Cumberland County, North Carolina

Cumberland County
County
Cumberland County Courthouse in Fayetteville
Flag Seal Logo
Motto(s):  "Out Of Many, One"
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°03′N78°50′W / 35.05°N 78.83°W / 35.05; -78.83
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Founded	1754
Named for	Prince William, Duke of Cumberland
Seat	Fayetteville
Largest community	Fayetteville
Area
• Total	658.48 sq mi (1,705.5 km2)
• Land	652.56 sq mi (1,690.1 km2)
• Water	5.92 sq mi (15.3 km2)  0.90%
Population  (2020)
• Total	334,728
• Estimate  (2023)	337,890
• Density	513.4/sq mi (198.2/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	7th, 9th
Website	www.cumberlandcountync.gov

Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 334,728, ^[1] making it the fifth-most populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is Fayetteville. ^[2] Cumberland County is part of the Fayetteville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The county was formed in 1754 from Bladen County. It was named for Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland (1721–1765), captain-general of the British army and victorious commander at the Battle of Culloden.

In 1771 parts of Cumberland County, Johnston County, and Orange County were combined to form Wake County. In July 1784 the western part of Cumberland County became Moore County; the eastern part became Fayette County in honor of the Marquis de la Fayette, but the name Cumberland County was restored three months later. The county was represented as Fayette County in the North Carolina General Assembly of April 1784. In 1855 the northern part of Cumberland County became Harnett County. Finally, in 1911 parts of Cumberland County and Robeson County were combined to form Hoke County. ^[3]

Geography

Interactive map of Cumberland County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 658.48 square miles (1,705.5 km²), of which 652.56 square miles (1,690.1 km²) is land and 5.92 square miles (15.3 km²) (0.90%) is water. ^[4]

State and local protected areas/sites

• Bushy Lake State Natural Area
• Carvers Creek State Park
• Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex
• Oak Grove Plantation ^[5]
• Old Linden School ^[6]
• Rhodes Pond Game Land (part) ^[7]
• Suggs Mill Pond Game Land (part) ^[7]
• Taliaferro's Division Monument ^[8]
• William T. Smith House ^[9]

Major water bodies

• Cape Fear River
• Carvers Creek
• Cross Creek
• Hope Mills Lake
• Little River
• Mingo Swamp
• Rockfish Creek
• South River

Adjacent counties

• Harnett County – north
• Sampson County – east
• Bladen County – south
• Robeson County – southwest
• Hoke County – west
• Moore County – west

Major highways

• I-95
• I-95 BL
• 
  I-295  / Future I-295
• US 13
• US 301
• US 401
• 
  US 401 Bus.
• NC 24
• NC 53
• NC 59
• NC 82
• NC 87
• NC 162
• NC 210
• NC 217
• NC 242
• NC 295 (temporary highway designation for I-295)
• NC 690

Major infrastructure

• Fayetteville Regional Airport
• Fayetteville Station
• Fort Liberty (part)
• Pope Army Airfield
• Simmons Army Airfield, military airfield

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1790	8,730		—
1800	9,264		6.1%
1810	9,382		1.3%
1820	14,446		54.0%
1830	14,834		2.7%
1840	15,284		3.0%
1850	20,610		34.8%
1860	16,369		−20.6%
1870	17,035		4.1%
1880	23,836		39.9%
1890	27,321		14.6%
1900	29,249		7.1%
1910	35,284		20.6%
1920	35,064		−0.6%
1930	45,219		29.0%
1940	59,320		31.2%
1950	96,006		61.8%
1960	148,418		54.6%
1970	212,042		42.9%
1980	247,160		16.6%
1990	274,566		11.1%
2000	302,963		10.3%
2010	319,431		5.4%
2020	334,728		4.8%
2023 (est.)	337,890	[1]	0.9%
U.S. Decennial Census [10] 1790–1960 [11] 1900–1990 [12] 1990–2000 [13] 2010 [14] 2020 [1]

