Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety46#501/924
Economy13#807/925
Housing87#119/925
Health14#796/925
Healthcare75#232/923
Environment60#365/917
Education37#579/925
Infrastructure28#663/925
Community37#586/925
Leisure & amenities59#381/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Cumberland, MD-WV micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Cost of buying a home today · low23.1%
94/100Maryland 31.7%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low5.2%
91/100Maryland 7.2%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Pharmacies · high2.3 /10k
89/100Maryland 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Severe housing problems · low10.5%
88/100Maryland 15.6%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Social associations · high15.0 /10k
87/100Maryland 8.9 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · low9 mi
86/100Maryland 13 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

New business applications · low7.0 /1k
2/100Maryland 16.2 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Job growth · low-3.4%
6/100Maryland -1.7%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Homicide rate · high11.7 /100k
6/100Maryland 6.0 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Frequent mental distress · high20.7%
9/100Maryland 17.0%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Drug overdose deaths · high30.1 /100k
10/100Maryland 21.4 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · low23.1%
10/100Maryland 24.9%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Homicide rateWorsening
2.2 /100k (2021) → 11.7 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+426%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Drought exposureWorsening
1% (2021) → 70% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+68 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
4.7 /1k (2020) → 7.0 /1k (2025)
+49%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
76.4% (2015-2019) → 86.1% (2020-2024)
+9.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
47.6 /100k (2021) → 30.1 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−37%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Violent crime rateImproving
274 /100k (2020) → 175 /100k (2025)
−36%5 yearsUS 389 /100k → 328 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Cumberland, MD-WV micropolitan area improved on 13 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 9 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved13

Violent crime−36%274 /100k → 175 /100k
Overdose deaths−51%61.8 /100k → 30.1 /100k
Uninsured−1.2 points6.5% → 5.2%
Bachelor's++3.9 points17.9% → 21.9%
Arts & recreation+19%3.0 /10k → 3.5 /10k

Declined6

Homicides+252%3.3 /100k → 11.7 /100k
Suicides+26%15.3 /100k → 19.3 /100k
Gyms−21%0.9 /10k → 0.7 /10k
Pharmacies−20%3.0 /10k → 2.3 /10k
Restaurants−6.3%9.8 /10k → 9.2 /10k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Cumberland, MD-WV micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.0 /10k2020	3.5 /10k2025	+19%	Improved	73%
Average commute time	23.6 min2015-2019	24.1 min2020-2024	+0.5 min	Within the margin of error	47%
Average weekly wage	$8542020	$1,0552025	+24%	Improved	53%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.9%2015-2019	21.9%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Improved	76%
Broadband subscriptions	76.4%2015-2019	86.1%2020-2024	+9.7 points	Improved	59%
Child poverty rate	22.2%2015-2019	20.8%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Distance to an airport	86 mi2020	86 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	80%
Drug overdose deaths	61.8 /100k2020	30.1 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−51%	Improved	82%
Effective property tax rate	0.96%2015-2019	0.76%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	74%
Firearm deaths	13.2 /100k2020	12.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−3.4%	Little change	55%
Grocery stores	1.9 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	+6.9%	Improved	72%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.9 /10k2020	0.7 /10k2025	−21%	Declined	18%
High school diploma or higher	90.8%2015-2019	91.5%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Home price to income ratio	2.7×2015-2019	2.6×2020-2024	−0.1×	Within the margin of error	97%
Homicide rate	3.3 /100k2020	11.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+252%	Declined	0%
Income adjusted for local prices	$46,5342019	$57,7812024	+24%	Improved	6%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4322015-2019	0.4512020-2024	+0.019	Within the margin of error	16%
Median household income	$47,3302015-2019	$62,0912020-2024	+31%	Improved	71%
New business applications	4.7 /1k2020	7.0 /1k2025	+49%	Improved	55%
Pharmacies	3.0 /10k2020	2.3 /10k2025	−20%	Declined	19%
Poverty rate	15.7%2015-2019	16.0%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	22%
Property crime rate	1,621 /100k2020	1,205 /100k2025	−26%	Improved	33%
Public libraries	1.0 /10k2019	1.1 /10k2024	+3.9%	Little change	84%
Public transit commuters	0.7%2015-2019	0.5%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	56%
Rent as share of income	29.3%2015-2019	27.4%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Within the margin of error	86%
Rent-burdened households	48.1%2015-2019	44.7%2020-2024	−3.4 points	Within the margin of error	82%
Restaurants and bars	9.8 /10k2020	9.2 /10k2025	−6.3%	Declined	21%
Suicide rate	15.3 /100k2020	19.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+26%	Declined	19%
Traffic deaths	10.5 /100k2015-2019	12.5 /100k2020-2024	+19%	Declined	29%
Unemployment rate	8.0%2020	5.2%2025	−2.8 points	Improved	44%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.5%2015-2019	5.2%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Improved	74%
Violent crime rate	274 /100k2020	175 /100k2025	−36%	Improved	83%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Cumberland, MD-WV micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Cumberland, MD-WV micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Cumberland, MD-WV micropolitan area itself moved −2.3 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

94,306 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

38,502 households (±572)

Cumberland, MD-WV micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k21%7,919
$25k–50k20%7,772
$50k–75k18%7,038

