Cumberland County, Pennsylvania

County Distress Index: Healthy · 34.9 | 270,738 people · 59th most distressed in Pennsylvania
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Cumberland County, PA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 34.9 — 2654th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where housing costs consume a moderate share of household income. Within Pennsylvania, it ranks 59th of 67 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Cumberland County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 61.5 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 61.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 56
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 55
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 75
Homeownership Rate 65
Rent-to-Income Ratio 56
Employment & Wages 47.3
Unemployment Rate 16
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 68
Business Formation Rate 58
Debt & Delinquency 34.0
Debt in Collections 29
Medical Debt 54
Student Loan Delinquency 22
Auto Loan Delinquency 31
Credit Card Delinquency 34
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 35
Community Vulnerability 22.7
Uninsured Rate 22
Disability Rate 23
Income & Poverty 8.8
Poverty Rate 8
Income vs. State Median 10
Child Poverty Rate 8

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Cumberland County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cumberland County
Cumberland County, PA 34.9 Healthy —
Dauphin County, PA 49.3 Normal +14.4
Perry County, PA 48.3 Normal +13.5
Franklin County, PA 45.3 Normal +10.4
Adams County, PA 38.7 Normal +3.9
York County, PA 38.4 Normal +3.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cumberland County
Lake County, IL 34.6 Healthy -0.2
Lancaster County, NE 35.2 Normal +0.4
Harford County, MD 34.4 Healthy -0.4
Western Connecticut Planning Region, CT 35.4 Normal +0.6
Marin County, CA 34.2 Healthy -0.6

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Cumberland County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Cumberland County

Find an Attorney

Pennsylvania Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Pennsylvania Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-932-0311

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Cumberland County residents at no cost.

Community Legal Services of Philadelphia 215-981-3700
MidPenn Legal Services 1-800-326-9177
Neighborhood Legal Services Association 412-255-6700
Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN)
Laurel Legal Services, Inc. (800) 253-9558
Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania (877) 429-5994
North Penn Legal Services, Inc. (877) 953-4250
Northwestern Legal Services (814) 452-6957
Philadelphia Legal Assistance Center (215) 981-3800
Summit Legal Aid (800) 846-0871

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Cumberland County, Pennsylvania?

    Cumberland County has a County Distress Index score of 34.9 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,654th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 59th in Pennsylvania out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cumberland County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cumberland County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 61.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Cumberland County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cumberland County (34.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Dauphin County, PA (49.3); Perry County, PA (48.3); Franklin County, PA (45.3).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Cumberland County?

    Cumberland County, Pennsylvania has a population of approximately 270,738 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.