2020 census

Cumberland County racial composition ^[15]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	133,201	39.79%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	124,173	37.1%
Native American	4,647	1.39%
Asian	8,943	2.67%
Pacific Islander	1,357	0.41%
Other/Mixed	22,909	6.84%
Hispanic or Latino	39,498	11.8%

As of the 2020 census, there were 334,728 people, 128,135 households, and 78,365 families residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, ^[16] 302,963 people, 107,358 households, and 77,619 families resided in the county. The population density was 464 people per square mile (179 people/km²). The 118,425 housing units had an average density of 181 units per square mile (70 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 55.15% White, 34.90% African American, 1.55% Native American, 1.88% Asian, 0.30% Pacific Islander, 3.13% from other races, and 3.09% from two or more races. About 6.90% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

By 2005, Cumberland County's population was 51.5% non-Hispanic Whites, 36.7% African American, 6.4% Latino, 3.1% more than one race, 2.1% Asian, and 1.7% Native American.

Of the 107,358 households, 39.4% had children under 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were not families. About 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.65, and the average family size was 3.11.

In the county, the age distribution was 27.9% under 18, 13.7% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 30.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.30 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 101.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,466, and for a family was $41,459. Males had a median income of $28,308 versus $22,379 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,376. About 10.4% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.8% of those under age 18 and 13.70% of those 65 or over.

Government and politics

Cumberland County is a member of the regional Mid-Carolina Council of Governments.

United States presidential election results for Cumberland County, North Carolina ^[17]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	59,893	42.59%	78,687	55.96%	2,043	1.45%
2020	60,032	40.80%	84,469	57.40%	2,649	1.80%
2016	51,265	40.21%	71,605	56.16%	4,636	3.64%
2012	50,666	39.69%	75,792	59.38%	1,183	0.93%
2008	52,151	40.88%	74,693	58.55%	731	0.57%
2004	49,139	51.60%	45,788	48.08%	299	0.31%
2000	38,129	49.42%	38,626	50.07%	396	0.51%
1996	29,804	44.83%	32,739	49.25%	3,936	5.92%
1992	27,139	42.10%	30,291	46.98%	7,040	10.92%
1988	27,057	53.07%	23,789	46.66%	133	0.26%
1984	31,602	58.18%	22,614	41.63%	103	0.19%
1980	21,540	47.63%	22,073	48.80%	1,615	3.57%
1976	14,226	36.78%	24,297	62.81%	160	0.41%
1972	24,376	70.46%	9,853	28.48%	366	1.06%
1968	9,143	31.95%	9,938	34.72%	9,539	33.33%
1964	9,093	39.61%	13,864	60.39%	0	0.00%
1960	8,072	41.03%	11,601	58.97%	0	0.00%
1956	6,699	43.05%	8,862	56.95%	0	0.00%
1952	7,474	45.82%	8,839	54.18%	0	0.00%
1948	1,741	19.21%	4,996	55.13%	2,325	25.66%
1944	2,014	23.34%	6,615	76.66%	0	0.00%
1940	1,118	15.60%	6,050	84.40%	0	0.00%
1936	1,024	13.60%	6,505	86.40%	0	0.00%
1932	931	15.56%	5,012	83.77%	40	0.67%
1928	3,534	51.73%	3,297	48.27%	0	0.00%
1924	1,372	31.67%	2,923	67.47%	37	0.85%
1920	1,972	37.89%	3,233	62.11%	0	0.00%
1916	1,217	38.17%	1,971	61.83%	0	0.00%
1912	235	8.41%	1,678	60.08%	880	31.51%
1908	1,453	44.23%	1,832	55.77%	0	0.00%
1904	1,129	41.37%	1,594	58.41%	6	0.22%
1900	2,138	51.98%	1,964	47.75%	11	0.27%
1896	2,200	46.36%	2,509	52.88%	36	0.76%
1892	1,333	27.17%	2,178	44.39%	1,395	28.43%
1888	2,028	44.56%	2,523	55.44%	0	0.00%
1884	2,192	47.03%	2,469	52.97%	0	0.00%
1880	2,137	50.33%	2,109	49.67%	0	0.00%

Education

Cumberland County is home to Fayetteville State University (an HBCU in the CIAA Conference), Methodist University (a member of the USA South Athletic Conference), and Fayetteville Technical Community College.

