What it's like to live in Covington
Covington is a small city in Georgia with rent below the national average, a population that has grown fast since 2020, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Covington deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, long average commutes, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Long commutes
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
- Above-average rainfall
How Covington compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Covington
Based on Covington's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,382
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $47,640 a year
- 54% of Covington renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$60,380
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $30,190
- Homes cost 5.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 16% below US
$1,191/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,191 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $301,900. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $301,900 · 54% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.1% county unemployment
Unemployment in Newton County is 4.1%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Newton County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 21% above US
398 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 3222/100k · Covington Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 40% above US
37 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 36.5 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 16% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 88°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 35°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 24% below US
27% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 27%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
2 public schools inside the boundary
There are 2 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park (32 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Covington's strongest points are rent below the national average and a population that has grown fast since 2020; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,191/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes.
Other places near Covington
All Georgia guides →Moving to Loganville →
16 mi away · pop. 15,527
Rent $2,018/mo · Income $83,605
Compare with Covington →Moving to Stonecrest →
18 mi away · pop. 60,501
Rent $1,601/mo · Income $64,591
Compare with Covington →Not sure Covington is the one?
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