Buying Land in Cumberland County, Virginia

A rural county with a distinctive Revolutionary history

Cumberland County sits near the geographic center of Virginia, created in 1749 from part of Goochland County and named for Prince William Augustus, the Duke of Cumberland. The county holds a genuinely distinctive place in Virginia history: in April 1776, Cumberland became the first Virginia county to formally call for independence from Great Britain, ahead of the state's own declaration. With a 2020 Census population of 9,675 (a 2025 estimate of roughly 10,352), Cumberland remains a rural county with a real agricultural economy, though county-referenced reporting describes farmers there facing increased pressure from urban encroachment and rural housing developments as growth radiates outward from Richmond.

Zoning, subdivision review, and a 2022 land-use ordinance revision

The Cumberland Planning and Zoning Department administers the county's subdivision and zoning ordinances, including review and approval of subdivision plats, site plans, rezoning applications, conditional use permits, and variance requests. The county's land-use assessment ordinance -- Virginia's statewide use-value taxation program as adopted locally -- was originally effective January 1, 2000, and was revised effective January 1, 2022 specifically to exclude forestry as a permitted use under the program.

That 2022 revision matters directly for anyone evaluating forested acreage in Cumberland for its tax treatment: land that might once have qualified for use-value assessment as forestland may no longer be eligible under the current ordinance. Confirm current land-use taxation eligibility for any specific parcel -- forested or otherwise -- directly with the county's Commissioner of the Revenue before assuming a lower use-value tax bill applies, since converting a non-qualifying use after purchase, or discovering a parcel no longer qualifies, can carry real tax consequences.

Septic, well, and a recently relocated health department

Cumberland County is served by the Piedmont Health District for septic and well permitting, consistent with Virginia's statewide, state-run model. As of a July 2025 VDH announcement, however, the Cumberland County Health Department's own office at 15 Foster Road temporarily relocated its clinical and administrative operations -- including septic system and well permit applications -- to the Prince Edward County Health Department (111 N South St., Farmville) after its lease at the Foster Road property ended. This page cannot confirm whether that relocation remains in effect or whether a new Cumberland-specific office has since opened; confirm the current filing location and process directly with VDH before submitting any septic or well application for a Cumberland parcel.