Covington, Virginia

Covington is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia, located at the confluence of Jackson River and Dunlap Creek. It is in Alleghany County where it is also the county seat. The population was 5,957 in 2009. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Covington with Alleghany county for statistical purposes. Covington is one of three cities (with Roanoke and Salem) in the Roanoke Regional Partnership.

The current mayor of Covington is Robert Bennett. The city's media and news needs are served by The Virginian Review newspaper, which has been continuously published since August 10, 1914, and by AM radio station WKEY.

Fire protection is provided by the Covington Fire Department, which was chartered on March 4, 1902. The Covington Rescue Squad provides emergency medical services to the city of Covington. Both the fire department and rescue squad are volunteer organizations. The rescue squad was organized in 1933 and is the third oldest volunteer rescue squad in Virginia.

Covington is named in honor of General Leonard Covington, hero of the War of 1812 and friend of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. The city has a rich history and heritage and today forms the principal center of population in the region.

Economy and Transportation
Covington's economy is dominated by MeadWestvaco, which has been operating in the city since 1890. The facility employs about 1300 workers, mostly from Covington and Alleghany County. Its production includes bleached paper and paperboard for packaging, and is the second largest on the East Coast. Covington has a team in the Valley Baseball League called the Lumberjacks. The area is serviced by Interstate 64 (east-west) and Route 220 (north-south) offering rail, truck and interstate access to the area. Also, rail passenger service is provided at the Amtrak station in Clifton Forge, VA 12 miles away. Both Alleghany County, VA and Covington City are known for the low cost of their housing markets and close proximity to The Homestead in Bath County (VA), Lexington (VA), The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs (WV), Lewisburg (WV), and Roanoke (VA), a 45 minute drive in any direction.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.7 square miles (14.7 km²), all of it land. The city lies along both sides of the Jackson River.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,303 people, 2,835 households, and 1,740 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,111.3 people per square mile (429.2/km²). The population of Covington peaked at around 11,000 in 1960, and declined in the following decades with the loss of manufacturing jobs in the area.

The racial makeup of the city was 84.06% White, 13.14% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 1.59% from two or more races. 0.63% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,195 housing units at an average density of 563.3 per square mile (217.6/km²). There were 2,835 households out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,325, and the median income for a family was $36,640. Males had a median income of $30,755 versus $20,316 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,758. About 10.7% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

Schools
Covington is serviced by one 8-12 high school, Covington High School, one 4-7 middle school, Jeter Watson, one pre-kindergarten - 3 elementary school, Edgemont Primary, one State Governors School (Jackson River Governor's School), one technical center (Jackson River Technical Center), and one community college, Dabney S. Lancaster.