Jobs, pay and daily life in Covington, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Covington is a city in Kentucky with 41,110 residents. The median household earns $61,166 a year and the median rent is $1,006 a month, which is 19.7% of the median household income. It is part of the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metropolitan area, where BLS counts 1,101,030 jobs.
How Covington compares. Among the 80 largest places in Kentucky, Covington is #5 by population, #16 for remote work (#1 = most), #59 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #26 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Kenton County, is #4 of 120 counties for average pay ($71,985).
Covington has 41,110 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.9% of the population of Kentucky. It covers 13 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 3,123 people per square mile. The median age is 37.6, 4% younger than the state median (37.6 against 39.1).
The median gross rent is $1,006 a month (rent plus utilities), 4% above the state median ($1,006 against $967). Over a year that is 19.7% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $187,300, which is 3.1 times the median household income ($61,166); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 51.8% of households own their home, 24% below the state average (51.8% against 68.3%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metropolitan area has 1,101,030 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $50,170 a year, about the same as the national median ($50,170 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (125,530 jobs, median $47,400); transportation and material moving (107,750 jobs, median $44,200); food preparation and serving related (105,450 jobs, median $32,230). The area is most specialised in architecture and engineering (1.3 times) and production (1.2 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($116,460) and computer and mathematical ($101,210). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Kenton County was 3.9%. 67.3% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Kenton County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 71.5% drive alone, 2.6% use public transit, 3.1% walk, 14.1% work from home. 7.3% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 42% below the state average (7.3% against 12.5%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
32.2% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 17% above the state share (32.2% against 27.6%). 5.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 9% above the state share (5.1% against 4.7%). The poverty rate is 20.8%, 30% above the state rate (20.8% against 16.1%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 76°F (24.4°C), and the coolest is Jan at 30°F (-1.0°C). About 1,117 mm (44 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (118 mm) and Jan the driest (73 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Fort Wright (1 miles, rent 14% higher); Fort Mitchell (2 miles, rent 3% higher); Taylor Mill (2 miles, rent 13% higher); Edgewood (3 miles, rent 7% higher). Rent differences are against Covington; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Kentucky (288) →State guide: KentuckyCountry guideKenton CountyKentucky rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 288 federal postings open in Kentucky (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Kentucky →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 30,950 | 1.13 | $29,720 | $23,590 | $35,240 | -5% |
| General and Operations Managers | 29,330 | 1.18 | $100,670 | $49,550 | $222,520 | -5% |
| Retail Salespersons | 28,670 | 1.04 | $30,810 | $25,300 | $46,350 | -13% |
| Registered Nurses | 28,520 | 1.19 | $83,650 | $67,820 | $107,190 | -14% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 26,870 | 1.34 | $37,810 | $29,680 | $57,620 | +1% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 22,910 | 1.10 | $40,240 | $31,690 | $50,530 | +0% |
| Cashiers | 19,580 | 0.90 | $29,170 | $24,560 | $37,110 | -11% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 19,410 | 1.06 | $46,470 | $31,600 | $64,410 | +4% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 17,790 | 1.11 | $36,530 | $23,280 | $74,040 | +4% |
| Office Clerks, General | 16,750 | 0.96 | $44,640 | $28,980 | $64,570 | -1% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 16,470 | 0.54 | $35,210 | $29,020 | $45,890 | -2% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 13,820 | 0.95 | $60,590 | $45,920 | $81,620 | +3% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 13,560 | 0.87 | $36,030 | $28,840 | $48,530 | -2% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 12,360 | 1.41 | $75,950 | $41,370 | $154,960 | +5% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 12,140 | 1.12 | $56,830 | $36,340 | $77,390 | +15% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 11,940 | 1.20 | $44,440 | $33,010 | $57,960 | -0% |
| Nursing Assistants | 11,390 | 1.11 | $40,350 | $37,300 | $47,180 | -5% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 10,810 | 1.08 | $36,030 | $27,250 | $44,880 | -4% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 10,240 | 1.18 | $38,370 | $31,840 | $61,760 | -13% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 10,050 | 0.98 | $80,640 | $57,740 | $132,680 | -4% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 3,330 | 4.54 | $350,950 | $182,780 | $463,830 | +51% |
| Physicians, All Other | 3,180 | 1.31 | $315,630 | $72,620 | $542,120 | +19% |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 670 | 1.82 | $221,170 | $174,420 | $315,140 | -7% |