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

38,502 households (±572)

Cumberland, MD-WV micropolitan area
United States share

Own74%28,368
Rent26%10,134

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+2.8 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

37,448 workers (±944)

Cumberland, MD-WV micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone79%29,471
Carpool8.3%3,103
Public transit0.5%†172

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Cumberland, MD-WV micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Cumberland, MD-WV has 1,886 employer establishments, 201 for every 10,000 residents (0.81× the US rate of 248), with 28,215 paid employees at an average annual pay of $45,951. The Census Bureau also counts 5,211 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,886; 5,211 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 201; US 248
Paid employees: 28,215
Average annual pay: $45,951; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Cumberland, MD-WV by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	204	21.7	1.04×About typical	2,624	$75,866	345
Restaurants and other eating places	145	15.4	0.84×About typical	2,867	$18,875	29
Religious organizations	105	11.2	2.02×More than typical	432	$19,113	—
Offices of physicians	87	9.3	1.43×More than typical	1,347	$98,952	41
Specialty trade contractors	78	8.3	0.54×Fewer than typical	695	$63,239	322
Limited-service restaurants	70	7.5	0.93×About typical	1,626	$18,122	6
Full-service restaurants	65	6.9	0.90×About typical	1,167	$19,839	17
Construction of buildings	59	6.3	0.83×About typical	459	$58,176	215
Lessors of real estate	47	5	0.41×Fewer than typical	153	$37,072	446
Banks and credit unions	42	4.5	1.38×More than typical	353	$53,448	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	41	4.4	0.65×Fewer than typical	232	$28,401	306
Automotive repair and maintenance	40	4.3	0.85×About typical	190	$42,584	95

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 93,885 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $209M on contracts performed in Cumberland, MD-WV micropolitan area: $2,232 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $209M; −51% vs FY2025
Per resident: $2,232; US $1,994
Sole-source: 63%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.5%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Navy$116.6M56%
Department of the Army$64.2M31%
Department of the Air Force$16.2M7.7%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$9M4.3%
Defense Contract Management Agency$999.3K0.5%
Departmental Offices$505.4K0.2%
Federal Prison Industries / Unicor$490.4K0.2%
Federal Emergency Management Agency$304K0.1%

Top recipients

NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORP$194.6M93%
AMERICAN CORRECTIONAL HEALTHCARE, INC.$3.7M1.7%
AOD & RBT JV$3.5M1.7%
CH2M HILL, INC$1.3M0.6%
CONSTELLATION NEWENERGY, INC.$1.1M0.5%
KNOBLEY TECHNICAL ASSOCIATES, LLC

Spending by fiscal year

161.4MFY2017
28.6MFY2018
321.5MFY2019
120.7MFY2020
104.8MFY2021
50MFY2022
229.5MFY2023
321.9M

Top industries (NAICS)

Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$185.6M89%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$9M4.3%
General medical and surgical hospitals · 6221$3.7M1.7%
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors · 2381$3.5M1.7%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$1.5M0.7%
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution · 2211

Largest awards

UKRAINE. ABL FACILITY CONSTRUCTION, EQUIPMENT, AND MANAGEMENT$178M
NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORP· Mineral County, WV· Construction & real property· Sep 30, 2023 – Apr 7, 2026· N0002423C5530
FMU-139D/B BOMB, ELECTRONIC FUZE SYSTEM FMS ORDER$69.7M
NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORP· Mineral County, WV· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Jun 2, 2026 – Jun 2, 2026· N0001926F0288
DELIVERY ORDER FOR THE M782A1 MOFA II$63.4M
NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORP· Mineral County, WV· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Jun 10, 2026 – Jun 10, 2026· W519TC26F0132
OP5 ORDER 3 - USN, USAF, USN FMS - FMU 139D/B FUZE SYSTEM, D2 AND D5

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $686.6M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Cumberland, MD-WV micropolitan area: $7,332 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $686.6M; −5.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,332; US $12,955
Loan face value: $17.9M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$387.9M56%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$62.2M9.1%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$52.2M7.6%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$46.9M6.8%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$32.2M4.7%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$25.1M3.7%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$15.2M2.2%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$10.8M1.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$33.4M4.9%
BALTIMORE, MD
STATE OF MD$9.5M1.4%
FROSTBURG, MD
ALLEGANY COLLEGE OF MARYLAND$5.5M0.8%
CUMBERLAND, MD
WVDOT DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS$5M0.7%
CHARLESTON, WV
HOUSING AUTHORITY CITY OF KEYSER$2.7M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$522.1M76%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$60.1M8.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$38.4M5.6%
Department of Transportation
Railroad Retirement Board$32.2M4.7%
Department of Education$12.2M

Assistance by fiscal year

652.8MFY2021
622.2MFY2022
668.8MFY2023
661.9MFY2024
727.4MFY2025
686.6MFY2026

County aggregates

90%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Cumberland, MD-WV

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

States

The share of the area's residents living in each state.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

CumberlandPrincipal city18,804

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Maryland

Areas based in Maryland, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M19060

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Cumberland, MD-WV micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Cumberland, MD-WV

States

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Maryland

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved13

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought