Cumberland is a quiet country escape close to city amenities
Some people want to be far away from busy city life, 5 o’clock traffic and loud crowds. Cumberland is a quiet, rural area in Cumberland County with rolling farmland, spacious lots and locally owned businesses where neighbors catch up over a meal. The county’s municipal buildings line U.S. Route 60, where some residents work for the school district or government. “It’s a hub between Richmond and Farmville,” says Baylee Nunnally, a Realtor with Village Concepts Realty Group who has sold many homes in the area. “It’s country living for people who want land and livestock but want to be able to get to work in less than an hour. Cumberland was one of the first places to get broadband internet with Firefly. That was impressive for the area, and now that initiative is moving east.”
Newer Cape Cods and grand farmhouses
Cumberland’s housing is growing as brand-new Cape Cods continue to be built. Nunnally and Shelly Blair, an associate broker at Village Concepts Realty Group, work with a builder who has been constructing homes in Cumberland for years. “He lives locally, and he and his dad have been building since the ‘80s,” Nunnally says. “He likes to make sure the prices are affordable.”
Homes in Cumberland have large enough lots to create a vast distance between neighbors. Properties along Route 60 are often closer to one another than those in the rest of the area. Most homes have ranch-style or simple Cape Cod designs and sell for $215,000 to $485,000, though farmhouses on at least an acre of land have sold for $715,000 to $850,000. Cumberland has high-speed internet access, and properties run on septic tanks and well water systems.
Exploring state parks and the Cumberland County Farmers and Artisans Market
The Cumberland State Forest has over 16,000 acres of land and takes up most of eastern Cumberland. Hikers trekking along the trails might pass rock piles left by farmers who lived in the area over a century ago. Bear Creek Lake State Park is a popular spot to fish and swim, and the nearby Bear Creek Market sells fishing supplies, drinks and snacks. Anyone who prefers quiet time indoors might hang out at the Cumberland County Public Library.
Every third Sunday of the month, residents visit the Cumberland Community Center for the Cumberland County Farmers and Artisans Market. Visitors shop locally grown produce, buy handmade items and order from food trucks. The center received grant funds to improve the farmers market building and seek historic designation, showing just how vital the event and space are to the area.
Dining down Route 60 and picking up local produce
Route 60 cuts across Cumberland, creating a 52-mile path east to Richmond for a trip that takes about an hour. Some residents drive 60 miles north on Route 15 to Charlottesville. Most commuters head south to Farmville using Cumberland Road for work or to find more restaurants and shops. There are churches spread out through the Cumberland area, though many are along Route 60, like Scottsville Presbyterian Church. Blackstone Area Buses run in the mornings and afternoons from Monday through Thursday. There are stops near the Cumberland Library and the Cumberland Courthouse, and the buses reach the Food Lion in Dillwyn and Longwood Visual Arts in Farmville.
Learning close to home in Cumberland County schools
Cumberland County Elementary School gets a C-plus from Niche and serves prekindergarten through fourth grade. The C-rated Cumberland Middle School feeds into the B-rated Cumberland High School, where kids might participate in Future Farmers of America or athletics. The first track and field Cumberland County Invitational was held on Cumberland High’s brand-new track in 2025.
Exploring state parks and the Cumberland County Farmers and Artisans Market
Nunnally says Cumberland’s stores and restaurants along Route 60 are mainly mom-and-pop shops. Cumberland Restaurant is a classic diner with a menu full of southern comfort food, while Vito's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria is a relaxed sit-down restaurant. The Cumberland Coffee Co. turned an old bank into a destination for coffee, energy drinks and locally made trinkets. There's a Dollar General Market and a Family Dollar across the street, while Sunnyside Farms sells fresh local produce.
