If the town of Leland were a person, it would be a millennial.

People forget that Leland is only 36 years old, said Nicholas Newell, a Leland resident who is also a Realtor and president of his neighborhood’s homeowners association.

The area was named Leland way back in 1897, but it only had between 1,000 and 2,000 residents on its official birthday, 1989, the year it was incorporated, according to news reports and the town’s history web page.

In three-and-a-half decades, Leland’s population has grown to more than 30,000. It’s the largest municipality in Brunswick County, itself one of the fastest-growing counties in the U.S.

“The growth is just – it’s just massive. It’s explosive,” Newell said. “It’s not anything that anybody reasonably could have planned for.”

But the continuous growth of the northern Brunswick County town is something residents like Newell, developers and the town’s government are keeping a close eye on now.

“The growth is just – it's just massive. It's explosive,” Newell said. “It’s not anything that anybody reasonably could have planned for.” – Nicholas Newell, Leland resident and Realtor

 

GROWTH GUIDES

One of the town of Leland’s documents focusing on growth is its 2045 comprehensive land use plan, approved in 2021.

“The adoption of Leland 2045 is a milestone because it creates the framework for how Leland should develop and conserve land as we balance an increase in population and changing demographics,” stated a news release at the time. “...While the plan provides land use policy direction, the core of the plan is about how the built and preserved environment can benefit the people of Leland by creating places where residents’ daily needs are met, social interaction and recreation can take place and sense of community is enhanced.”

In 2025, town officials believe they are accommodating growth. In emailed responses in January, Leland town officials addressed questions about keeping up with its ongoing expansion.

They said the municipality “takes a proactive and collaborative approach to addressing the infrastructure needs of a growing community. We work closely with our partner public and private organizations to ensure essential services like water, sewer, electricity, broadband and cellular networks are available to support current and future development. We have established and continue following comprehensive long-term and short-term plans that prioritize sustainable development, road connectivity and the preservation of open spaces.

“Our commitment to enhancing mobility and quality of life is further reflected through initiatives that include implementation of Capital Improvement Projects, street repaving, bike and pedestrian infrastructure and other essential upgrades.”

Maintaining “high-quality” services remains a priority, according to the statement.

“We continuously monitor trends to ensure that services evolve in response to the changing needs of residents and businesses. For Public Safety, we engage in forward planning to prepare for the demands of new developments well in advance of their completion,” the email stated. “In the Planning & Inspections Department, we ensure appropriate staffing levels, including planners, plan reviewers, permit technicians and building inspectors, to keep pace with increased development activity and uphold service excellence.”

Not everyone agrees with how the town is growing. In 2023, the state legislature approved an annexation moratorium (a local bill, so it didn’t need the governor’s signature) that went into effect for Leland on March 1, 2023.

This year, a different bill, Senate Bill 382, addresses the ability of towns to “down-zone” property. In November, town council members had discussed potential changes to ordinances impacting flood zones, according to news reports.

 “No amendment to zoning regulations or a zoning map that down-zones property shall be initiated, enacted, or enforced without the written consent of all property owners whose property is the subject of the down-zoning amendment,” the bill reads.

In its January emailed statement, Leland officials said, “One of the main challenges facing the Planning & Inspections Department this year is determining how to approach necessary ordinance updates while awaiting clarity on the intent and implications of Senate Bill 382.”

That could all change soon. New legislation introduced at the end of January, according to an article by Port City Daily, would repeal Bill 382’s down-zoning provision.
 

STEADY RESIDENTIAL

Demand for new homes continues to draw development.

Homebuilder Del Webb, a division of national firm PulteGroup (NYSE: PHM), landed in Leland recently after making a name for itself in the city of Wilmington.

From 2016 to 2023, Del Webb built more than 500 homes for buyers ages 55 and older in Riverlights, the 1,400-acre master planned community on River Road in Wilmington.

Now the company is focusing on Del Webb at Mallory Creek, another 55-and-older subdivision set to hold 800 ranch-style homes.

Del Webb at Mallory Creek, which officials describe as a “golf cart friendly” community,” is also set to include a 20,000-square-foot clubhouse, indoor and outdoor pools, bocce ball and pickleball courts.

Jason Willard, vice president of sales for Pulte’s East Division, said the Wilmington area and Brunswick County overall “will account for a large percentage of our growth over the next three years.”

He said his company is also opening new communities in other Brunswick County towns.

“We’re expecting a lot of growth and hoping for continued strong sales,” he said.

Willard said interest rates are an uncertainty, and Del Webb will need to have “a balance between how we price things and what the interest rates are doing, just because home affordability is our biggest obstacle right now.”

Even with the expectation that more people will be moving to Leland, especially in the age group Del Webb is known for catering to, pricing is a top concern.

“We rolled back the prices a little bit to really accommodate that 55-plus buyer,” said Michela Hochschild, marketing manager for Willard’s division. “We did that in late December, and it’s promoted on our website. Now we have Del Webb products starting from the mid-$300,000s, with many move-in ready homes.”

According to Realtor.com, the median listing price for a home in Leland is about $400,000.

As of Jan. 29, Leland’s development map showed at least 51 residential projects on its books and 24 commercial plans.
Asked about what kind of growth they expect in the next five to 10 years, Leland town officials stated in an email, “We anticipate steady residential expansion alongside a growing number of commercial developments and a notable increase in industrial investment.”
 

A CLOSER LOOK

Newell knows firsthand that more development is coming and has been a part of discussions about one proposal in particular. A Mallory Creek resident (not the same neighborhood as the Del Webb community under construction), Newell and the HOA board he leads have been monitoring a potential adjacent development that would be built on 30 acres along the intersection of N.C. 133 and Mallory Creek Drive in Leland.

A developer’s proposal includes townhouses and commercial uses. Newell said he and his HOA board believe the current conditional rezoning request, which includes developer concessions such as a larger-than-required buffer between the project and existing homes, is acceptable.

“We as a board are charged with looking out for the best interest of the association, and we have been fortunate to be involved with conversations with the town and with the applicant,” Newell said. “We expressed concerns that we had that were brought to us by people who border this property and people who live here. And a result of expressing those concerns has gotten us to where we are today, where changes have been made.”

He worries, however, that town officials won’t approve the latest conditional rezoning request with a proposed development that could be better than what might be built on the property by-right.

The Leland Town Council postponed a decision on the request at its January meeting to hold another community meeting. As of press time, the rezoning request was expected to be back on the agenda for the town council’s regular meeting Feb. 20.

Whatever happens, the property will be developed; it’s inevitable, Newell said. But a conditional rezoning can result in projects with maximum input, he said.

As for growth overall, Newell said, “You have two options in terms of growth: You’re either growing or you’re not, and if you’re not, then you’re dying.”