1st Advantage MortgageIn Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, the typical household earns $87,494 a year and the typical rent is $1,249. Those figures describe the county, not you: compare at least three written offers by APR and total cost, and confirm the lender's license before you apply.
On this page
- Who lives in Cumberland County
- How Cumberland County residents earn a living
- Income in Cumberland County compared with Pennsylvania
- Cumberland County housing compared with Pennsylvania
- Cumberland County and the counties next door
- Cumberland County towns compared
- Room for a loan payment in Cumberland County
- Before borrowing in Cumberland County
- Cumberland County households compared
- Licensing and complaints for Cumberland County
- Checklist for Cumberland County applicants
- More guides for Cumberland County
- Frequently asked questions
Who lives in Cumberland County
The latest five-year Census estimate puts Cumberland County's population at 268,323; only 15 of Pennsylvania's 67 county-level areas are larger. Packed into 545 square miles, that is close to 492 residents for every square mile of land. It is one of the counties that make up the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metropolitan statistical area (OMB, 2023). The Census Bureau counts 20 places in the county (10 incorporated, 10 census-designated); the largest is Carlisle, with about 21,852 residents, or 8% of the county.
How Cumberland County residents earn a living
Education and health care employs 24% of working residents, the largest share; professional and administrative services is next with 13%. Public administration stands out: 8% of workers here, versus 4% statewide. ACS puts five-year average unemployment at 3.7% in Cumberland County. Long commutes are the exception here: 9% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work. 5.0% of households have no vehicle.
| Top industries | Cumberland County share | +/- vs Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.4% | -2.3 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 12.6% | +1.3 pts |
| Retail trade | 11.7% | +0.7 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 8.1% | +0.6 pts |
| Public administration | 7.9% | +3.9 pts |
| Manufacturing | 7.7% | -3.7 pts |
Shorter commutes usually mean lower vehicle costs, which can leave more room for a payment, or for paying a loan off early.
Income in Cumberland County compared with Pennsylvania
Cumberland County households have a median income of $87,494 (ACS 2020 to 2024), which ranks 7th of 67 in Pennsylvania.
| Households earning | Cumberland County | +/- vs Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 15.4% | -6.6 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 40.7% | +1.5 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 31.7% | +4.6 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 12.3% | +0.5 pts |
The spread is wide: 44% of Cumberland County households make $100,000 or more, and 15% make less than $35,000. 7.5% of residents fall below the federal poverty line (statewide: 11.7%). For a borrower in Cumberland County, the county median is only context: a lender looks at the income you can document, so pay stubs, benefit letters or tax returns matter more than any average.
Cumberland County housing compared with Pennsylvania
Median gross rent, utilities included, comes to $1,249 in Cumberland County versus $1,209 statewide. Rent takes 30% or more of income for 42% of renter households here. With a median value of $277,600, a typical Cumberland County house costs 3.2 times what the median household earns in a year. The ownership rate is 71%. Half the housing stock was built before 1978.
| Measure | Cumberland County | Pennsylvania | Median U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,249/mo | $1,209/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $277,600 | $254,500 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 71% | 69% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 42% | 48% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 23% | 24% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 4.6% | 3.5% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 4% | 9% | n/a |
Cumberland County and the counties next door
Perry County is closest, 16 miles from center to center; the sixth, York County, is 33 miles off. York County leads the group on income ($84,829), Juniata County trails ($66,318), and Cumberland County out-earns 6 of the six.
| County | Distance | Median income | Median rent | Owners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | - | $87,494 | $1,249/mo | 71% |
| Perry County, PA | 16 mi | $79,444 | $874/mo | 82% |
| Adams County, PA | 21 mi | $84,092 | $1,115/mo | 79% |
| Juniata County, PA | 26 mi | $66,318 | $756/mo | 74% |
| Franklin County, PA | 29 mi | $77,003 | $1,093/mo | 74% |
| Dauphin County, PA | 30 mi | $76,242 | $1,217/mo | 63% |
| York County, PA | 33 mi | $84,829 | $1,193/mo | 76% |
Cumberland County towns compared
Here are the 14 most populous of the county's 20 Census places, with income and rent from the same 2020 to 2024 survey. About 34% of Cumberland County residents live in one of the 20. Incomes vary by place: $126,927 at the median in Boiling Springs, $59,087 in Newville. Median rent ranges from $957 in Newville to $2,549 in Carlisle Barracks. Names with links open a city guide. The other 19 places are covered here.
