Does anyone live in Cumberland County PA? Or know about it?
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Anonymous
| Looking for some information or feedback on living in Cumberland County PA. We are simple quiet couple who like parks and hikes, school system doesn't matter, we cook at home so less restaurants to eat out at won't faze us. What else can you tell me about life there? How cold are the winters/snowy? How is the real estate market there? Feedback please and thanks! |
Anonymous
| Do you have commutes to consider, or do you WFH or retired? |
Anonymous
No commutes to worry about. |
Anonymous
| I haven't see too many PA people post here, I'm sure there are some but don't see many. |
Anonymous
|
Cumberland County is a great place. It is the fastest growing county in PA.
We had a very nice year there for a one-year assignment in Carlisle and it was bittersweet coming back "home" inside the beltway. The county offers a wide range of living options from the West Shore of the Susquehanna directly across from Harrisburg; to Carlisle, the County Seat and College Town, to the increasing commercial sprawl of Mechanicsburg. Great location and just a few hours' drive to so much. |
Anonymous
| I grew up there and go back frequently to visit family. What part of the county are you considering? The eastern part of the county is much more dense population-wise. There's definitely more traffic now than there used to be, but nothing like the DC area. The western part of the county is rural, very pretty, and very quiet. There's also a political divide in the county, with the eastern half going for Biden in 2020 and the western half being red (except for the Dickinson affiliates). You might like the Boiling Springs area if you like to hike as the AT goes right through the town. There are also several state parks nearby. Dickinson College in Carlisle brings some culture to the town, as does Shippensburg University to Shippensburg. The winters are slightly colder than DC. In recent years there's been barely any snow, although a few decades ago there was snow on the ground much of the winter. If you're older and healthcare is a concern, there are several good hospitals, including Hershey Med in Dauphin county. Real estate is much cheaper than the DC area. |
Anonymous
| PP here. Forgot to mention several parks in the area that are nice for hiking: Pine Grove Furnace, Pinchot Park, King's Gap, Little Buffalo are all there. Plus others if you drive a bit farther. And the Appalachian Trail runs through Cumberland County. It's really a very pretty area. |
Anonymous
Thank you for your reply. Are the people there nicer than here? Do they drive like their goal is to murder everyone or are they more calm and laidback? Carlisle is more urban then say Camp Hill or mechanicsburg pa correct? Mechanicsburg pa is quite busy I think. |
Anonymous
Thank you for writing back! I'm looking for a more laid back calm area. I think Camp Hill might be nice not sure though, Mechanicsburg might be very busy and Carlisle more urban as well am I correct here? Boiling Springs is pretty rural I think, further away from Grocery stores am I right? Someone between busy chaos and super rural is what I'm looking for. Thanks again! |
Anonymous
Great thank you! How would you compare to NOVA? |
Anonymous
Neither have I! Maybe PA is just for driving through! |
Anonymous
| I wouldn't describe Carlisle as urban. It's a historic town with a small college. Outside the downtown there's some strip mall sprawl, but a few miles away there's still a lot of farmland. Boiling Springs has a grocery store (plus a couple of restaurants and small shops). Camp Hill has some beautiful oldish homes and the area around it is more built up; it's also just a few minutes to drive into Harrisburg from there. I'm not sure I would say the people in central PA are nicer, but there are in general less uptight and less likely to think they live in the center of the universe than people in DC. |
Anonymous
| I lived there as a teenager. It is a total backwater and very bland. The trails are just ok, pretty but nothing special. Mechanicsburg is not urban or chaotic in any way; it just has more box stores than Camp Hill. Carlisle is a large-ish town, not urban either. Harrisburg is culturally dead. |
Anonymous
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Carlisle has a lot of charm. Crime used to be a problem there years ago, somewhat surprisingly. I don’t know if it is better or worse now.
There always seem like a lot of motorcyclists when I drive out that way. The area is a mix of suburban and rural. Mechanicsburg is more affluent. |
Anonymous
| Where is the richest most affluent area/section of central pa? Where do most people want to live? |