Covington, VA

Census place 5119728 · pop 5,680

D−42/ 100
🫤 Rough
F
in VA
📍 Virginia ranks #14 of 50 states →
🏆 Disaster1/100 · top 1%
🚽 Education9.5% · bottom 2%
Taxes
0.82% property · US 0.99%5.77% sales · US 7.00%up to 5.75% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Bachelor's degree or higher9.5%2

U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities

9.5% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Median household income$41,9444

U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities

$41,944 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Adult smoking20.3%5

U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities

20.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Broadband access82.3%6

U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities

82.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Poverty rate25.7%7

U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities

25.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Physical inactivity33.3%14

U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities

33.3% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Poor mental health19.7%14

U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities

19.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Adult obesity41.1%14

U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities

41.1% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Unemployment rateCounty-level4.2%30

U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities

4.2% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Uninsured adults10.9%38

U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities

10.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Population growth (5yr)+1.5%40

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

+1.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Property-tax burden0.82%62

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.82% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Homeownership70.1%67

U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities

70.1% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Income inequality0.4075

U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities

Gini 0.40 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Commute time17 min90

U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities

17 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Housing cost$83,50099

U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities

$83,500 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level1/100100

U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities

1/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Not measured for Covington: Crime, Air, Bad air, Property crime, Rent. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.

Frequently asked

Is Covington, VA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Covington scores 42/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 17 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is natural disaster risk and its weakest is bachelor's degree or higher. Virginia overall ranks #14 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
Is Covington, VA expensive to live in?
Covington has a median home value of $83,500 — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Covington, VA?
Its weakest measured area is bachelor's degree or higher (9.5%) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Covington, VA best at?
Its strongest measured area is natural disaster risk (1/100) — 100/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.