Cumberland County, NC

County

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2024 Population

338,545

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

0.629% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

16.7%

3.03% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$61,291

4.27% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$199,200

8.44% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

125,304

0.0695% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Cumberland County, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97% of the residents in Cumberland County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Cumberland County, NC are Fayetteville Technical Community College (2,526 degrees awarded in 2023), Fayetteville State University (1,465 degrees), and Methodist University (412 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Cumberland County, NC was $199,200, and the homeownership rate was 55%.

Most people in Cumberland County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Cumberland County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Cumberland County, NC borders Bladen County, NC, Harnett County, NC, Hoke County, NC, Moore County, NC, Robeson County, NC, and Sampson County, NC.

About the photo: Carvers Creek, NC

Photo by bobistraveling

United States North Carolina Fayetteville, NC

Population & Diversity

Cumberland County, NC is home to a population of 339k people, from which 97% are citizens. As of 2024, 6.66% of Cumberland County, NC residents were born outside of the country (22.6k people).

In 2024, there were 1.08 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (135k people) in Cumberland County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 124k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 18.5k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97%

2024 Citizenship

97.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97% of Cumberland County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Cumberland County, NC was 97.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Cumberland County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Cumberland County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
135k ± 652
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
124k ± 1.31k
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
18.5k ± 1.35k

12.7%

Hispanic Population

43k people

12.7% of the people in Cumberland County, NC are hispanic (43k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Cumberland County, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
224,963 ± 11,520 people
India
83,219 ± 7,055 people
Honduras
48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

Foreign-Born Population

6.66%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

22.6k people

6.62%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

22.3k people

As of 2024, 6.66% of Cumberland County, NC residents (22.6k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Cumberland County, NC was 6.62%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Cumberland County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
20,617 ± 979
Gulf War (1990s)
7,770 ± 526
Vietnam
6,027 ± 437

Cumberland County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 2.65 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Cumberland County, NC.

Economy

The economy of Cumberland County, NC employs 125k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Cumberland County, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (20,376 people), Retail Trade (16,018 people), and Educational Services (12,594 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($65,903), Public Administration ($61,675), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($60,938).

Employment

Occupations

125k

2024 Value

± 2,501

0.0695%

1 Year growth

± 2.81%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cumberland County, NC grew at a rate of 0.0695%, from 125k employees to 125k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Cumberland County, NC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (14,325 people), Sales & Related Occupations (12,810 people), and Management Occupations (11,390 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Cumberland County, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

125k

2024 Value

± 2,501

0.0695%

1 Year growth

± 2.81%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cumberland County, NC grew at a rate of 0.0695%, from 125k employees to 125k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Cumberland County, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (20,376 people), Retail Trade (16,018 people), and Educational Services (12,594 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Cumberland County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Cumberland County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$44,988

Median earning men ± $968

$36,056

Median earning women ± $587

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($63,331), Manufacturing ($57,434), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($56,846).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($58,588), Construction ($52,804), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($43,531).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

442
Other Services (except Public Administration)
408
Retail Trade
316
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$1.13M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$531k
Retail Trade
$478k
Manufacturing

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Cumberland County, NC awarded 4,794 degrees. The student population of Cumberland County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 7,463 male students and 12,799 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Cumberland County, NC are Black or African American (1,827 and 38.6%), White (1,785 and 37.7%), Hispanic or Latino (532 and 11.2%), and Two or More Races (205 and 4.33%).

The largest universities in Cumberland County, NC by number of degrees awarded are Fayetteville Technical Community College (2,526 and 52.7%), Fayetteville State University (1,465 and 30.6%), and Methodist University (412 and 8.59%).

The most popular majors in Cumberland County, NC are General Business Administration & Management (478 and 9.97%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (391 and 8.16%), and Registered Nursing (274 and 5.72%).

The median tuition costs in Cumberland County, NC are $6,600 for private four year colleges, and $1,000 and $5,000 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Cumberland County, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 78.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 19.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 20,262 (36.8% men and 63.2% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 20,262 students enrolled in Cumberland County, NC, 36.8% men and 63.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 9,065 records, of which 67.1% were women and 32.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
317 degrees awarded
Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities
270 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
120 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Cumberland County, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 317 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Cumberland County, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Fayetteville Technical Community College
2,526 degrees awarded
Fayetteville State University
1,465 degrees awarded
Methodist University
412 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Fayetteville Technical Community College with 2,526 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 1,736 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Cumberland County, NC, which is 0.568 times less than the 3,058 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Black or African American students. These 1,827 degrees mean that there were 1.02 times more degrees awarded to Black or African American students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 1,785 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($6,600) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,969) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,652) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Cumberland County, NC was $199,200 in 2024, which is 0.599 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $183,700 to $199,200, a 8.44% increase. The homeownership rate in Cumberland County, NC is 55%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Cumberland County, NC have an average commute time of 21.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Cumberland County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 18.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cumberland County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.69%.

Housing

Property

$199,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$3,438

$71,328

Median Property Taxes

±$1,729

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Cumberland County, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Cumberland County, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

55%

Homeownership

2024

66.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 55% of the housing units in Cumberland County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 53.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Cumberland County, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$61,291

Median Household Income

± $990

130k

Number of Households

± 2,350

In 2024, the median household income of the 130k households in Cumberland County, NC grew to $61,291 from the previous year's value of $58,780.

The following chart displays the households in Cumberland County, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Cumberland County, NC is from North Carolina.

0.467

2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (75.6%)
Carpooled (10%)
Worked At Home (7.66%)

In 2024, 75.6% of workers in Cumberland County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10%) and those who worked at home (7.66%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

21.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Cumberland County, NC have a shorter commute time (21.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.1% of the workforce in Cumberland County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Cumberland County, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Cumberland County, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Cumberland County, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 18.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cumberland County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.69%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

16.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Cumberland County, NC (53.6k out of 321k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Cumberland County, NC is Black, followed by White and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 22% of the children was living in poverty in Cumberland County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.4%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 548 in Cumberland County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 5.8 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

90.5% of the population of Cumberland County, NC has health coverage, with 25.5% on employee plans, 20.4% on Medicaid, 7.23% on Medicare, 21.7% on non-group plans, and 15.6% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Cumberland County, NC see 1,416 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,416 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 895 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 215 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.2% were men and 54.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,416 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Cumberland County, NC

Primary care physicians in Cumberland County, NC see an average of 1,416 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,416 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Cumberland County, NC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 29.7% under 18 years, 21.8% between 18 and 34 years, 34.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.2% were men and 54.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

9.53%

Uninsured

25.5%

Employer Coverage

20.4%

Medicaid

7.23%

Medicare

21.7%

Non-Group

15.6%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Cumberland County, NC declined by 8.52% from 10.4% to 9.53%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Cumberland County, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 86.2 in Cumberland County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Cumberland County, NC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 39.6% in Cumberland County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Cumberland County, NC.