The Cumberland County Schools district serves most areas for grades PK-12. ^[18] The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) operates public schools on Fort Liberty for PK-8, but for high school Fort Liberty students attend local public schools in their respective counties. ^[19] The Cumberland Schools system is the fourth largest public school system in the state of North Carolina. There are 17 high schools in Cumberland County: Cape Fear, Cross Creek Early College, Cumberland International Early College, Douglas Byrd, E.E. Smith, Fuller Performance Learning Center, Gray's Creek, Howard Health and Life Sciences, Jack Britt, Massey Hill Classical, Pine Forest, Reid Ross Classical, Seventy-First, South View, Terry Sanford, Alger B. Wilkins, Ramsey Street, and Westover.

Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center

The Cumberland County Public Library & and Information Center began as the Fayetteville Library Society after being incorporated by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1794. ^[20] The Fayetteville Library Society was the first library organization or group to become incorporated in the state of North Carolina. ^[21] The current library director is Ms. Jody Risacher ^[22] and she is also a member of the 2018 Library Board of Trustees for Cumberland County. Board of trustee members are appointed every three years by the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners. ^[23]

Director Risacher was initially hired as the deputy director for the Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center in the late 1990s and became the library's director in 2008. Director Risacher was named the Library Director of the Year by the North Carolina Public Library Association in 2013. ^[24]

Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center has eight branches: Bordeaux Branch, Cliffdale Regional Branch, East Regional Branch, Headquarters Branch, Hope Mills Branch, North Regional Branch, Spring Lake Branch, and West Regional Branch. The newest branch is the West Regional Branch Library which opened in 2010, and the oldest branch was the Gillespie Street Branch, which originated as the James Walker Hood Library in 1942 and was a branch specifically for African Americans. ^[25] Its mission statement is “The library opens windows to the world by encouraging expression, enlightenment, and exploration”. ^[26]

In 2012, the Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center received the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, which is only awarded to five libraries in the United States each year. ^[27]

In 2018, the Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center won two grants via the American Library Association ^[28] and the Arts Council of Cumberland County for a total of $5,300.00. One grant was used to support a pilot program at a local high school and the other to support the Cumberland County Storytelling Festival and Artrepreneur program. ^[29]

The Cumberland County Court Library, which was previously located in the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Courthouse, moved to the Headquarters Library in February 2018. The Court Library is now situated in the Local and State History Room and collection materials are now available to the general public via local libraries. Library staff is available to assist patrons with finding information but they cannot offer patrons legal advice. ^[30]

Some of the current services offered by the branch libraries include children's, young adult, and adult programming, genealogy and local history, homeschooling resources, and homework help for students. Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center offers patrons access to free downloads for audiobooks, ebooks, magazines, videos, and resources for education purposes. Patrons are able to access these resources remotely online via the use of the patron's library card number and pin. The library branches also offer computer training courses/classes, as well as story times, and opportunities for people or groups in the community to reserve spaces for meetings and programs. ^[31]

Arts & Culture

An October 2023 study released by Americans for the Arts, (AFTA) ^[32] found that nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Fayetteville and Cumberland County created $72.2 million in total economic activity in 2022, supported over 1100 jobs, provided $44.1 million in personal income to residents and generated $9.5 million in local, state and federal tax revenue. ^[33] At an April 2024 event the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County announced that arts and cultural activities drew more than 900,000 visitors to the region. ^[34]

Points of interest

The Cape Fear River Trail is designated as part of the East Coast Greenway, a series of urban trails and greenways that will eventually connect from Maine to Key West, Florida.

