# Covington (city), Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy

Covington (city) is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Covington (city) is an independent city: it is its own county-equivalent and is not part of any county. Employers here counted 3,679 jobs in 2025, down 7.4% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. 5,680 people live here, down 1.2% since 2020.

## Cities and towns in Covington (city)

Covington (city) is an independent city: it is its own county-equivalent and is not part of any county.

Covington5,680 residents

Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.

## What changed in Covington (city)

| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,747 | 5,680 | ▼ 1.2% | 128th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,975 | 3,679 | ▼ 7.4% | 116th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,755 | $60,602 | ▲ 14.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 4.5% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |

## Who powers Covington (city)

No operating power plant is located in Covington (city) in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.

## The Covington (city) labor market

| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,679 | $60,602 | 1.00 |

Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.

## Data centers and local rules in Covington (city)

No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Covington (city). Virginia has 13 local measures on record statewide.

## Covington (city) and its neighbors

Of the 1 counties that border Covington (city), Alleghany County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.

[

| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covington (city) | 5,680 | ▼ 7.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Alleghany County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/alleghany-county) | 14,546 | ▼ 13.1% | 244 MW | — | — | — |

## More of Virginia

[All Virginia countiesThe state power page and county mapOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia)[Alleghany County14,546 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/alleghany-county)

## Covington (city), answered from the record

### Are there data centers in Covington (city)?

The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Covington (city).

### Is Covington (city) adding jobs?

Employers counted 3,679 jobs in 2025 against 3,975 in 2019 (-7.4%, BLS QCEW).

### Does Covington (city) have a data center moratorium?

No county-level measure is on record for Covington (city). Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.

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Canonical: https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/covington-city
Updated: 2026-10-08. Refreshed weekly by SAVRN from EIA, BLS, BEA, Census and the SAVRN trackers. License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).