Demographics

Cumberland County is located in the Sandhills region of North Carolina. It includes the following incorporated municipalities: the City of Fayetteville, and the towns of Eastover, Falcon, Godwin, Hope Mills, Linden, Spring Lake, Stedman and Wade. Cumberland County encompasses approximately 661 square miles and is the economic growth center for southeastern North Carolina. It was reported at the Fayetteville CEDS meeting held on February 21, 2007 that significant progress was made toward developing a regional economic development plan that would benefit Cumberland County and other stakeholders in southeastern North Carolina. The following are some of the strengths identified at this meeting:

• The economic potential of BRAC
• Skills of exiting military personnel from Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base
• The Military Business Center
• Fayetteville State University, Methodist University and Fayetteville Technical Community College
• Workforce Development Programs and the JobLink Career Center system
• Abundant resources
• Cultural resources
• Quality of life
• Regional partnerships

Cumberland County, North Carolina

Population Characteristics

“The population of Cumberland County increased by 1.2 percent between 2000 and 2006, primarily as a result of normal growth rather than from people moving into the county from elsewhere. This type of growth pattern is characterized by the North Carolina State Data Center (SDC) as “extreme natural increase, net out-migration.” According to SDC estimates, the population of Cumberland County increased from 302,962 in April 2000 to 306,545 in July 2006, the most recent date for which data are available.” Source: Preliminary Impact Assessment for the Fort Bragg Region, February 28, 2008. Of the nine municipalities in Cumberland County, Fayetteville experienced the greatest increase in growth due to annexation than it did in normal growth. As of July 2006, Fayetteville had the sixth largest population in the state.