Covington receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Slidell
Covington
Opportunity
50 · Bottom 38%
vs64 · Top 34%
Growth
41 · Bottom 33%
vs59 · Top 35%
Climate
78 · Top 22%
vs78 · Top 22%
Physical resilience
30 · Bottom 24%
vs29 · Bottom 23%
Housing affordability
87 · Top 39%
vs81 · Top 50%
Schools
75 · Top 21%
vs78 · Top 16%
Access
90 · Bottom 43%
vs79 · Bottom 21%
Economic stability
43 · Bottom 22%
vs47 · Bottom 27%
Measured values
| Metric | Slidell | Covington | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,561 | 11,658 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $70,497 | $75,851 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,749 | $38,867 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,877/sq mi | 1,449/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $217,700 | $295,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,375 | $1,396 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.5% | 69.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.4% | 39.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.7% | 11.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 11 | 38 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 3.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 83.3% | 18.8% | 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 | 20 mi | 35 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.6 min | 30.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.9 | 39.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 20 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.43 | 12.29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 38.5% | 40.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 50.0% | 49.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 56.0% | 51.9% | 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
Slidell
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, inland flooding.
Covington
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Slidell, LA · Covington, LA · How this is calculated: methodology