Covington was built by one man’s vision in 1852. Colonel James Gathings arrived from Mississippi, bought 10,000 acres, and gave lots away free to families willing to build a school and stay. He established the first steam mill, saw mill, tannery, and shoe factory in Hill County, hauling every piece of machinery 700 miles by ox team from New Orleans. Today 270 people call it home. The hustle is quieter now. The roots run just as deep.
Covington is a small northwest Hill County town on SH 171, about 15 miles from Cleburne and 12 to 14 miles from Hillsboro. The townsite is a few blocks around Main and Gathings, and most of what’s for sale is land: new lots, small tracts, barndominiums and ranch acreage.
Homes about $250K–$400K · 2-acre lots near $125K
Older frame and brick homes on the blocks around Main, Gathings, Douglass, Barron and Abbott, often on lots bigger than suburban ones, some over 2 acres.
Walk to the school, post office, park and churches, on city water. In-town listings have been taking a while to sell, and some have seen price cuts.
1- to 3-acre lots about $60K–$115K
A new country subdivision of 1- to 3-acre lots with water meters included and light restrictions, marketed for a home, shop, garden or animals.
Some lots have been offered with owner financing at higher prices. Read the restrictions and plan on septic.
Homes about $150K–$350K · 2-acre lots about $95K–$130K
A mix of 1980s to 2000s site-built homes, manufactured homes and newer builds on 1 to 3 acres along county and private roads.
Expect rural water or a well, septic and co-op electric. Confirm every utility for the exact address.
Bare 10–16 acres about $160K–$400K · improved about $650K–$1.4M
Homes and barndominiums on 10 to 50 acres with pens, barns and shops, along FM 67 and HCR 1405, 1417 and 1450.
Small tracts here ask far more per acre than big ranches. Ask about ag valuation and what it would take to keep it.
Large tracts about $8,000–$12,000 an acre
50 to 600+ acre pasture and ranch tracts along SH 171, FM 67 and Aquilla Creek, with creek frontage, cattle and hunting.
Large-tract prices sit near the regional rural land median. Check the flood map along creek bottoms.
About $120K–$200K with 1–3 acres
Manufactured homes on an acre or more, like a 1985 home on an acre off HCR 1425.
Confirm deed restrictions and the home’s title status before you count on financing or place a new home.
Swipe or drag sideways to see them all.
Portal medians of $522,000 to $700,000 for 76636 are pulled up by land and ranch listings. One recent sale-price median was built on a single sale.
For a house in town or on a small tract, the realistic range is about $250,000 to $400,000. Price against true comparables.
In town, the City of Covington runs the water system, with a $250 deposit for new accounts, and Frontier Waste picks up trash on Tuesdays. City sewer wasn’t confirmed, so ask City Hall.
Out of town, listings cite Woodrow-Osceola WSC or a private well, septic, and HILCO electric. Confirm every utility by address.
Covington ISD serves the town from a single campus on North Main, home of the Owls and six-man football.
Outlying 76636 addresses may fall in a neighboring district, so confirm the district by address.
Founder James J. Gathings set aside 100 acres of his ranch for a town, named it for his wife’s family, and offered lots to families who would build homes and a school.
Today it sits on SH 171 about 15 miles from Cleburne and 12 to 14 miles from Hillsboro.
Area names reflect street clusters and housing types rather than official neighborhoods; Owl Estates is confirmed by multiple MLS listings, but no plat or appraisal district record was reviewed. Other subdivision names shown only on aggregator sites are not used. Listings were observed on Zillow, Redfin, HAR.com, Homes.com, Knox, Land.com and other MLS feeds in September 2026. Prices shown are asking prices, not closed sales, and change quickly; ask for a current comparative market analysis. Market figures: Redfin showed a $420,000 median sale price based on one sale; Movoto showed a $522,000 median list price in July 2026; HAR.com and Knox showed higher averages driven by land listings. Large-tract pricing is compared with the Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center’s Region 7 median of $8,040 an acre for the second quarter of 2026. Utility information: the City of Covington operates its water system and contracts trash service with Frontier Waste Solutions, as published by the city; city sewer service was not confirmed; rural water and electric providers are as stated in listings; the electric provider inside town was not confirmed. School district assignments for outlying addresses were not confirmed. School information is not a recommendation regarding any school, district, neighborhood or property. History is from the Handbook of Texas and Covington ISD. Distances are estimates. Flood risk is parcel-specific. Search results relating to other places named Covington were excluded; every item was verified as Covington, Texas. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Covington’s food scene fits on two streets: a scratch-made pizzeria that opens two nights a week and a 24-hour CEFCO on SH 171. Groceries mean a drive to Hillsboro or Cleburne, and places outside town are labeled so you know which town you are in.
416 Gathings Ave
A locally owned pizzeria since 2015, making its dough from scratch.
Open only Thursday and Friday evenings, about 5 to 8:30, and it closes for big school nights like graduation. Check Facebook before you go.
100 N Main St
The town’s around-the-clock stop for fuel, coffee, kolaches and breakfast tacos.
724 S Main St
The closest thing to a grocery run in town, with basic groceries, snacks and household goods.
500 S Main St
A beer, wine and liquor store that has operated at this address for more than a decade. Listings show two different names, so look for the sign.
306 Gathings Ave
Listed retail hours are weekdays with a lunch break and a short Saturday morning window. No passport services.
Confirm the hours on USPS.com before you go.
Nearest: Hillsboro or Cleburne
Covington has no full grocery store, and no pharmacy was confirmed in town. Dollar General and CEFCO cover the basics.
Most residents shop in Hillsboro or Cleburne, each roughly 15 to 20 minutes away.
Covington ISD, 501 N Main St
A single Pre-K through 12 campus, where Friday nights mean six-man football and the town turns out for the Owls.
City of Covington
The city’s public park, used for picnics and gatherings. Reservations go through City Hall, and food trucks follow city rules.
115 S Douglass · 10549 SH 171
Covington United Methodist worships at 9 on Sunday mornings, and First Baptist Church of Covington sits on SH 171.
Hillsboro, not Covington
The county seat, with full grocery shopping, pharmacies and the courthouse square, plus I-35.
Cleburne, not Covington
A straight run up SH 171 to full grocery, retail and restaurants, including a local brewery.
Itasca and Grandview, not Covington
Nearby small towns with Dollar General stores, fuel stops and a few local restaurants, each about 10 minutes away.
