Covington receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Covington
Slidell
Opportunity
64 · Top 34%
vs50 · Bottom 38%
Growth
59 · Top 35%
vs41 · Bottom 33%
Climate
78 · Top 22%
vs78 · Top 22%
Physical resilience
29 · Bottom 23%
vs30 · Bottom 24%
Housing affordability
81 · Top 50%
vs87 · Top 39%
Schools
78 · Top 16%
vs75 · Top 21%
Access
79 · Bottom 21%
vs90 · Bottom 43%
Economic stability
47 · Bottom 27%
vs43 · Bottom 22%
Measured values
| Metric | Covington | Slidell | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,658 | 28,561 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,851 | $70,497 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,867 | $34,749 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,449/sq mi | 1,877/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $295,100 | $217,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,396 | $1,375 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.7% | 68.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 5.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.4% | 31.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.7% | 15.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 38 | 11 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.3 | 0.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 18.8% | 83.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 61.9" | 61.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 35 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.7 min | 30.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.0 | 38.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 20 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.29 | 13.43 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 40.8% | 38.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 49.6% | 50.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 51.9% | 56.0% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Covington
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, inland flooding.
Slidell
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Covington, LA · Slidell, LA · How this is calculated: methodology