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)
Getting Around
To Downtown: About 13 miles north of downtown Providence; bordered to the north by Massachusetts and bisected by I-295
- RIPTA Route 54 — Lincoln / Woonsocket (passes through Cumberland along Mendon Road and Diamond Hill Road)
- RIPTA Route 71 — Broad Street / Cumberland
- I-295 and Route 114 — primary north-south road connections through the town
- MBTA Commuter Rail — Pawtucket / Central Falls station (nearest commuter rail, immediately south of Cumberland)
Schools in Cumberland
Public Schools
Cumberland High School
9–12The town's comprehensive public high school, operated by Cumberland Public Schools.
Garvin Memorial Elementary School
K–5Cumberland 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.
Diamond Hill State Park
Town Park / Former Ski Area
373-acre town park on a 481-foot quartz outcropping. Former site of the Ski Valley and Diamond Hill Reservation ski areas. Now hiking trails, athletic fields, and the starting point of the Warner Trail.
Cumberland Monastery & Library
Historic Site
Former Trappist Abbey of Our Lady of the Valley, partially destroyed by fire in 1950. The Trappists sold the property to the town; part of the building became the Edward J. Hayden Library (Cumberland Public Library) in 1976 and the grounds now host town offices and trails.
Blackstone River Bikeway
Rail-Trail
Paved multi-use path running along the Blackstone River, with segments through Cumberland connecting Lincoln, Cumberland, and Woonsocket.
Mowry Conservation Area
Conservation Land
Town conservation parcel with hiking trails, ponds, and woodlands in the northern part of Cumberland.
Sneech Pond
Pond / Recreation
Pond in the Arnold Mills area used for fishing and passive recreation.
Arnold Mills
Historic Village
Northeastern village along the Abbott Run, host to Cumberland's annual Fourth of July parade and footrace.
Valley Falls Heritage Park
Historic Site
Park preserving the foundations of the Valley Falls Company textile mill on the Blackstone River, in the Valley Falls village.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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