Atlanta receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Covington
Atlanta
Opportunity
66 · Top 29%
vs81 · Top 6%
Growth
62 · Top 29%
vs65 · Top 24%
Climate
79 · Top 19%
vs74 · Top 32%
Physical resilience
70 · Top 35%
vs83 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
62 · Bottom 23%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Schools
40 · Bottom 36%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Access
76 · Bottom 17%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
42 · Bottom 20%
vs51 · Bottom 33%
Measured values
| Metric | Covington | Atlanta | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,584 | 505,268 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $58,810 | $85,652 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,109 | $65,718 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 921/sq mi | 3,734/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $301,900 | $439,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,191 | $1,711 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 48.6% | 46.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.3% | 1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.2% | 59.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.4% | 16.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 98 | 5,975 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.7 | 11.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -77.8% | -16.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 89°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 50.5" | 48.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 34 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 36.1 min | 28.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.8 | 34.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 90 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.15 | 12.53 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 26.1% | 24.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 34.5% | 31.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 84.4% | 72.5% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: Covington, GA · Atlanta, GA · How this is calculated: methodology