What it's like to live in Covington
Covington is a small city in Louisiana with home prices that remain within reach, air quality that stays clean most of the year, a highly educated workforce, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Covington deals with crime rates above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, very rainy, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Crime above national average
- Above-average commute times
- Very rainy — 63" of rain per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
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
$2,792
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $55,840 a year
- 45% of Covington renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$59,020
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $29,510
- Homes cost 3.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,396/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,396 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $295,100. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $295,100 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in St. Tammany Parish is 3.9%, 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.
St. Tammany Parish (county-wide)
Safety▲ 32% above US
435 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 956/100k · Covington Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.3 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 90°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 42°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
39% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 39% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below 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 New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park (36 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Covington's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are crime rates above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,396/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Covington
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