov 8
typical first frost
Mar 29
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
90°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade C−
Leland’s grade for cost of living is a C−
The typical Leland home is worth about $383,000, about the same as a year ago, 15% above the North Carolina typical home.
$383KZillow home value
| Leland | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,735 a month | $1,084 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 81% | 67% | 73% |
Typical home value
Leland$383K
North Carolina$332K
Market temperature
81
days on market
98.6%
sale-to-list price
−0.4%
value change, 1 year
97
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Leland
19pages on Leland
The big questions
SchoolsB−Beat 52% of NC districts · 2 schoolsSafetyB+1.3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthA−Better than NC on 14 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC−$383K typical home · down 0.4% in a yearWork & commuteB+$92K median household income · 4,864 jobs hereNatural hazardsD−FEMA risk higher than 94% of U.S. communities · hurricanes
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Leland
Cape Fear Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Wilmington6 mi$2,748 in-state tuitionUniversity of North Carolina WilmingtonUniversity or college · Public · Wilmington9.1 mi$7,277 in-state tuitionMiller-Motte College-WilmingtonUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Wilmington9.2 mi
About 5 of every 100 Leland residents are enrolled in college, about the same as North Carolina.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Leland for work
Where Leland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
4,864jobs based in Leland
7%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Leland
Town in North Carolina, United States
Leland is the most populous town in Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 23,504 at the 2020 census, up from 13,527 in 2010. As of 2020, it is considered to be one of the fastest growing towns in North Carolina. It is part of the Wilmington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. and the Cape Fear Council of Governments. The town of Leland is in the northeastern part of Brunswick County, with the town of Navassa to the north, Belville to east, and Boiling Spring Lakes to the south. It is part of the Town Creek township, and Cape Fear region of North Carolina, a short distance north of the South Carolina state line. Leland is located five miles (8.0 km) west of Wilmi…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 20 sq mi
- Elevation
- 16 ft
- ZIP code
- 28451
- Area code
- 910
Leland’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Leland.
NavassaBelvilleLeland
How the neighbors grade
Navassa has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Navassa and Belville report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Leland with a neighbor →
Questions about Leland
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Leland, NC a good place to live?
Leland grades B− overall, better than 47% of U.S. towns and #104 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades A− for health, B+ for safety and B− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Leland, NC expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.