| Official Name: | Covington, Texas |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Image Map1: | Hill County Covington.svg |
| Mapsize1: | 250px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Texas |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Hill |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | George Burnett |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 2.14 |
| Area Land Km2: | 2.13 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.02 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 0.83 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 0.82 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.01 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 261 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Timezone: | Central (CST) |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Elevation M: | 231 |
| Elevation Ft: | 758 |
| Coordinates: | 32.1769°N -97.2572°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 76636 |
| Area Code: | 254 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 48-17372[2] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 1333536[3] |
Covington is a city in Hill County in central Texas, United States. Located at the intersection of FM 67 and State Highway 171, north of Hillsboro, it is near the northern boundary of Hill County. It was founded by Colonel James Jackson Gathings, formerly of North Carolina and Mississippi, in the spring of 1852, and is named for his wife's family. Gathings secured about 10000acres of land in what is now Hill County, 100 of which were set aside for the new town of Covington.[4] The population of Covington, 168 years later, was 261 at the 2020 census.
Covington is located in northern Hill County at 32.1769°N -97.2572°W (32.176850, –97.257104).[5] State Highway 171 leads southeast to Hillsboro, the county seat, and northwest to Cleburne, while Farm to Market Road 67 leads northeast 10miles to Interstate 35 and southwest the same distance to Blum.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Covington has a total area of 2.1km2, of which 0.02sqkm, or 0.78%, are water.[6]
As of the census of 2000, there were 282 people, 111 households, and 79 families residing in the city. The population density was 339.8sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 122 housing units at an average density of 147sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 90.78% White, 3.19% African American, 0.35% Native American, 2.84% from other races, and 2.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.38% of the population.
There were 111 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, and 28.8% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,214, and the median income for a family was $45,179. Males had a median income of $35,972 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,874. About 13.9% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.4% of those under the age of eighteen and 23.4% of those 65 or over.
The city is served by the Covington Independent School District.
In the early 1860s, Gathings College was founded by brothers James and Philip Gathings. It quickly became the largest school in the state with an enrollment that exceeded 200 students. The first president of the college was one Dr. Church, who brought his own staff of teachers. The school offered classes in languages, literature, music, and art. Attendance dwindled to nearly nothing after the Civil War. Some manner of school continued to operate in the building until it became incorporated into the Covington Independent School District. The original building no longer stands, but the site is marked with an historical placard.[7]