Everything under Food, Shops and Things To Do is in Covington. Groceries and bigger shopping are labeled with the town they’re really in.
Two things worth saying plainly. Covington is small, with no full grocery store, so errands mean a drive. And the pizza place keeps short hours, so plan Thursday or Friday.
What stands out is the rhythm: scratch-made pizza at the end of the week, kolaches at the CEFCO and six-man football on Friday nights.
Verified September 2026. This is a curated list drawn from business websites and social pages, official store locators, the City of Covington, Covington ISD, church websites and the U.S. Postal Service. Pit Stop Pizza’s hours and 2026 operation are from its Facebook page; some directories list its address as 406 Gathings Ave. CEFCO’s hours and offerings are from the company. The liquor store at 500 S Main St is listed under two different names, and its current name was not confirmed. Post office hours are from third-party directories and should be confirmed with USPS. No café, barbecue restaurant, feed store, hardware store, antique shop, event venue, library or community center was confirmed in Covington. Businesses in other places named Covington that appear in aggregator results were excluded. Businesses under “Just Outside” are located in Hillsboro, Cleburne, Itasca or Grandview, not in Covington. Distances are estimates. Search results relating to other places named Covington were excluded; every item was verified as Covington, Texas. Hours and operating status change frequently; verify before making a special journey. Businesses listed are for general local reference and are not endorsements; I receive no compensation from any business named. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
From a Gift of Ranch Land to a College Town to a “Boll Weevil” Rail Stop
Col. James J. Gathings, who had bought more than 10,000 acres in north central Hill County, set aside 100 acres of his ranch for a town and named it for his wife, Martha Wall Covington.
James J. Gathings, born in North Carolina in 1817, came to Texas from Mississippi and held more than 10,000 acres in north central Hill County. He set aside 100 acres, in lots of one to five acres, for a town named for his wife, Martha Wall Covington.
Free lots went to families who would build homes and a school and agreed to ban making and selling alcohol, making Covington one of the first prohibition towns in Texas, according to the city’s history.
Gathings built a steam mill, sawmill, tannery, brickyards and a boot and saddle shop, and the town turned out saddles, wagons, flour and clothes.
Gathings installed a steam mill, sawmill, tannery, wood shop, cloth loom and brickyards, along with shoe and saddle shops. A machine shop made wagons, coffins and farm equipment, and the town turned out flour and clothing.
His brother Philip Gathings bought 1,471 adjoining acres in 1854, and the two developed large farming and stock operations. A Methodist congregation that grew from an 1852 prayer meeting was formally organized in 1857; Church of Christ and First Baptist congregations also formed.
Covington’s post office opened on July 11, 1855, with Gathings as postmaster.
Covington’s post office opened on July 11, 1855, with James Gathings as the first postmaster. Regular mail tied the young town to the rest of Texas and made it the address for farms across the north end of Hill County.
A steam mill and gin gave farmers another reason to come to town, and Covington became a gathering point for trade. The city’s history says its mid-1800s workshops rivaled Fort Worth in importance at the time.
James and his brother Philip Gathings founded Gathings College, which enrolled as many as 200 students and ran until 1885.
James and Philip Gathings donated 10 acres for a church and the Gathings Male and Female College, the first college in Hill County. Enrollment reached more than 200 students, and a military department trained young men. The school ran until 1885.
Its 1965 state marker, placed by the State Historical Survey Committee, stands at the southwest corner of today’s Covington school, at College Avenue and North Barron Street. The marker dates the college to about 1860.
While many Texas colleges closed during the Civil War, Gathings College kept teaching, according to its state marker.
Many of the 25 colleges in Confederate Texas closed for lack of teachers and books, but according to its state marker, Gathings College stayed open. Gathings also gave flour, meat and shoes to needy soldiers’ families and equipped army units at no charge.
The earliest marked grave in Covington Cemetery belongs to his son-in-law, Joseph Patterson Wier, who died at the Battle of Yellow Bayou in Louisiana in 1864. Gathings had him brought home and reburied on the cemetery’s highest ground.
By 1870 Covington was a frontier town of nearly 500 people. Then the Katy railroad passed it by.
By 1870 Covington had nearly 500 people, but college enrollment fell sharply after the Civil War. When the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad built through Hill County, its line bypassed Covington, a serious setback for the town’s trade.
James Gathings died in 1880, and the college closed in 1885. His brother Philip, who had helped build both the town and the school, lived until 1895.
The Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway, nicknamed the “Boll Weevil,” opened its Hillsboro–Cleburne line through Covington in January 1904.
The Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway called itself the Valley Road but was better known as the “Boll Weevil.” Its first section, Hillsboro to Mexia, opened in October 1903, and the extension north through Covington to Cleburne opened in January 1904.
For about three decades Covington served as a shipping and retail center, with a bank, a hotel, drugstores and two cotton gins. Meeting the afternoon train became a social event in town.
On April 18, 1906, voters approved incorporating Covington “for free school purposes,” 65 to 15, creating Covington ISD.
On April 18, 1906, voters approved incorporating Covington “for free school purposes” by a vote of 65 to 15, creating the school district. Voters then chose seven trustees from a field of 20 candidates.
A new high school went up in 1922, built partly from the old college building, keeping a link to the Gathings College site. A 1931 newspaper account listed nine teachers, a principal and a superintendent.
The rail line through Covington was abandoned in 1932, and the Depression and new highways ended the town’s growth. The bank closed in 1960.
The rail line through Covington was abandoned in 1932. The Depression, World War II, the growth of nearby cities and better highways drew people away, and the Handbook of Texas shows population falling from 450 in 1945 to about 270 by the late 1980s.
The First Guaranty State Bank closed in 1960. With school enrollment down to 87 students in the early 1960s, the board tied 3–3 on merging with Itasca, and Board President Johnny Milburn cast the vote that kept the school open.
Covington incorporated as a city in November 1974.
Covington incorporated as a city in November 1974, giving the town its own municipal government. The Handbook of Texas lists 238 residents in 1990 and 282 in 2000.
An old building was renovated as a civic meeting place. A few years before incorporation, in 1970, Allie Plumlee, Lucille Cowley Williams and Wileta Gathings McCall organized townspeople to clean and restore Covington Cemetery.
The Texas Historical Commission designated Covington Cemetery a Historic Texas Cemetery and placed a marker at 101 Cemetery Road.
In 2017 the Texas Historical Commission designated Covington Cemetery a Historic Texas Cemetery and placed a marker at 101 Cemetery Road. Established in the mid-1800s, it honors Hill County pioneers and their descendants.
The marker also records James Gathings’s first Hill County purchase, 3,136 acres on Aquilla Creek in May 1853. The 7.5-acre cemetery holds nearly 2,500 marked graves, maintained by the Covington Cemetery fund, inside a native rock wall.
Covington keeps its single Pre-K–12 school, home of the six-man Owls, on land tied to the old college.
Covington ISD keeps a single Pre-K–12 school, home of the six-man Owls, at College Avenue on land tied to the old Gathings College. District enrollment peaked at 368 students in 2000.
In November 2023 voters approved a $9.97 million school bond by just 143 to 136, a margin of seven votes, funding new and renovated facilities for the district’s one campus.
Compiled from the Texas State Historical Association Handbook of Texas, Texas Historical Commission markers as recorded by the Historical Marker Database, the City of Covington’s history page, Covington ISD’s district history, railroad histories and state bond election results. Where sources conflict both versions are noted rather than resolved. The founding is dated 1852 by the Handbook of Texas and the city; other accounts date Gathings’s arrival in Texas to 1849 and his first recorded Hill County purchase to 1853. Gathings College is dated “about 1860” by its marker and “early 1860s” by the Handbook. Gathings died in 1880; the city’s history page gives 1860, which conflicts with his memorial and the Handbook. A story that a Confederate general stayed in town is local lore and is not included. The railroad was the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway; the city’s history page calls it the Texas and Brazos Valley. The consolidation vote is from the district’s history; its exact year is uncertain. Bond results are from state election records. Search results relating to other places named Covington were excluded; every item was verified as Covington, Texas. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Owls Football in the Fall, with Hillsboro and Cleburne Festivals on Either Side
Thursday and Friday nights belong to the Covington Owls, playing fast, high-scoring six-man football, with homecoming tied to an early home game.
Covington ISD is a single Pre-K–12 campus, so the whole school, and much of the town, turns out. Check the district for the year’s schedule.
The county’s youth livestock and creative arts show, ending with the Saturday Sale of Champions. Organizers date it to 1913.
A twice-a-year antiques trail through Hillsboro and neighboring towns.
A downtown festival with a churro contest, vendors and concerts on the courthouse square.
A PRCA rodeo that has run for more than 70 years, about 15 miles up SH 171.
An outdoor art festival in historic Bond’s Alley, running since 1965, with a Friday-night kickoff.
A charity bike ride since 1987 benefiting Cleburne schools. Paused in 2026 for bridge work, with plans to return in 2027.
Vendors, kids’ activities and evening concerts on the courthouse square.
A lighted park display in Hulen Park, with a lighted Christmas parade on the first Friday in December.
Covington’s own calendar runs on Owls football in the fall. Most bigger events are a short drive away, in Hillsboro to the southeast and Cleburne to the northwest.
What you may hear about: the fire department’s BBQ cook-off ran for years but was postponed in 2024, and a Christmas tractor parade has been held, but neither could be confirmed as current.
Hillsboro and Cleburne are each about 15 to 20 minutes away.
Timing shown is the usual pattern for each event; exact dates, times and locations change from year to year and should be confirmed with Covington ISD or event organizers. Event patterns are drawn from MaxPreps, SixManFootball.com, The Lakelander, the Hillsboro Chamber, Explore Hillsboro, the Hillsboro Reporter, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Posse, the Cleburne Times-Review, the Cleburne Chamber and the Goatneck Bike Ride. Homecoming timing was confirmed for 2025 and follows the football schedule. The Covington Volunteer Fire Department BBQ Cook-off was held from at least 2019 to 2023 and postponed in 2024; no 2025 or 2026 event was found. A Covington Christmas tractor parade was reported once; its recurrence was not confirmed. No cemetery homecoming, city holiday lighting or founder’s day event was found online. Statements that an event could not be confirmed mean no reliable source was found, not that the event does not take place. The Goatneck Bike Ride’s 2026 cancellation is as announced by its organizers. The Hill County Fair’s 1913 origin is the organizer’s statement. Drive times are estimates. Events under “Just Outside” are held in Hillsboro or Cleburne, not in Covington. Search results relating to other places named Covington were excluded; every item was verified as Covington, Texas. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
What to know about Covington schools:
The rating: Covington ISD earned a C in 2026, up from a D in 2025. Review the full results at TXschools.gov.
The perk: Covington ISD is part of the Hill College district, so residents pay in-district tuition in Hillsboro or at the Johnson County campus in Cleburne.
Want the full breakdown? Read our complete Covington schools guide →
Covington ISD runs a single Pre-K–12 campus with about 350 students. Its state rating rose from a D in 2025 to a C in 2026, and bond-funded classrooms that double as a storm shelter are under construction. Residents also get in-district Hill College tuition.
501 N Main St · (254) 854-2215
Home of the Mighty Owls. Covington ISD runs one school from Pre-K through 12th grade on North Main, a few blocks from the post office and City Hall.
The Class of 2023 posted a 95.7 percent four-year graduation rate, per state data.
Enrollment runs through the district’s online system; call the office about transfers.
501 N Main St
A single campus for every grade, with gifted and talented services, and special education through the Hill County shared services arrangement.
Approved November 2023
Voters approved a $9.97 million bond by just 143 to 136. It funds a connector building with four classrooms that double as a storm shelter, two more classrooms and restrooms, and a field house.
Work began in 2025, and state filings list completion targeted for the end of 2026. Ask the district for the current status.
High school
The district offers dual credit and posts its college agreements and high school endorsement options.
Confirm specific career pathways, agriculture and fine arts offerings with the district.
Charles Sonny Moore Athletic Complex
The Owls play six-man football in UIL 1A Division I, with five playoff appearances on the program’s record, at the Charles Sonny Moore Athletic Complex.
The new field house is part of the 2023 bond.
Hillsboro · Cleburne
Covington ISD has been part of the Hill College district since 1962, so residents who pay its tax get in-district tuition at the Hillsboro campus and the Johnson County campus in Cleburne.
Tarleton, TCU, UT Arlington and Baylor are all within commuting range; check distances by address.
Cleburne · Hillsboro
No private school was confirmed in Covington. Texas treats homeschools as private schools with no state registration, and the Texas Home School Coalition is a good starting point.
Private schools in Cleburne and Hillsboro should be confirmed directly before you plan around one.