| Place | Type | Population | Median income | Median rent | From county center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlisle | borough | 21,852 | $61,720 | $1,094 | 4 mi |
| Mechanicsburg | borough | 9,720 | $84,421 | $1,083 | 14 mi |
| Camp Hill | borough | 8,169 | $115,761 | $1,287 | 19 mi |
| Lower Allen | CDP | 7,646 | $88,533 | $1,171 | 20 mi |
| New Cumberland | borough | 7,580 | $82,154 | $980 | 21 mi |
| Enola | CDP | 6,534 | $72,135 | $1,091 | 19 mi |
| Schlusser | CDP | 5,402 | $92,234 | $975 | 7 mi |
| Lemoyne | borough | 4,742 | $62,086 | $993 | 20 mi |
| Boiling Springs | CDP | 3,334 | $126,927 | $1,230 | 7 mi |
| Wormleysburg | borough | 3,077 | $88,250 | $1,426 | 20 mi |
| Mount Holly Springs | borough | 2,373 | $65,156 | $963 | 6 mi |
| Messiah College | CDP | 2,329 | n/a | n/a | 15 mi |
| Shippensburg University | CDP | 2,071 | n/a | n/a | 15 mi |
| Shiremanstown | borough | 1,777 | $75,260 | $1,067 | 17 mi |
CDP: census-designated place, an unincorporated community mapped for statistics.
Room for a loan payment in Cumberland County
Cumberland County at the medians, through a lender's eyes (what DTI means):
- Median income divided by twelve: $7,291 before taxes
- Rent at the median, $1,249, takes 17% of that
- With a 36% ceiling, about $1,376 remains for car, card, student and any new loan payments
- $1,886: what a 43% ratio leaves once rent is paid
Car, student loan and card payments come out of that room first. Try your own numbers in the calculator.
Before borrowing in Cumberland County
A few patterns in the Cumberland County data, and the practical point behind each:
- Six-figure budgets. For the 44% earning $100,000 or more, lifestyle creep, not approval, is the usual problem.
- Getting ready. Gather pay stubs or benefit letters before you apply (checklist).
- Know your credit. Review all three bureau reports for free (AnnualCreditReport.com).
Cumberland County households compared
College graduates make up 40% of the adult population. About 5% go without health insurance.
| Measure | Cumberland County | Pennsylvania statewide | Typical U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.2 | 40.9 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 40.0% | 35.2% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 6.3% | 7.9% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 5.4% | 5.6% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 5.0% | 10.4% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 17.7% | 15.6% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 7.5% | 11.7% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 3.7% | 5.3% | 4.4% |
| Travel time to work | Workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 32.3% |
| 15 to 29 min | 43.1% |
| 30 to 44 min | 15.4% |
| 45 to 59 min | 5.1% |
| 60+ min | 4.1% |
Licensing and complaints for Cumberland County
Licensing happens at the state level, so a lender working with Cumberland County borrowers answers to the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities. A CFPB complaint gets forwarded to the company for a response. More on Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania personal loans.
Checklist for Cumberland County applicants
Four checks before you sign anything:
- Know the exact dollar figure you need before talking to a lender.
- Line up offers side by side: APR, fees in dollars, total cost.
- Verify the Pennsylvania license before giving out your Social Security number.
- Lock paid-off cards after consolidating so balances stay at zero.
More guides for Cumberland County
Guides that cover parts of Cumberland County:
Frequently asked questions
Is Cumberland County a high-income county?
Its $87,494 median ranks 7th of 67 Pennsylvania counties and compares with $65,681 for the median U.S. county.
What do renters pay in Cumberland County?
$1,249 a month at the median, about 17% of median household income.
Should Cumberland County homeowners use home equity instead?
Maybe, but weigh the risk: 71% of Cumberland County homes are owner-occupied, and a home-equity loan or line is secured by the house while a personal loan usually is not.
I live in a small Cumberland County town. Is this my guide?
Yes. If your town has no city guide, this county page is the local one; it covers Carlisle, Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, Lower Allen, New Cumberland and 15 more.
Will a Cumberland County address affect my match?
Beyond confirming Pennsylvania as your state, no. Your answers about amount, credit, income and payments are all that count.