Erlanger and Covington receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Erlanger
Covington
Opportunity
60 · Top 43%
vs55 · Bottom 48%
Growth
65 · Top 24%
vs75 · Top 10%
Climate
69 · Bottom 45%
vs69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 25%
vs78 · Top 26%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs95 · Top 19%
Schools
19 · Bottom 10%
vs23 · Bottom 15%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
62 · Top 46%
vs44 · Bottom 23%
Measured values
| Metric | Erlanger | Covington | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,875 | 41,110 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,840 | $61,166 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,170 | $37,216 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,369/sq mi | 3,123/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $209,000 | $187,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $970 | $1,006 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.3% | 51.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.2% | -0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.1% | 32.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.7% | 20.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 40 | 242 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.0 | 5.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 17.6% | 84.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 23°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.3" | 43.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 4 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.3 min | 23.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.0 | 37.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.31 | 13.90 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 23.3% | 20.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 32.4% | 36.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 89.6% | 80.0% | 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
Erlanger
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Covington
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Erlanger, KY · Covington, KY · How this is calculated: methodology