Rural 76636 addresses
A Covington mailing address does not guarantee Covington ISD. Rural 76636 homes can fall in a neighboring Hill or Johnson County district.
The district is set by the parcel. Check the district boundary map and the Hill County Appraisal District record, then call the district.
In town, it’s simple: one district, one campus.
Out on the county roads, a 76636 address can sit in a neighboring district, which changes the school, the tax rate and Hill College tuition.
Check the Hill County Appraisal District record for the school district before you buy.
Covington ISD’s latest confirmed rate is about $1.17 per $100, including about $0.41 for bond debt. On a $300,000 homestead that’s about $3,500 before exemptions.
The $140,000 state school homestead exemption brings it to about $1,860. Owners 65 and over or disabled get another $60,000 and a freeze on their school tax.
Covington ISD earned a C in 2026, up from a D in 2025, with its student achievement score steady at a C both years.
Ratings change year to year, so review the full results at TXschools.gov.
The bond’s new connector building includes four classrooms built to storm-shelter standards, giving the campus a safe room it didn’t have.
For a town this size, that’s a meaningful investment, approved by just seven votes.
Accountability ratings are intentionally not shown on the campus card. They change every year and are described above as district-level context only; use TXschools.gov for current ratings. Ratings referenced: Covington ISD C in the 2026 ratings released 14 August 2026 and D in the 2025 ratings, as reproduced by the Texas Tribune from state data; the 2024 rating was not confirmed. Enrollment, student-teacher ratio (2023–24) and graduation rate (Class of 2023) are state data as published by the Texas Tribune. The $9.97 million bond passed 143 to 136 on 7 November 2023, per unofficial election-night results; project scope and the 31 December 2026 target completion are from a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing; construction status is from a summary of board minutes and was not confirmed with the district. Playoff appearances are as credited by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football; no state championship is claimed. School colors, career pathways, agriculture and fine arts offerings, the transfer policy, the weekly calendar and transportation were not confirmed. Hill College district membership is from the Hill County Appraisal District’s 2024 rate list and Hill College’s tuition page. The Covington ISD tax rate of 1.1652 per $100 (0.7552 maintenance and operations, 0.41 debt service) is the 2024 adopted rate; 2025 and 2026 adopted rates were not confirmed; tax figures are illustrations, not quotes. The state school homestead exemption is $140,000, with an additional $60,000 for owners aged 65 or older or disabled. Neighboring district boundaries were not confirmed. College distances are estimates. School district assignment in rural Hill County is determined by parcel. Search results relating to other places named Covington were excluded; every item was verified as Covington, Texas. School information is provided for general reference only and is not a recommendation regarding any school, district, neighborhood or property. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Median Sales Price
What Covington homes actually sold for each month. In a market this small, many months record no sales at all, so read the caution beside it before you draw any conclusion.
Covington is a very small market, and many months close zero or one home. One recent portal median was built on a single sale, while list-price medians of $522,000 to $700,000 are pulled up by land. That is sample size, not the market.
A townsite house on city water, a new lot in Owl Estates and a ranch on SH 171 can all land on this one line. The chart is not your comp. Your comps are sales that match your land, water and utilities.
Texas is a non-disclosure state, so portal prices are models. This is MLS. Ask for the actual comparable sales, including acreage, city or WSC water, septic and any ag valuation.
Days on market survives a tiny sample better than a median does, because it describes how buyers behaved rather than which house happened to sell.
The first two weeks bring the most traffic a listing will ever get. If they pass without an offer, that is pricing information. Acting in week three beats acting in week ten.
Several in-town Covington listings have sat for months and taken price cuts. A listing that has waited a while is usually where the negotiating room is.
Under 10 showings means buyers are deciding quickly. Rising counts mean people are walking through and walking away, which is a different problem from nobody looking at all.
This separates a pricing problem from a presentation problem. Plenty of showings and no offer usually means something specific is putting people off, and that is fixable without dropping the price.
High showings-to-pending means you can be selective without losing homes. Read it against days on market: low on both is a hot market, high on both means the leverage is yours.
This chart is the key to the other three. Covington may record only a handful of closings in a whole year. When the bars are that short, one unusual sale moves every other number on this page.
Low volume cuts both ways. Fewer buyers, but also few competing houses. Your real competition is homes around Cleburne, Itasca and Hillsboro, so price against those.
Expect thin inventory and patience. The right house may not be listed yet, and land makes up much of what comes up around town, so being pre-approved and ready matters.
Charts supplied by NTREIS via 10K Research and Marketing and update automatically. Data reflects residential activity reported to the MLS and may be revised as late-reported sales come in. Covington records very few closings; many months show no sales at all, which is not enough transactions for a monthly median to be statistically reliable. ZIP 76636 extends well beyond city limits, and listings may be filed under the city name Covington whether or not the property is inside the city, so these charts may include rural homes and acreage. These charts do not separate lot size, utilities, agricultural valuation, new construction or resale. Market statistics describe the area as a whole and are not a substitute for a comparative market analysis on a specific property. Texas is a non-disclosure state, so publicly available sale prices elsewhere are estimates rather than recorded figures. Search results relating to other places named Covington were excluded. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Pick a purchase year and the price fills in. If you own here, type over it with what you actually paid. This calculator runs on the Hill County index, because Covington sells only a handful of homes a year. The county is up about 139 percent since 2009, with most of that gain coming between 2020 and 2023.
Bought here? Tap the number and enter what you paid.
Federal house price index growth, indexed to the purchase year, where the purchase year equals 100.
The county index rose about 56 percent from 2020 to 2023, including a 20 percent jump in 2022. Since then it has grown about 2 to 3 percent a year, with 3.3 percent in 2025.
A 2009 buyer’s index value is up about 2.4 times; a 2023 buyer’s is up only about 6 percent so far.
It’s an illustrative figure, set from 2026 asking prices for typical in-town Covington houses, which cluster around $260,000 to $350,000.
Portal averages of $522,000 to $576,000 are pulled up by acreage and ranch listings. Own acreage? Type in what you paid.
The index is county-wide, built from repeat sales of mortgaged homes. It won’t capture raw land, acreage or all-cash ranch sales precisely.
With so few Covington sales, value any specific property from true comparables, not from this chart.
Hill County sits outside the Dallas–Fort Worth metro, so the 2026 FHA limit is the national floor, $541,287, and the conforming limit is $832,750.
Covington addresses may qualify for USDA zero-down loans; check each one on USDA’s map. Homesteads are capped at a 10 percent rise in taxable value a year.
