Town · North Carolina
Cove City, North Carolina
Cove City, town, in Craven County, North Carolina. Cove City had 381 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 378 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 504 (±219). GEOID 3715020.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
381
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 378 · ACS 2020-2024: 504 ±219
Median household income
$41,522
±$15,078 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$81,700
±$62,649 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$1,016
±$320 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Cove City and what county is it in?
Cove City is a town in Craven County, North Carolina. It covers 0.6 square miles of land, 592 residents per square mile in 2020.
Cove City is in the New Bern, NC micropolitan statistical area, which takes in 3 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Cove City, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 381 people lived in Cove City on July 1, 2025, up 1.1% since 2020, slower than North Carolina (+7.2%). The 2020 Census counted 378 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 504 (±219).
| Measure | Cove City | Craven County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 504 ±219 | 102,612 | no clear change |
| Households | 202 ±78 | 42,871 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.50 ±0.53 | 2.29 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 210 ±78 | 48,533 | no clear change |
Cove City's population since 2000
From 433 in 2000 to 381 in 2025: down 12.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Cove City as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Cove City?
The median resident of Cove City is 58.0 years old; 21.2% are under 18 and 31.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 66.7%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 21.4%.
| Measure | Cove City | Craven County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 58.0 ±11.4 | 38.8 | +18.2 |
| Under 18 years | 21.2% ±10.9 pts | 21.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 31.2% ±13.7 pts | 20.9% | – |
| Male | 41.1% ±8.9 pts | 50.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 8.9% ±12.0 pts | 7.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 66.7% ±14.7 pts | 64.5% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 21.4% ±10.6 pts | 19.5% | −16.9 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.1 pts | 2.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.1 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.1 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.0% ±3.3 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.1 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.2% ±0.9 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.1% ±3.9 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 15.4% ±10.4 pts | 14.5% | – |
| With a disability | 41.9% ±14.6 pts | 16.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.8% ±3.8 pts | 7.8% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.1% ±7.7 pts | 92.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 29.0% ±13.8 pts | 27.5% | +16.8 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 13.5% ±16.7 pts | 10.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.8% ±7.3 pts | 86.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±8.1 pts | 4.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Cove City earn?
Half of Cove City's 202 households earn less than $41,522 a year (±$15,078), against $65,873 in Craven County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $61,535 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 11.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Cove City | Craven County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $41,522 ±$15,078 | $65,873 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $61,695 ±$16,817 | $85,440 | – |
| Per capita income | $26,505 ±$6,805 | $36,931 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 11.8% ±7.4 pts | 13.7% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 19.8% ±18.6 pts | 17.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 23.8% ±14.7 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.6% ±7.0 pts | 93.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 78.2% ±12.1 pts | 85.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Cove City?
Owners occupy 65.3% of Cove City's occupied homes and renters 34.7%. The median renter pays $1,016 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Cove City | Craven County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $81,700 ±$62,649 | $231,600 | – |
| Median gross rent | $1,016 ±$320 | $1,110 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 28.9% ±25.6 pts | 37.1% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,125 ±$299 | $1,454 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 65.3% ±16.6 pts | 68.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 34.7% ±16.6 pts | 31.6% | – |
| Housing units | 210 ±78 | 48,533 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±27.0 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.4% ±9.8 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 68.6% ±16.6 pts | 67.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 31.4% ±16.6 pts | 12.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.4% ±4.6 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.8% ±5.6 pts | 12.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 9.5% ±6.2 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 13.4% ±10.7 pts | 6.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Cove City work and get to work?
70.0% of Cove City's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 21.0 minutes.
| Measure | Cove City | Craven County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 40.3% ±11.9 pts | 58.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.0% ±23.0 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 70.0% ±16.7 pts | 77.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 21.9% ±16.5 pts | 10.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±23.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 0.6% ±1.2 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Worked from home | 7.5% ±8.3 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.0 min ±4.3 | 21.7 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Cove City?
No census tract lies mostly in Cove City; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9603.02Craven County | 3,387 | $39,338 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Cove City) · Census block assignment files
How does Cove City compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Cove City is the 14,300th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 456th-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Cove City is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 456th | 549 |
Cove City's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Cove City with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Cove City?
24 of the 57 figures for Cove City on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Cove City are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Cove City.