CumberlandOttawa
Home to 6,139 people, this neighbourhood lies in Ottawa. Ottawa is split into 103 neighbourhoods, and this is one.
Is Cumberland a good place to live?
A strong record with one exception. It is a safe place by the numbers (A+). With an A overall, Cumberland is better than 91% of Canadian towns and ranks #41 of 858 in Ontario. Schools are a strength too (A). The drawback is walkability (C−). At $700,000, the median home value in 2021 came to 4.9 times local household income.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety uses the city's Crime Severity Index, scaled by this neighbourhood's own violent and property crime rates. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.
How Cumberland grades
Each subject compares Cumberland with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Cumberland stand out
The 3 things Cumberland does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cumberland.
Cumberland earns an A+ for safety
Its police area recorded 8 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, below Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12) alike. For violence alone, its police area’s index was 66, below both Ontario’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86). Cumberland doesn’t get its own Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures; the ones here come from the Ottawa service area.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Cumberland | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 8 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 66 | 76 | 86 |
| Crime Severity Index | 55 | 56 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Teaching in French: 12 of Cumberland’s 22 schools
Results lean high: 9 of 16 in the top two fifths in Ontario. Families can pick among four systems here: English or French, public or Catholic. Over three years, results rose at 7 of its 16 tested schools. Also worth knowing: the largest is St Peter High School, with 1,385 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Peter Intermediate School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades 7–8 | Elementary · Grades 7–8 | 725 | English Catholic |
| St Peter High School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,385 | English Catholic |
| École secondaire publique Gisèle-Lalonde FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 840 | French public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Cumberland | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Nearest secondary school | 5.3 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 4 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
For health, Cumberland is ahead of 90% of Canadian towns
A baby born in the region can expect 83.7 years, 85.7 for a girl and 81.6 for a boy (2022/2024). Smoking is rarer than in the province: nearly one in ten adults, against 11% for Ontario, while the survey finds 56% of adults in very good or excellent health, higher than both Ontario’s towns (51%) and Canadian towns (52%). Measured from where Cumberland’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 10 km away, beyond the typical 3.7 km. Behind health survey and life expectancy sits data gathered across the City of Ottawa Health Unit, with Cumberland one part of it.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Cumberland | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 56% | 51% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 83.7 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 8.6% | 10% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
More commuters in Cumberland drive than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 93%
The average trip to work took 28 min, near Ontario’s towns (29 min) and higher than Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Cumberland | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car or van | 93% | 88% | 89% |
| Average trip | 28 min | 29 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.
Cumberland has colder winters than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −16.5°C
Some 185 cm of snow falls in a typical year, above Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm) alike. Between the last spring frost, 26 May, and the first in autumn, 22 September, lie 119 days. January is the snowiest month, with 45 cm on average. June is the wettest month, with 95 mm of rain and snow on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Cumberland | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −16.5°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 179 | 139 | 159 |
| Snowfall a year | 185 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 26.2°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Angers)
Flood mapping exists for Cumberland: 6 on record, latest by Rideau Valley Conservation Authority
The earthquake risk numbers here cover the city of Ottawa
The expected yearly loss to earthquakes is $0.15 for each $1,000 of buildings, higher than both Ontario’s towns ($0.043) and Canadian towns ($0.030). Cumberland’s survey area, 6.2% over the radon guideline, is close to the typical town’s 6.6%.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Cumberland | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.15 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 6.2% | 4% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
30 public protected areas lie within 10 km of Cumberland
6.7% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). For a provincial park, Plaisance National Park (Québec) lies 9.8 km off. Within 100 km there is no national park.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Cumberland | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 30 | 4 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 6.7% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Rent takes less of local pay in Cumberland than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 16% of household income
Source area for rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: the Ottawa-Gatineau metro area
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 11% of households, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). Households that own their home make up 90%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Cumberland | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 11% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 90% | 76% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 16% | 22% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $700,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates.
Visible minorities make up less of Cumberland than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 10%
Those 65 and older account for 20% of residents. 3.5% of residents have an Indigenous identity, above both Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 50.0% of Cumberland
Here the census found 3,070 men and 3,065 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Cumberland | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 64% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 20% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 9.8% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 66% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
In Cumberland, November normally means 5°C afternoons and −4°C nights
Across the year, normals run from −17°C nights in January to 26°C afternoons in July. Then December: −2°C by day, −11°C at night. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 72 mm. About 16 cm of snow falls in a normal November.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −4°C | −14°C | 191 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | −1°C | 223 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 12°C | 275 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 2°C | 249 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Angers); the forecast is on the Weather page
Each person Ottawa public library serves borrows 7.6 items, more than at 91% of Ontario’s town libraries
Cumberland is served by Ottawa public library, the library of all of Ottawa, so the figures here are the city’s, for 1,083,550 people.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Everything we know about Cumberland
Humanics Sanctuary and Sculpture Park and 11 more in and around Cumberland
What there is to see in Cumberland and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
MuseumHumanics Sanctuary and Sculpture Parkin town
MuseumCumberland Township Heritage Museumin townMuseumMuseumCumberland Museum - Washrooms/Canteenin townMuseumMuseumDupuis Housein townMuseumMuseumFire Hall: Reproductionin townMuseumMuseumFoubert House & Officesin townPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Humanics Sanctuary and Sculpture Park: Dmitri Lytov, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cumberland Township Heritage Museum: Fdesjardins, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Cumberland
No notable person born in Cumberland is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Bernard Lonergan: BCLonergan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Claude Lemieux: Y2kcrazyjoker4, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Joseph McCormick: Unknown author, Public domain · Lawrence McCormick: Unknown author, Public domain · Mathieu Carle: Thomas Schlosser from Mannheim, Germany, CC BY 2.0
About Cumberland
Neighbourhood in Ottawa
Cumberland is a neighbourhood of Ottawa, built by TownRatings from Statistics Canada’s smallest census areas and named from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 6,139 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- City
- Ottawa
- Census subdivision
- 3506008
Cumberland’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland | 6,139 | — | A | C+ | A+ | A |
| Bassin-de-la-Lièvre Quebec | 10,571 | 5 | B | B− | B− | B |
| Cardinal Creek | 11,676 | 5.3 | A+ | C+ | A+ | A |
| Fallingbrook | 17,836 | 6.9 | A+ | C | A+ | A |
| Vallée-de-la-Lièvre Quebec | 15,388 | 7.4 | C | C− | B− | B+ |
| Queenswood - Chatelaine | 4,537 | 7.8 | A | D | A+ | A |
| Portobello South | 29,960 | 8.1 | A | C | A | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Cumberland
Do people in Cumberland speak French?
English and French are both spoken by 61% of residents, where the median of Canadian towns is 8%. French alone: 2.1%.
Is Cumberland a young town or an old one?
The typical resident is 46.5 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 20% of the population and under-15s at 16%.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2023–25 (35-10-0026, 35-10-0183 to 35-10-0190) · CMHC rents as published by Statistics Canada (34-10-0133) · grades by TownRatings. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).