Growth rates are the FHFA All-Transactions House Price Index, annual values 2009 through 2025: Hill County, Texas (FRED series ATNHPIUS48217A, base 2000 equals 100, last updated 31 March 2026), the State of Texas (TXSTHPI) and the United States (USSTHPI). State and national figures are annual averages of published quarters. The Hill County series recorded 138.20 in 2009, 143.07 in 2015, 198.54 in 2020, 272.87 in 2022, 311.65 in 2023, 319.23 in 2024 and 329.65 in 2025: a rise of about 139 percent since 2009 and about 3.3 percent in 2025. FHFA describes county indices as developmental and subject to revision; an earlier vintage showed different 2023 and 2024 values. The county series is used because Covington’s sales volume is too small for a city-level index. The prefilled dollar figures are derived and illustrative, not published: they apply the Hill County index to a $300,000 anchor set from 2026 in-town Covington asking prices of about $260,000 to $350,000 (Zillow and MLS listings); asking prices are not sales. Movoto’s July 2026 median list price of $522,000 and HAR.com’s August 2026 average of $575,701 include acreage and ranch listings and were not used. Zillow, Redfin and appraisal district medians for 76636 were not retrieved. The index is built from conforming loans and excludes jumbo lending and all-cash purchases. The 2026 FHA one-unit limit of $541,287 is HUD’s national floor (Mortgagee Letter 2025-23), and Hill County is at the floor; the 2026 conforming limit is $832,750. USDA eligibility is determined by address and household income and was not confirmed for Covington. Equity figures assume a 30-year fixed mortgage at that year’s Freddie Mac annual average rate (2025 approximately 6.60 percent), held to today, with no refinancing, no extra principal and no additional borrowing. They exclude closing costs, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, improvements and selling costs. The homestead appraisal cap limits increases in a homestead’s taxable appraised value to 10 percent a year and ends on sale. The state school homestead exemption is $140,000, with an additional $60,000 for owners aged 65 or older or disabled; confirm exemptions and rates with the Hill County Appraisal District. Search results relating to other places named Covington were excluded; every figure was verified as Covington or Hill County, Texas. This is an illustration for general reference, not an appraisal, a comparative market analysis, a valuation or investment advice. Past appreciation does not predict future appreciation. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Covington sits at SH 171 and FM 67 in northern Hill County, about 20 minutes from Cleburne and 15 to 20 from Hillsboro. That puts Fort Worth and Waco each within about an hour, from a town founded in 1852 with acreage all around it.
Estimated Off-Peak Drive Time from Downtown Covington
Around North Central Texas
Estimated minutes off-peak from Main Street and Gathings Avenue. These are estimates, not live-map figures, so check a live map before relying on any of them.
SH 171 runs north to Cleburne, where the Chisholm Trail Parkway toll road heads into Fort Worth, and south to Hillsboro and I-35 toward Waco.
A full Chisholm Trail Parkway run is roughly $6 with a TollTag, by one third-party estimate; I-35W is the free route.
Founded in 1852 around Gathings College, Covington keeps a single Pre-K–12 campus with in-district Hill College tuition.
Hill County’s EMS district keeps a CareFlite ambulance stationed in Covington, and the town saw about 4 minutes of totality in the 2024 eclipse.
TxDOT’s plan lists SH 171 resurfacing toward the Johnson County line around 2029 and a new Ash Creek bridge around 2030, with an I-35W overlay starting sooner.
Blue Transit offers weekday demand-response rides, $1 within Hill County, booked at 254-292-1873.
No full grocery store or pharmacy was confirmed in town, and the nearest ERs are in Cleburne and Hillsboro.
Outside city water, expect Woodrow-Osceola WSC or a well, and septic. Internet options vary a lot, so check the exact address.
Midpoint Solar, about 640 acres between Covington and Blum with a battery system, reached substantial completion in August 2026. Another solar project has also filed with Covington ISD.
Unincorporated Hill County has no zoning, so know what’s planned around any tract.
Drive times are estimates from Main Street and Gathings Avenue along typical routes; they were not drawn from a mapping or live traffic source and should be checked against a live map before you rely on them. Third-party route calculators list about 46 miles to downtown Fort Worth and about 72 miles to DFW Airport; other distances are estimates. The Chisholm Trail Parkway toll figure is a third-party estimate; confirm current rates with the North Texas Tollway Authority. Road projects and dates are from TxDOT’s 2027–2030 Rural Transportation Improvement Program for Hill County; TxDOT notes dates depend on available funding. The school rating is Covington ISD’s 2026 district rating as reported by The Lakelander and the Texas Tribune. Hill College district membership is from state filings and the Hill County Appraisal District. Ambulance staffing is as described by Hill County ESD No. 1’s service provider page and should be confirmed with ESD No. 2. Eclipse duration is from eclipse2024.org. Blue Transit fares are from the Heart of Texas Council of Governments. Midpoint Solar details are from Texas Comptroller Chapter 313 records, The Lakelander, POWER Magazine and a Monarch Private Capital release of 27 August 2026; High Noon Solar Project filed a separate Chapter 313 application with Covington ISD. Grocery, pharmacy, internet and cell coverage were not confirmed. No crime, fire rating or flood zone claims are made; flood risk is parcel-specific. Search results relating to other places named Covington were excluded; every item was verified as Covington, Texas. This information is provided for general reference and is not a representation about any specific property, commute or future development outcome. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Covington runs its own water system and trash contract from City Hall on Douglass Street, with a volunteer fire department on South Main and an ambulance stationed in town. Taxes, septic permits and deeds run through Hill County in Hillsboro, and the countryside is on a separate water system. Start with the green first-week cards; county offices are in blue, and anything outside town is in purple.
A general-law city since 1974. Council meets the third Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., and forms, ordinances and park reservations are on covingtontx.net. Using the city park for an event or as a vendor requires city approval first. Office hours weren’t posted, so call before you drive over.
(254) 854-2373 · [email protected] 107 N Douglass St · PO Box 443Some 76636 addresses are in HILCO Electric Cooperative’s territory, where members can’t shop providers. HILCO answers around the clock. Others are on Oncor, where you pick a retail provider at powertochoose.org. Confirm the utility for the exact address.
HILCO 254-687-2331 · Oncor outages 888-313-4747 Co-op or choice market, depending on the addressOne, city limits, which decides city water and the city tax or Woodrow-Osceola WSC and septic. Two, tap and meter costs in writing. Three, HILCO or Oncor. Four, the FEMA flood map along Aquilla Creek and other creeks. Five, deed restrictions and nearby solar projects on the county record.
