Covington is the parish seat of St. Tammany Parish and one of the most requested areas on the Northshore. Melrose Group Realty is based just down the road in Mandeville, and our licensed professionals work with Covington buyers and sellers regularly. Here is a practical overview of the area, the kinds of homes you will find and how a Louisiana purchase or sale works.

Living in Covington

Covington blends a historic downtown with wooded neighborhoods and acreage. The Bogue Falaya and Tchefuncte rivers run through the area, and the Tammany Trace begins here and heads east toward Abita Springs and Mandeville.

• Downtown Covington. Locally owned shops, restaurants, galleries and recurring community markets and festivals.
• Rivers and parks. Bogue Falaya Park and river access for paddling and time outdoors.
• Parish services. As the parish seat, Covington is home to the St. Tammany Parish courthouse and many parish offices.
• Healthcare and business. Medical centers and offices along the Highway 21 and Highway 190 corridors.

Areas and home styles to know

Covington mailing addresses cover both the city and large unincorporated areas, so two homes with the same ZIP code can have very different rules for drainage, permitting and services.

Getting around

Interstate 12 runs along the south side of Covington, with Highway 190 and Highway 21 connecting to Mandeville and Madisonville. Many commuters reach the south shore by way of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Mandeville. Hammond and Baton Rouge are reachable to the west on I-12.

Buying a home in Covington

1. Get pre-approved first. A lender pre-approval sets your real budget and makes your offer stronger. Use our payment calculator to include taxes and insurance.
2. Check flood zone and insurance early. Look up any Covington address with our Flood Zone tool and get flood and homeowners quotes during your inspection period, not after closing.
3. Confirm the school attendance zone yourself. Zones are set by St. Tammany Parish Public Schools and can change. Use our School Zone tool and confirm with the district.
4. Write a clean Louisiana offer. In Louisiana the good-faith money is called a deposit. Your agent will walk you through the inspection and due diligence period, the seller’s Property Disclosure Document and the act of sale.
5. Close and file your homestead exemption. After you close on your primary residence, apply for the homestead exemption with the St. Tammany Parish Assessor’s Office.

Selling a home in Covington

Covington attracts buyers looking for character homes, newer construction and acreage, which means pricing has to be built from truly comparable sales. Acreage and rural homes need extra preparation: survey, septic and well information, and flood documentation.

1. Know your number. Start with a free home estimate built from recent nearby sales, not an automated guess.
2. Gather your paperwork. Elevation certificate, flood and wind insurance declarations, roof age, permits and any warranties. Buyers on the Northshore ask for these first.
3. Prepare and price to the market. We map out repairs worth doing, staging, photography and a launch plan. Download the free Seller Success Guide.
4. Compare your options. Most sellers list traditionally. If you need speed or certainty, ask about Cash Options, if your property qualifies, alongside a traditional listing plan.

Free tools for Covington buyers and sellers

Explore nearby Northshore communities

Mandeville • Covington • Slidell • Madisonville • Selling in St. Tammany • Buying in Louisiana

Frequently asked questions