Cumberland is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in Cumberland County,

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

. The population was 8,473 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the

Portland metropolitan area, Maine The city of Portland, Maine, is the hub city of a metropolitan area in southern Maine, United States. The region is commonly known as Greater Portland or the Portland metropolitan area. For statistical purposes, the U.S. federal government defines ...

. Cumberland is one of the wealthiest municipalities in the state.

History

Morrison Hill station at Seashore Trolley Museum, May 2010

Cumberland, Maine (also known as Cumberland Center), was once part of North Yarmouth, but in 1821, it was incorporated as its own town. The town was officially named by Ephraim Sturdivant when the new town government elected him to do the task. The Cumberland Fair, one of the state's larger agricultural fairs, has been held yearly in Cumberland at the end of September since 1868. This Portland suburb has a rich farming history, but only a small number of working farms remain, such as Sweetser's Apple Barrel & Orchards, Spring Brook Farms, and Double T Orchards. Chebeague Island, long a part of Cumberland, formed its own town in 2007.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the town has a total area of , of which of it is land and is water. The town stretches inland from Cumberland Foreside, on Casco Bay, to West Cumberland, which borders Windham. Near the center of the town, there is a small recreational park called Twin Brook. Run and maintained by the town, it is open to cross-country skiers, walkers, and sports practices. Local ballfields at Drowne Road School host the local

Little League Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationKnight's Pond Preserve on the border with North Yarmouth is home to a pond and a large nature preserve used for recreation year round. Cumberland has a few small businesses, some of which are on Route 26, also called the Gray Road. Across Main Street from the high school, there is a convenience store called Food Stop. New construction has brought two eateries to the town, Cumberland Food Company and Louie's Grille. There are also two dentists' offices and a post office. A new bank was built in 2010. The Cumberland Congregational Church is located in the center of the town.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 7,211 people, 2,697 households, and 2,079 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 2,902 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.5%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.3% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.0% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population. There were 2,697 households, of which 37.9% had men under the age of 18 living with them, 67.4% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 22.9% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age in the town was 45 years. 26.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.2% were from 25 to 44; 35.6% were from 45 to 64; and 14.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 7,159 people, 2,548 households, and 2,046 families living in the town. The

was 274.6 people per square mile (106.0/km). There were 2,945 housing units at an average density of 112.9 per square mile (43.6/km). The racial makeup of the town was 98.76%

, 0.14%

, 0.10% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.13% from

, and 0.45% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.66% of the population. There were 2,548 households, of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 71.0% were married couples living together; 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present; and 19.7% were non-families. 15.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone 65 or older living alone. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.14. In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.4% under the age of 18; 3.6% from 18 to 24; 27.7% from 25 to 44; 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $67,556, and the median income for a family was $76,571. Males had a median income of $49,538 versus $37,367 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $33,644. About 2.4% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 0.8% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The school system that serves Cumberland is known as Maine School Administrative District 51 or MSAD 51. There are 3 schools in the district—which also serves North Yarmouth,

: the Mabel I. Wilson School, Greely Middle School, and

Greely High School Greely High School is a public high school for grades 9 to 12 located in Cumberland, Maine, United States. The enrollment is approximately 715 students. It also has a professional teaching staff of 64 and 50% of the teachers have advanced d ...

. In June 2014, the district closed the North Yarmouth Memorial School and moved into the expanded the Greely Middle School. The Drowne Road School was closed in 2010 due to budget cuts, and the Greely Middle School replaced the Greely Junior High School in 2005. Jeff Porter is the superintendent of the district. The Friends School of Portland, serves grades Pre-K–8.

Notable people

Matt Apuzzo Matt Apuzzo (born October 20, 1978) is an American journalist. Early life Apuzzo was born in Cumberland, Maine and attended Colby College, where he edited the school newspaper, the Colby Echo. Career He wrote for the Waterville ''Morning S ...

, 2012 Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist * Peter Askim, composer of modern classical music, conductor, music educator * Joseph Brackett, American songwriter and elder of the Shakers; author of " Simple Gifts" *

Robert G. Dillenback Robert G. Dillenback (died March 12, 2003) was an American politician from Maine. Dillenback, a Republican from Cumberland, served in the Maine House of Representatives from 1981 to 1986. In November 1986, he was elected to the Maine Senate The ...

, state legislator * Toni Fiore, celebrity chef *

William J. Garsoe William J. Garsoe (December 9, 1917 – May 23, 1986) was an American politician from Maine. Garsoe, a Republican, served four terms (1973 to 1980) in the Maine House of Representatives from the town of Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic ...

, state legislator and Maine House Minority Leader * Hoddy Hildreth, state legislator and conservationist * Captain Reuben Merrill, sea captain * Stephen Moriarty, state legislator and attorney * D. P. B. Pride, politician and attorney in Idaho * Captain Ephraim Sturdivant, namer of and treasurer for Cumberland * Karl Turner, state legislator *

Oliver Wahlstrom Oliver Joakim Wahlström (born June 13, 2000) is a Swedish American professional ice hockey forward for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Islanders, 11th overall, in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Pl ...

, Professional hockey player, raised in Cumberland

References

External links

Official town website
{{authority control Towns in Cumberland County, Maine Portland metropolitan area, Maine Towns in Maine