About twenty minutesThe appraisal district (hillcad.org) handles values, homestead and ag exemptions and protests. Filing a homestead exemption is free. The tax assessor-collector (hilltax.org) collects school, city, county and college taxes and handles vehicle registration.
CAD 254-582-2508 · Tax office 254-582-4000 CAD: 1407 Abbott Ave, Hillsboro · Tax office: 126 S Covington St, HillsboroNew accounts need a New Water Service Agreement and a $250 refundable deposit. Bills are due by the 15th, with card, check, autopay and online pay. Frontier Waste picks up trash every Tuesday, with bulk pickup the last Tuesday of the month. Ask City Hall about sewer service and tap fees for the exact lot.
(254) 854-2373 · [email protected] City Hall · 107 N Douglass StServes much of the countryside around Covington. Pay online (a small card fee applies), and check its fee schedule for tap costs. The board has a standing water-conservation notice and enforces back-flow and cross-connection rules strictly, including no double hookups on one meter.
254-221-0816 · 866-969-7299 1147 FM 934, Blum · Mon–Fri 8am–4:30pmSince January 1, 2026, septic permits, payments and inspections run through Development Services, not the Sheriff’s Office. A licensed site evaluation comes with every application. Commercial and RV-park systems also need state approval, which can add delays. New wells register with the Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District (817-556-2299).
254-337-1210 · Payments & inspections 254-283-6846 218 N Waco St, HillsboroNo natural gas utility was confirmed, so many homes use propane or all-electric. If you ever smell gas, leave first, then call 911. Internet options vary a lot. Check any address on the FCC broadband map before you count on working from home.
Call 811 before you dig Varies by streetAn all-volunteer department of about 21 members, funded through Hill County ESD #1, known online as Covington Fire Rescue. For anything urgent, always call 911.
Emergencies: 911 · Non-emergency 254-324-6272 606 S Main StESD #2 contracts with CareFlite, and one of its five 24-hour ambulances is stationed in Covington. The district pays a CareFlite membership for residents, so insured residents generally aren’t billed for EMS, and it’s improving a Covington station site.
ESD #2 254-659-8136 201 S Outlet Dr, HillsboroNo city police department was found for Covington, so county deputies from Hillsboro answer calls in and around town. For anything urgent, call 911.
254-582-5313 406 Hall St, HillsboroThe nearest ERs are Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne and Hill Regional Hospital in Hillsboro, each about 20 minutes away. Specialists and trauma care are in Fort Worth or Waco.
Hill Regional 254-580-8500 · Poison Control 1-800-222-1222 Cleburne and HillsboroA small post office on Gathings, with PO boxes and short retail hours. Confirm the hours on the USPS locator before you plan around a package pickup.
306 Gathings AveDeeds, plats, easements and liens are recorded here. Pull the recorded restrictions on any subdivision lot, even “light” ones. For owner-financed deals, make sure the deed and lien are recorded here.
254-582-4030 Hill County Courthouse area, HillsboroOne Pre-K–12 campus in town. Some 76636 addresses fall in neighboring districts, so confirm by address. Covington ISD is in the Hill College district, so residents get in-district tuition, including at the Johnson County campus in Cleburne.
Covington ISD (254) 854-2215 501 N Main St · Hill College in Hillsboro and CleburneThe county extension office helps with soil testing, pasture and hay questions, and livestock basics. It’s a good first call before buying acreage, especially if you plan to keep the ag valuation.
254-582-4022 213 Stadium Dr, HillsboroWeekday demand-response rides open to the public, $1 within Hill County. Book ahead, and ask about trips into other counties; there’s no fixed-route bus.
254-292-1873 Heart of Texas rural transportationVerified September 2026 against the City of Covington website, the Texas Municipal League directory, Woodrow-Osceola Water Supply Corporation, HILCO Electric Cooperative, the Texas A&M Forest Service fire department directory, Hill County ESD No. 2, The Lakelander, Hill County, the Hill County Appraisal District and the Hill County Tax Assessor-Collector. Phone numbers, addresses, hours, fees and providers change; confirm anything you intend to rely on. City Hall office hours, city sewer service, tap and meter fees, building permits, animal control and municipal court were not confirmed. Electric service for 76636 is listed by third-party directories as both HILCO and Oncor; confirm by address. Natural gas service and internet providers were not confirmed. The ESD No. 2 phone number is from a directory listing; the Sheriff’s Office, County Clerk, Hill Regional Hospital, AgriLife Extension, Prairielands GCD and Blue Transit details are from earlier Hill County research and were not re-verified in this pass. Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne contact details were not confirmed. Post office hours were not confirmed. Hill County Development Services took over septic permitting on 1 January 2026. Which commissioner and justice of the peace precincts cover a given address was not confirmed. No library or food pantry in Covington was confirmed. Drive times are estimates. Search results relating to other places named Covington were excluded; every listing was verified as serving Covington, Texas. Listings are for general local reference and are not endorsements; I receive no compensation from any organization named. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Answered with verified specifics, from the founder’s free lots and no-liquor rule to water taps, septic permits and the solar farm next door.
Covington is named for Martha Wall Covington, the wife of founder Col. James J. Gathings. The two married in 1838, and when Gathings laid out the town in 1852, he gave it her family name.
Gathings had bought more than 10,000 acres in north central Hill County and set aside 100 acres of his ranch for the townsite. He built a steam mill, sawmill, tannery, brickyards and a boot and saddle shop, and he became the first postmaster when the post office opened on July 11, 1855.
One note on dates: the Handbook of Texas and the city date the founding to 1852, while other accounts put Gathings’s arrival in Texas in 1849 and his first recorded Hill County purchase in 1853. He died in 1880.
Yes. Founder James J. Gathings divided his land into lots of one to ten acres and offered them free to anyone who would build a home and support the school.
The one condition: no strong drink sold on the premises, and the city’s history calls Covington one of the first prohibition towns in Texas. The deal worked. By 1870 Covington was a frontier town of nearly 500 people, with Gathings College as its anchor.
Land is no longer free, but it is still most of what sells here. Recent asking prices run about $60,000 to $115,000 for 1- to 3-acre lots in Owl Estates, south of town on HCR 1439, and near $125,000 for a 2-acre lot in the original townsite. Those are asking prices, not closed sales.
