Photo: Jarek Tuszyński · CC BY-SA 3.0Covington spent more per resident in 2022 than 71% of similar cities
Covington’s city government spent $29.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $5,167 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Covington is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$5,451 per resident in 2022: more than 71% of them
Covington’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($5,451 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 34 Virginia cities that run their own schools: the median was $4,692, and the middle half spent $4,188–$5,540. Covington spent more than 71% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.5 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Virginia cities that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Covington itself left out).
About $5,167 per resident a year, or $14.16 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: health & welfare, at 20%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 5% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Covington reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $5,451 · 2023: $4,261 · 2024: $5,167.
full-time in March 2025, down from 233 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $681 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.82% of the home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Covington’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Covington’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Covington →
Who’s in charge in Covington
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Covington’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on covington.va.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 59 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (5,679).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Alleghany Highlands Public Schools
Covington’s K–12 school district, shared with Clifton Forge, Iron Gate. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,721 per pupil, $8,801 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Virginia districts overall: 49% local, 41% state, 10% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Covington voted in 2024
Official results for Covington’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican66.2%1,642 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat33.0%818 votesOthers: 0.8% (20 votes).
Most votes in Covington: Donald J Trump
Covington city: Trump 66.2%, Harris 33.0% · Virginia: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.1%
of Covington’s 4,263 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Virginia: 71%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Covington: Hung Cao
Covington city: Cao 58.0%, Kaine 42.0% · Virginia: Kaine 54.4%, Cao 45.4%
Most votes in the district: Ben L Cline
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Covington, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covington | 66.2% | 33.0% | 0.8% | 2,480 |
| Covington city | 66.2% | 33.0% | 0.8% | 2,480 |
| Virginia | 46.1% | 51.8% | 2.1% | 4,503,288 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Covington.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: covington.va.us ↗
- 2Virginia House of DelegatesState representatives
- 3Virginia SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Virginia
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Covington compares with the towns next door
Covington spent $5,451 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Covington | $5,451 | $681 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Covington’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Covington’s government
How much does Covington spend per resident?
About $5,167 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $5,451 was more than 71% of 34 Virginia cities that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Covington?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $681 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.82% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see covington.va.us.
Who runs Covington’s government?
See covington.va.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Covington yet.
How did Covington vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 66.2%, Kamala D Harris 33.0% (2,480 votes, official results). Covington city: Trump 66.2%, Harris 33.0%. Virginia: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.1%.
How many people work for Covington?
97 full-time and 49 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $500,075 (about $6.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Covington in the state legislature?
State Senate District 3 (Chris Head) and House of Delegates District 37 (Terry Austin). The House of Delegates district also covers 10 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Covington’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →