[2] Cumberland County is part of the Fayetteville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

It was named for Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland (1721–1765), captain-general of the British army and victorious commander at the Battle of Culloden.

Cumberland County is a member of the regional Mid-Carolina Council of Governments.

Cumberland County is home to Fayetteville State University (an HBCU in the CIAA Conference), Methodist University (a member of the USA South Athletic Conference), and Fayetteville Technical Community College.

The Cumberland County Schools district serves most areas for grades PK-12.

Smith, Fuller Performance Learning Center, Gray's Creek, Howard Health and Life Sciences, Jack Britt, Massey Hill Classical, Pine Forest, Reid Ross Classical, Seventy-First, South View, Terry Sanford, Alger B. Wilkins, Ramsey Street, and Westover.

[25] Its mission statement is “The library opens windows to the world by encouraging expression, enlightenment, and exploration”.

[30] Some of the current services offered by the branch libraries include children's, young adult, and adult programming, genealogy and local history, homeschooling resources, and homework help for students.

Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center offers patrons access to free downloads for audiobooks, ebooks, magazines, videos, and resources for education purposes.

The library branches also offer computer training courses/classes, as well as story times, and opportunities for people or groups in the community to reserve spaces for meetings and programs.

[31] An October 2023 study released by Americans for the Arts, (AFTA)[32] found that nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Fayetteville and Cumberland County created $72.2 million in total economic activity in 2022, supported over 1100 jobs, provided $44.1 million in personal income to residents and generated $9.5 million in local, state and federal tax revenue.