Yes, at least at one store. A beer, wine and liquor store at 500 S Main St has operated at that address for more than a decade, a long way from the founder’s rule.
Covington began as a dry town. Gathings gave away lots on the condition that no strong drink be sold, and the city’s history calls it one of the first prohibition towns in Texas. The store today is listed under two different names, and its current name wasn’t confirmed, so look for the sign rather than a name.
What’s allowed can depend on the exact location, so don’t assume the rules at one address apply to another. If a business plan, an event or a property purchase depends on it, check the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission’s wet/dry map for that address.
Sign a New Water Service Agreement and pay a $250 refundable deposit at the Water Department inside City Hall, 107 N Douglass St, (254) 854-2373. You can also email the agreement to [email protected].
Bills are due by the 15th, and the city accepts card, check, autopay and online payment. Trash pickup through Frontier Waste is billed on the same city account. City Hall’s office hours weren’t posted, so call before you drive over.
Before any of that, confirm the property is actually inside city limits. A Covington 76636 mailing address doesn’t guarantee city water, and many country homes are on Woodrow-Osceola WSC or a private well. City sewer service wasn’t confirmed either, so ask City Hall about sewer and tap fees for the exact lot.
Covington’s city water is groundwater, pumped and delivered through the city’s own system, Covington Water Works. The City of Covington operates it directly from City Hall rather than buying from a regional supplier.
The system has needs. The city has sought state funding through the Texas Water Development Board’s priority list to replace undersized water mains and older service lines. Whether that request was funded wasn’t confirmed, so ask about the status if you’re buying in town.
For the latest water quality report, call the Water Department at (254) 854-2373 or email [email protected]. Outside city limits the source changes: much of the countryside is on Woodrow-Osceola WSC, and new private wells register with the Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District (817-556-2299).
Council actions reported in 2025 set a residential water meter at about $8,000 for a ¾-inch meter and a sewer tap at about $8,000, so a new build in town can carry about $16,000 in tap costs before you pour a slab.
Those figures come from summaries of council minutes, not a published fee schedule, so confirm current fees with City Hall at (254) 854-2373 before you budget. City sewer service itself wasn’t confirmed, so ask whether sewer actually reaches the lot or whether you’ll need septic.
Get the numbers in writing. On a 2-acre townsite lot asking near $125,000, taps are a real share of the land cost. Outside town the math changes: Woodrow-Osceola WSC has its own fee schedule, and some Owl Estates lots have been marketed with water meters included.
Trash day in Covington is every Tuesday. The city contracts residential pickup with Frontier Waste Solutions, and bulk pickup runs on the last Tuesday of the month.
You don’t set up a separate account. The trash fee is on your city utility bill with water, which is due by the 15th and can be paid by card, check, autopay or online. Questions about service or bulk items go to City Hall at (254) 854-2373.
This service comes with the city account, so it applies inside city limits. The city sources don’t cover trash service for rural 76636 addresses, so if you’re looking at acreage outside town, ask how trash is handled at that address before you close.
Much of the countryside around Covington is served by Woodrow-Osceola Water Supply Corporation, based at 1147 FM 934 in Blum. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at 254-221-0816 or 866-969-7299.
The WSC has posted a standing water-conservation notice and enforces back-flow and cross-connection rules strictly, including no double hookups on one meter. That matters if you plan a second home, a shop apartment or an RV hookup on the same tract. Tap costs are on its fee schedule, and online payment carries a small card fee.
Some tracts rely on private wells instead, and new wells register with the Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District (817-556-2299). Either way, get tap availability and fees in writing for the exact parcel before you make an offer.
Council minutes show a 2025–26 city rate of about $0.19 per $100 of taxable value; the 2025 figure is reported as about 0.1859. On a $300,000 home that works out to roughly $560 a year for the city alone, before any exemptions.
The city rate applies only inside city limits, and it stacks on top of others: Covington ISD (about $1.17 per $100 at its 2024 adopted rate; later rates weren’t confirmed), Hill County (a 2025 combined rate of about 0.4526), Hill College and the emergency services districts.
Homeowners can file a free homestead exemption, which includes the $140,000 state school exemption and caps increases in taxable value at 10 percent a year. Confirm current rates with the Hill County Appraisal District, 1407 Abbott Ave in Hillsboro, 254-582-2508, and build your escrow on every taxing unit.
That’s Midpoint Solar, a project covering about 640 acres between Covington and Blum, with about 97.5 megawatts of solar panels and a 50-megawatt battery system.
It received county and school tax agreements, recorded in Texas Comptroller Chapter 313 records, and reached substantial completion in August 2026, according to a Monarch Private Capital release dated August 27, 2026. The project has also been covered by The Lakelander and POWER Magazine.
For buyers, the practical point is that solar is now part of the landscape here. Unincorporated Hill County has no zoning, so check what’s built and planned around any tract you’re considering. Texas sets decommissioning financial-assurance rules for solar projects in Utilities Code Chapter 302, which is worth reading if you’re buying near one.
Possibly. A second developer, High Noon Solar Project, has filed a state tax-limitation application under Chapter 313 with Covington ISD. Its size and exact location weren’t confirmed, so treat it as a filing to watch rather than a known footprint.
Hill County added a safeguard in June 2026. Its major-development checklist now requires big projects to notify neighbors and share water, traffic and noise projections, which gives nearby owners earlier notice than they used to get.
Because unincorporated Hill County has no zoning, what can go up next to rural land is wide open. Before you buy acreage, check the county record for nearby solar projects, ask Covington ISD about pending tax-limitation filings, and read the deed restrictions on the tract itself.
Since January 1, 2026, septic permits near Covington go through Hill County Development Services, 218 N Waco St in Hillsboro, 254-337-1210. Payments and inspections run through 254-283-6846.
That’s a change: permitting, payments and inspections used to run through the Sheriff’s Office. Every application now comes with a licensed site evaluation, so plan on a soil evaluation first and budget for it. Commercial and RV-park systems also need state approval, which can add delays.
Septic is the norm outside city limits, including Owl Estates and most small tracts. If you’re also drilling, new wells register with the Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District at 817-556-2299. Confirm current fees with the county office before you set a build budget.
TxDOT’s 2027–2030 Rural Transportation Improvement Program for Hill County lists SH 171 resurfacing toward the Johnson County line around 2029 and a new bridge at Ash Creek around 2030.