| Chief Executives | 980 | 0.68 | $207,170 | $80,430 | $535,860 | -3% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 2,950 | 1.89 | $177,160 | $132,700 | $276,990 | +3% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 3,920 | 0.83 | $169,530 | $104,560 | $281,130 | -3% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 520 | 0.68 | $164,300 | $88,880 | $250,000 | -2% |
| Financial Managers | 6,340 | 1.06 | $152,700 | $93,210 | $293,320 | -8% |
| Purchasing Managers | 1,070 | 1.79 | $150,190 | $98,590 | $219,530 | +1% |
| Marketing Managers | 2,730 | 0.98 | $145,770 | $81,070 | $263,930 | -13% |
| Pharmacists | 2,380 | 1.04 | $140,200 | $102,600 | $169,790 | -1% |
| Sales Managers | 5,180 | 1.15 | $138,790 | $77,210 | $267,180 | -6% |
| Managers, All Other | 1,680 | 0.38 | $137,850 | $69,490 | $213,170 | -3% |
| Computer Network Architects | 1,170 | 0.92 | $133,000 | $83,500 | $183,610 | -1% |
| Human Resources Managers | 1,920 | 1.23 | $132,070 | $81,440 | $223,940 | -12% |
| Lawyers | 3,870 | 0.72 | $130,980 | $72,660 | $280,430 | -18% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 2,820 | 1.23 | $128,700 | $89,710 | $162,510 | -3% |
| Physician Assistants | 920 | 0.80 | $128,520 | $68,300 | $179,120 | -5% |
| Veterinarians | 650 | 1.09 | $127,670 | $57,870 | $209,000 | -2% |
| Engineers, All Other | 2,100 | 1.92 | $127,150 | $75,410 | $171,840 | +3% |
These figures are for the whole Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $50,170 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.6% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 19.3% |
| Retail trade | 13.4% |
| Manufacturing | 12.1% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 11.9% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.3% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 8.8% |
| Construction | 7.2% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.3% |
| Other services | 3.9% |
| Public administration | 3.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.8% |
| Information | 1.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.6% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Covington lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenton County | 171,288 | $12,391 million | $72,342 | 74,672 | 5,970 | $71,985 | +2.3% | 3.9% | 93,823 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 12,656 | 19.3% | $75,434 | 1.18 |
| Accommodation and food services | 7,759 | 11.8% | $25,797 | 1.14 |
| Manufacturing | 7,093 | 10.8% | $90,663 | 1.16 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 5,956 | 9.1% | $88,668 | 1.88 |
| Retail trade | 5,825 | 8.9% | $37,538 | 0.78 |
| Professional and technical services | 4,491 | 6.8% | $102,597 | 0.86 |
| Finance and insurance | 4,005 | 6.1% | $110,455 | 1.32 |
| Construction | 3,440 | 5.2% | $82,615 | 0.88 |
| Administrative and waste services | 3,385 | 5.2% | $49,288 | 0.77 |
| Management of companies | 3,020 | 4.6% | $125,849 | 2.40 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,334 | 3.6% | $102,492 | 0.79 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 2,107 | 3.2% | $44,710 | 0.94 |
| Real estate and rental | 1,013 | 1.5% | $63,252 | 0.87 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 978 | 1.5% | $18,795 | 0.78 |
| Educational services | 828 | 1.3% | $32,747 | 0.54 |
| Information | 611 | 0.9% | $94,361 | 0.44 |
| Utilities | 127 | 0.2% | $116,368 | 0.45 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 71.5% |
| Public transit | 2.6% |
| Walk | 3.1% |
| Work from home | 14.1% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 7.3% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,166 |
| Income per person | $37,216 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,006 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 19.7% |
| Median home value | $187,300 |
| Homeowners | 51.8% |
| Poverty rate | 20.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 95.4 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $50,170 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 3.50%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 37.6 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 88.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 32.2% |
| Born abroad | 5.1% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 67.3% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -1.0 | 30 | 73 |
| Feb | 0.1 | 32 | 77 |
| Mar | 5.7 | 42 | 101 |
| Apr | 12.2 | 54 | 111 |
| May | 17.7 | 64 | 118 |
| Jun | 22.2 | 72 | 106 |
| Jul | 24.4 | 76 | 105 |
| Aug | 24.1 | 75 | 79 |
| Sep | 20.4 | 69 | 82 |
| Oct | 13.3 | 56 | 92 |
| Nov | 6.4 | 44 | 81 |
| Dec | 1.3 | 34 | 92 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Wright | KY | 1 mi | 5,887 | $105,024 | $1,142 |
| Fort Mitchell | KY | 2 mi | 8,713 | $86,310 | $1,039 |
| Taylor Mill | KY | 2 mi | 6,937 | $88,546 | $1,139 |
| Edgewood | KY | 3 mi | 8,447 | $119,028 | $1,073 |
| Highland Heights | KY | 3 mi | 6,444 | $53,275 | $1,144 |
| Newport | KY | 4 mi | 13,967 | $60,853 | $1,087 |
| Erlanger | KY | 4 mi | 19,875 | $75,840 | $970 |
| Fort Thomas | KY | 5 mi | 17,169 | $104,350 | $1,126 |
| Villa Hills | KY | 5 mi | 7,480 | $107,859 | $1,412 |
| Cold Spring | KY | 5 mi | 6,341 | $75,000 | $1,191 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
41,110 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,006 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 19.7% of the median household income.
$61,166 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.9% (BLS county, Kenton County (latest month 2026M09)).
Kentucky. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.