What it's like to live in Leland
Leland is a small city in North Carolina with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Leland deals with rent well above the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, very rainy, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High rent burden for renters
- Very rainy — 60" of rain per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Leland compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Leland
Based on Leland's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,470
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $69,400 a year
- 53% of Leland renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$79,780
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $39,890
- Homes cost 4.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 23% above US
$1,735/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,735 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $398,900. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $398,900 · 53% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 16% below US
3.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.6%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 62% below US
126 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 711/100k · Leland Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 18% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 88°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 38°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 21% above US
44% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 44% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
2 public schools inside the boundary
There are 2 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Moores Creek National Battlefield (17 miles away).
Bottom line
Leland's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin. A year of median rent ($1,735/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (18% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Leland
All North Carolina guides →Moving to Myrtle Grove →
11 mi away · pop. 12,637
Rent $1,463/mo · Income $113,463
Compare with Leland →Moving to Murraysville →
13 mi away · pop. 16,339
Rent $1,777/mo · Income $81,167
Compare with Leland →Not sure Leland is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.