Hay Street in Downtown Fayetteville

Historic sites

• Cool Spring Tavern ^[35]
• Evans Metropolitan AME Zion Church ^[36]
• Ellerslie Plantation
• The first Golden Corral ^[37]
• Hay Street United Methodist Church ^[38]
• Heritage Square ^[39]

Libraries

• Cumberland County Libraries

Museums

• Airborne & Special Operations Museum
• Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex ^[40]

Parks and recreation

• Cape Fear Botanical Garden

Shopping

• Cross Creek Mall ^[41]

Theaters and arenas

• Crown Coliseum ^[42]

Communities

Map of Cumberland County with municipal and township labels

City

• Fayetteville (county seat and largest community)

Towns

• Eastover
• Falcon
• Godwin
• Hope Mills
• Linden
• Spring Lake
• Stedman
• Wade

Census-designated place

• Vander

Townships

• Beaver Dam
• Black River
• Carvers Creek
• Cedar Creek
• Cross Creek
• Eastover
• Gray's Creek
• Manchester
• Pearces Mill
• Rockfish
• Seventy-First

See also

• List of counties in North Carolina
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Cumberland County, North Carolina
• Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, state-recognized tribe that resides in the county

References

1. "QuickFacts: Cumberland County, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Cheney, John L. Jr., ed. (1974). North Carolina Government, 1585–1974. pp.  212–213.
4. "2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
5. "Oak Grove Plantation at Averasboro". www.visitfayettevillenc.com. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
6. Urban Exploration Abandoned Linden School , retrieved July 27, 2022
7. "NCWRC Game Lands". www.ncpaws.org. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
8. "Taliaferro's Division Monument". NCpedia. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
9. "William T. Smith House - UNDER CONTRACT". Preservation NC. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
10. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
11. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
12. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
13. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
14. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
15. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
16. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
17. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
18. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Cumberland County, NC" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022. - Text list - Note "Fort Bragg Schools" (UNI 00014) refers to the DoDEA situation.
19. "Fort Bragg/Cuba Community". Department of Defense Education Activity . Retrieved July 5, 2022.
20. "The origins of the North Carolina state library, 1700-1840" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on June 28, 2007. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
21. "Useful Books: Community Libraries in Antebellum North Carolina" . Retrieved November 25, 2018.
22. "About the Library". Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
23. "Board of Trustees". Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
24. "Cumberland County Library Director Named Director of the Year" (PDF). Retrieved November 25, 2018.
25. "Library History". Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
26. "Long Range Plan FY 2016 -2020" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
27. "Cumberland County Library Director Named Director of the Year" (PDF). Retrieved November 25, 2018.
28. "Public Library Received American Library Association Grant" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
29. "Public Library Receives Arts Council Grants" . Retrieved November 25, 2018.^{[ permanent dead link ‍]}
30. ". Court Library Services Moving to Headquarters Location". Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
31. "Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center Homepage". Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
32. "Groundbreaking Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 Study Reveals Impact of the Arts on Communities Across America". Americans for the Arts. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
33. Meador, Stephanie (April 17, 2024). "Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County details economic impact of local arts industry". Greater Fayetteville Business Journal. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
34. Woolverton, Paul (April 17, 2024). "Study: Cumberland arts industry generated $72.2 million of economic activity in 2022". CityView. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
35. Woolverton, Paul (January 13, 2019). "What survived the 1831 fire?". The Fayetteville Observer . Retrieved January 13, 2019.
36. "The History of Evans Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church" . Retrieved May 15, 2022.
37. "The Brand Story". Golden Corral . Retrieved August 10, 2021.
38. "Hay Street United Methodist Church – First Time Visit" . Retrieved May 15, 2022.
39. "Heritage Square". visitFayettevilleNC.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
40. "About us – Cape Fear Museum". museumofcapefear.ncdr.gov. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
41. "Official website of Cross Creek Mall". CrossCreekMall.com. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
42. "About Crown Complex" . Retrieved May 15, 2022.

Further reading

• "Cumberland County", Branson's North Carolina Business Directory...1867-68, Raleigh, NC: Branson & Jones, p. 34 – via hathitrust.org
• "Cumberland County", Branson's North Carolina Business Directory, 1896, Raleigh, NC: Levi Branson, p. 213 – via archive.org
• "Cumberland County", North Carolina Year Book and Business Directory, 1916, Raleigh, N.C.: News and Observer Publishing Company – via hathitrust.org

External links

• Geographic data related to Cumberland County, North Carolina at OpenStreetMap
• Official website
• Cumberland County Schools