Back to list March 28, 2016 Cumberland County outpacing peers with 4.6 percent population growth Sorry, Dauphin County and the 65 other counties in the commonwealth not named Cumberland. U.S. Census Bureau data says that Cumberland County remains the fastest-growing county in Pennsylvania. Between April 1, 2010, and July 1, 2015, Cumberland County’s population rose by 4.6 percent. There are now nearly 250,000 people in Cumberland County. The population in Cumberland County grew twice as fast as in Dauphin County over that five-year span. “What’s really increased is the amount of multifamily (properties),” said Jeff Kelly, deputy planning director for Cumberland County. There have been 598 multifamily units proposed so far this year between projects in Hampden and Upper Allen townships, he said. There were 465 multifamily units proposed in all of 2015, according to the county planning office’s annual report. The number of proposed residential dwellings last year topped the number of building permits — the first time that has happened since 2008, Kelly said. “I think it shows more confidence in the housing market.” Commercial and industrial activity also has bounced back well from the recession, according to the county planning office. The Route 114 corridor in Silver Spring Township, the strongest municipality in the county for residential activity, has been seeing steady interest on the nonresidential side. Deloitte announced a move to that part of the township late last year. And local officials are expecting greater interest in additional office users, as well as hospitality companies and restaurants. Read the entire article from the Central Penn Business Journal here.
