Homes for Sale in Cumberland, RI

A Blackstone Valley town of distinct villages, Diamond Hill, and a former Trappist monastery turned town hall

Cumberland is a town of roughly 36,400 in northern Rhode Island, set in the lower Blackstone Valley about 13 miles north of downtown Providence. It was incorporated in 1746 and is organized around a set of historic villages including Valley Falls, Ashton, Berkeley, Diamond Hill, Arnold Mills, and Cumberland Hill.

About Cumberland

Cumberland is a town in Providence County in northern Rhode Island, incorporated in 1746 and recorded at 36,405 residents in the 2020 Census, which makes it the seventh-largest municipality and the largest town in the state. It sits in the lower Blackstone Valley, bordered to the north by the Massachusetts towns of Wrentham, Plainville, Attleboro, and North Attleborough, to the south by Lincoln and Central Falls, and to the east by the Blackstone River and the city of Pawtucket.

The town is organized as a set of historic villages rather than a single downtown. Valley Falls and Cumberland Hill are recognized as census-designated places, and Ashton, Berkeley, Diamond Hill, and Arnold Mills function as their own village centers. Diamond Hill, in the northeastern corner of the town, is a 481-foot quartz outcropping that once hosted two ski operations and is now a 373-acre town park used for hiking, athletic fields, and picnics. The former Cumberland Monastery, the Trappist Abbey of Our Lady of the Valley, was partially destroyed by fire in 1950 and sold to the town; part of the building was converted into the Edward J. Hayden Library in 1976, and the surrounding grounds now host town offices and trails.

Public school students in Cumberland attend Cumberland Public Schools, which operates Cumberland High School, two middle schools (North Cumberland Middle and Joseph L. McCourt Middle), and a set of K–5 elementary schools across the villages. The town is bisected by I-295 and crossed by Route 114, putting downtown Providence about 13 miles south and Boston roughly 40 miles to the northeast. RIPTA serves Cumberland with the 54 between Lincoln and Woonsocket and the 71 along Broad Street, and the nearest commuter rail is the MBTA's Pawtucket / Central Falls station, immediately south of the town line.

Demographics

Population
36,405(2020)
Median age
44(2020)
Median household income
$118,642(2020)
Walk Score
27 (Car-Dependent)(2026)

Schools in Cumberland

Public Schools

Cumberland High School

9–12

The town's comprehensive public high school, operated by Cumberland Public Schools.

North Cumberland Middle School

6–8

Public middle school serving the northern half of Cumberland.

Joseph L. McCourt Middle School

6–8

Public middle school serving the southern half of Cumberland.

Ashton Elementary School

K–5

Cumberland Public Schools elementary in the Ashton village.

B.F. Norton Elementary School

K–5

Cumberland Public Schools elementary in the Valley Falls section.

Garvin Memorial Elementary School

K–5

Cumberland Public Schools elementary serving the central part of town.

Living in Cumberland

Cumberland combines a Blackstone River industrial corridor along its western edge with rural uplands to the north and east. Daily life is anchored by Diamond Hill, the town's largest park, and by a string of village centers — Valley Falls, Ashton, Berkeley, Arnold Mills, and Cumberland Hill — that each retain their own commercial spine.

Common Questions About Cumberland

What are the named villages within Cumberland?

Cumberland is commonly described as comprising several villages including Valley Falls, Ashton, Berkeley, Diamond Hill, Arnold Mills, and Cumberland Hill. Cumberland Hill and Valley Falls are recognized as census-designated places.

Source: Wikipedia — Cumberland, Rhode Island

Which school district serves Cumberland?

Public school students in the town attend Cumberland Public Schools, which operates Cumberland High School, two middle schools (North Cumberland Middle and Joseph L. McCourt Middle), and a set of K–5 elementary schools including Ashton, B.F. Norton, Community, Garvin Memorial, and JJM Cumberland Hill.

Source: Cumberland Public Schools

What is Diamond Hill?

Diamond Hill is a 481-foot quartz outcropping in the northeastern part of town. It hosted two small ski operations in the twentieth century — Ski Valley (1939 to 1981) and Diamond Hill Reservation (mid-1960s to mid-1980s) — and is now a 373-acre town park with hiking trails and athletic fields, conveyed from the State to the town in 1997.

Source: Wikipedia — Diamond Hill, Rhode Island

What is the Cumberland Monastery?

The Abbey of Our Lady of the Valley was a Trappist monastery in Cumberland; part of the complex was destroyed by fire in 1950. The Trappists sold the property to the town, and part of the building was converted into the Edward J. Hayden Library, also known as the Cumberland Public Library, in 1976. The surrounding grounds host town offices and trails.

Source: Wikipedia — Cumberland, Rhode Island

How far is Cumberland from Providence and Boston?

Downtown Providence is roughly 13 miles south of Cumberland by way of I-95 or Route 114. Boston sits roughly 40 miles to the northeast, accessible via I-295 and I-95. The closest commuter-rail option is the Pawtucket / Central Falls MBTA station, immediately south of Cumberland in Pawtucket.

Source: Wikipedia — Cumberland, Rhode Island

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