Jobs, pay and daily life in Leland, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Leland is a city in North Carolina with 29,607 residents. The median household earns $91,977 a year and the median rent is $1,735 a month, which is 22.6% of the median household income. It is part of the Wilmington, NC metropolitan area, where BLS counts 191,280 jobs.
How Leland compares. Among the 100 largest places in North Carolina, Leland is #38 by population, #14 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #86 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #18 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Brunswick County, is #31 of 100 counties for average pay ($51,701).
Leland has 29,607 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of North Carolina. It covers 28 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,042 people per square mile. The median age is 47.3, 21% older than the state median (47.3 against 39.1).
The median gross rent is $1,735 a month (rent plus utilities), 41% above the state median ($1,735 against $1,228). Over a year that is 22.6% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $398,900, which is 4.3 times the median household income ($91,977). 80.6% of households own their home, 21% above the state average (80.6% against 66.6%).
The Wilmington, NC metropolitan area has 191,280 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $45,800 a year, 10% below the national median ($45,800 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are food preparation and serving related (26,360 jobs, median $29,500); office and administrative support (20,880 jobs, median $43,110); sales and related (20,620 jobs, median $35,970). The area is most specialised in food preparation and serving related (1.6 times) and sales and related (1.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($103,570) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($79,540). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Brunswick County was 3.6%. 57.3% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Brunswick County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 74.3% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 0.1% walk, 17.9% work from home. 7.3% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 48% below the state average (7.3% against 13.9%).
43.7% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 23% above the state share (43.7% against 35.6%). 4.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 51% below the state share (4.4% against 9.1%). The poverty rate is 6.1%, 53% below the state rate (6.1% against 13.0%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 81°F (27.3°C), and the coolest is Jan at 48°F (8.9°C). About 1,375 mm (54 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Sep is the wettest month (178 mm) and Jan the driest (69 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Wilmington (9 miles, rent 20% lower); Myrtle Grove (11 miles, rent 16% lower); Murraysville (13 miles, similar rent); Little River (41 miles, rent 12% lower). Rent differences are against Leland; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in North Carolina (495) →State guide: North CarolinaCountry guideBrunswick CountyNorth Carolina rankings
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There are 495 federal postings open in North Carolina (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in North Carolina →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 6,310 | 1.32 | $30,790 | $22,820 | $45,910 | -13% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 5,100 | 1.08 | $27,460 | $21,530 | $37,030 | -12% |
| Registered Nurses | 5,040 | 1.21 | $80,970 | $67,510 | $103,250 | -17% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 4,920 | 1.76 | $30,610 | $17,530 | $59,310 | -13% |
| Cashiers | 4,860 | 1.28 | $28,520 | $22,140 | $35,740 | -13% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 3,880 | 4.92 | $27,500 | $21,870 | $31,650 | -11% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 3,440 | 1.98 | $34,940 | $27,490 | $44,620 | -7% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 3,430 | 0.98 | $35,300 | $29,450 | $46,140 | -5% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 3,310 | 0.91 | $37,160 | $29,630 | $64,600 | -8% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2,850 | 0.89 | $38,100 | $29,400 | $56,470 | -15% |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,720 | 0.90 | $39,380 | $22,570 | $58,530 | -13% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 2,700 | 2.28 | $40,040 | $36,200 | $50,330 | -13% |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,690 | 0.62 | $90,270 | $46,800 | $215,090 | -15% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 2,650 | 0.50 | $31,540 | $27,060 | $38,790 | -12% |
| Nursing Assistants | 2,390 | 1.34 | $37,710 | $29,710 | $47,100 | -11% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 2,300 | 1.36 | $45,730 | $31,660 | $62,820 | -10% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 2,210 | 1.47 | $44,360 | $29,480 | $62,550 | +1% |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 2,190 | 1.87 | $36,670 | $28,770 | $46,820 | -6% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 2,070 | 0.98 | $45,380 | $32,290 | $60,320 | -5% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 1,950 | 1.41 | $48,270 | $33,540 | $79,870 | -1% |
These figures are for the whole Wilmington, NC metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $45,800 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.1% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.1% |
| Retail trade | 13.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 12.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.4% |
| Manufacturing | 7.2% |
| Public administration | 7.2% |
| Construction | 7.1% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.6% |
| Other services | 5.0% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.7% |
| Information | 2.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Leland lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick County | 152,568 | $8,081 million | $52,969 | 41,268 | 4,448 | $51,701 | +4.3% | 3.6% | 69,137 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 6,624 | 20.3% | $32,812 | 1.61 |
| Accommodation and food services | 6,289 | 19.3% | $25,227 | 1.68 |
| Health care and social assistance | 4,901 | 15.0% | $60,594 | 0.83 |
| Construction | 3,150 | 9.6% | $64,079 | 1.45 |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,005 | 6.1% | $45,808 | 0.83 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,844 | 5.6% | $29,674 | 2.66 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,634 | 5.0% | $97,379 | 0.57 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,058 | 3.2% | $41,960 | 0.85 |
| Real estate and rental | 1,003 | 3.1% | $50,803 | 1.57 |
| Wholesale trade | 992 | 3.0% | $64,074 | 0.61 |
| Utilities | 964 | 3.0% | $143,932 | 6.14 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 959 | 2.9% | $48,110 | 0.55 |
| Finance and insurance | 690 | 2.1% | $89,190 | 0.41 |
| Educational services | 500 | 1.5% | $39,922 | 0.59 |
| Management of companies | 49 | 0.2% | $125,336 | 0.07 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 74.3% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 0.1% |
| Work from home | 17.9% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 7.3% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $91,977 |
| Income per person | $50,729 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,735 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 22.6% |
| Median home value | $398,900 |
| Homeowners | 80.6% |
| Poverty rate | 6.1% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 96.4 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $45,800 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 3.99%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 47.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 97.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 43.7% |
| Born abroad | 4.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 57.3% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.9 | 48 | 69 |
| Feb | 10.2 | 50 | 88 |
| Mar | 13.3 | 56 | 93 |
| Apr | 17.6 | 64 | 80 |
| May | 22.0 | 72 | 108 |
| Jun | 25.9 | 79 | 129 |
| Jul | 27.3 | 81 | 153 |
| Aug | 26.9 | 80 | 177 |
| Sep | 24.5 | 76 | 178 |
| Oct | 19.8 | 68 | 111 |
| Nov | 14.5 | 58 | 93 |
| Dec | 11.2 | 52 | 96 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington | NC | 9 mi | 120,805 | $66,738 | $1,395 |
| Myrtle Grove | NC | 11 mi | 12,637 | $113,463 | $1,463 |
| Murraysville | NC | 13 mi | 16,339 | $81,167 | $1,777 |
| Little River | SC | 41 mi | 11,771 | $65,786 | $1,528 |
| North Myrtle Beach | SC | 46 mi | 19,855 | $72,722 | $1,263 |
| Jacksonville | NC | 51 mi | 71,279 | $57,697 | $1,321 |
| Piney Green | NC | 57 mi | 14,078 | $72,177 | $1,202 |
| Carolina Forest | SC | 59 mi | 26,263 | $74,436 | $1,668 |
| Myrtle Beach | SC | 60 mi | 38,371 | $60,394 | $1,261 |
| Lumberton | NC | 63 mi | 18,859 | $42,877 | $866 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
29,607 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,735 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 22.6% of the median household income.
$91,977 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.6% (BLS county, Brunswick County (latest month 2026M09)).
North Carolina. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.