Two nearby projects will touch the same commute. A roundabout at SH 22 and SH 171 in Hillsboro is planned for 2027, and an I-35W overlay is scheduled to start sooner than the SH 171 work.
TxDOT notes that all of these dates depend on available funding, so they can slide. If you commute north to Cleburne and Fort Worth or south to Hillsboro and Waco, expect work zones on SH 171 later this decade. Buyers looking at a tract that fronts SH 171 should ask how resurfacing or bridge work might affect access.
Plan on about 50 to 60 minutes to downtown Fort Worth, roughly 46 miles by third-party route calculators. You can take free I-35W or head north on SH 171 to Cleburne, about 22 minutes, and pick up the Chisholm Trail Parkway.
A full parkway run is roughly $6 with a TollTag by one third-party estimate; confirm current rates with the North Texas Tollway Authority. DFW Airport and downtown Dallas are each about 85 minutes.
Going the other way, Waco is about 45 to 55 minutes south through Hillsboro and I-35. These are off-peak estimates from Main Street and Gathings Avenue, not live-map figures, so test the drive at rush hour before you commit. For errands without a car, Blue Transit offers weekday demand-response rides, $1 within Hill County, at 254-292-1873.
Yes. Hill County ESD #2 contracts with CareFlite and keeps one of its five 24-hour ground ambulances stationed in Covington. The district is also improving a Covington station site.
The district pays CareFlite and Air Evac memberships for residents, so insured residents generally aren’t billed for EMS. That’s a meaningful benefit in a rural area. Staffing details come from a service provider page, so confirm them with ESD #2 at 201 S Outlet Dr in Hillsboro, 254-659-8136.
The nearest emergency rooms are Hill Regional Hospital in Hillsboro and Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne, each about 20 minutes away, with specialists and trauma care in Fort Worth or Waco. Always call 911 in an emergency.
Fires in and around Covington are handled by the all-volunteer Covington Volunteer Fire Department, 606 S Main St, known online as Covington Fire Rescue. It has about 21 members and is funded through Hill County ESD #1.
For emergencies, call 911. The non-emergency line is 254-324-6272. Ambulance service is separate, through ESD #2 and CareFlite.
In 2025, the city adopted the International Fire Code, which is worth knowing if you plan to build or open a business inside city limits. Ask City Hall at (254) 854-2373 how it applies to your plans.
The department’s BBQ cook-off ran from at least 2019 to 2023 and was postponed in 2024. No later event was found, so ask locally whether it has returned.
Yes. Covington ISD has been part of the Hill College district since 1962, so residents who pay its tax get in-district tuition. That includes the Johnson County campus in Cleburne as well as the main campus in Hillsboro.
The benefit follows the school district, not the mailing address. A rural 76636 home can sit in a neighboring district such as Itasca, Hillsboro, Blum, Grandview or Rio Vista, which changes the school, the tax rate and Hill College tuition. Check the Hill County Appraisal District record for the parcel, then call Covington ISD at (254) 854-2215.
Students can get an early start through the district’s dual credit program. Tarleton, TCU, UT Arlington and Baylor are also within commuting range; check distances by address.
The $9.97 million bond funds a connector building with four classrooms built to storm-shelter standards, two more classrooms and restrooms, and a new field house for Owls athletics.
Voters approved it on November 7, 2023, by just 143 to 136, per unofficial election-night results. Work began in 2025, and a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing targets completion by December 31, 2026. Construction status comes from board-minute summaries, so ask the district at (254) 854-2215 for the latest.
The bond shows up on tax bills: about $0.41 of the district’s roughly $1.17 per $100 rate (2024 adopted) goes to debt service. At the district level, Covington ISD earned a C in 2026, up from a D in 2025. Review full results at TXschools.gov.
The Gathings College marker stands at the southwest corner of the Covington school, near College Avenue and North Barron, on the Covington ISD campus at 501 N Main St. The state placed it in 1965.
James Gathings and his brother Philip founded the college around 1860; its marker says “about 1860” and the Handbook of Texas says the early 1860s. It enrolled around 200 students, kept teaching through the Civil War while many Texas colleges closed, and operated until 1885.
The link to today’s school is direct. A 1922 high school was built partly from the old college building, and the campus still sits on land tied to the college. For a second stop, Covington Cemetery at 101 Cemetery Road became a Historic Texas Cemetery in 2017.
Covington saw about 4 minutes and 11 seconds of totality during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, according to eclipse2024.org. The town sat inside the path of totality, so residents didn’t have to travel to see the full eclipse.
The eclipse is one small piece of a long local story that runs from Gathings’s 1852 free-lot townsite to the Boll Weevil rail line of 1904 and the city’s incorporation in November 1974. Covington sits at SH 171 and FM 67 in northern Hill County, about 55 minutes from downtown Fort Worth and 50 from downtown Waco.
Answers were verified as of September 2026 from the City of Covington, the Handbook of Texas, the Historical Marker Database, Texas Comptroller Chapter 313 records, The Lakelander, POWER Magazine, TxDOT, Hill County, Woodrow-Osceola WSC, the Texas A&M Forest Service, eclipse2024.org and state election and filing records. Rates, fees, providers and rules change; verify anything you intend to rely on. Water meter, sewer tap and tax rate figures are from summaries of council minutes and should be confirmed with City Hall. The alcohol answer reflects an operating package store; confirm rules by address with the TABC. The water system funding request is from the Texas Water Development Board’s priority list; whether it was funded was not confirmed. Midpoint Solar details are from Texas Comptroller records, The Lakelander, POWER Magazine and a Monarch Private Capital release of 27 August 2026. Road project dates are from TxDOT’s 2027–2030 Rural Transportation Improvement Program and depend on funding. The toll estimate is from a third-party site; confirm with the North Texas Tollway Authority. Ambulance details are as described by an ESD No. 1 service provider page and should be confirmed with ESD No. 2. Bond results are unofficial election-night totals; completion timing is from a state filing. School ratings are district-level. Drive times are estimates. Flood risk and USDA eligibility are address-specific. Search results relating to other places named Covington were excluded; every item was verified as Covington, Texas. This is general information, not legal, tax, lending, insurance, environmental or engineering advice. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Covington is a small town on SH 171 between Cleburne and Hillsboro, under an hour from my Waxahachie office, where most of what sells is land: new lots, small tracts, barndominiums and ranch acreage. Buying here is about the city line, the water tap, the financing terms and what’s being built nearby. I sort out the details that matter here, and the awkward parts are named.
Inside Covington you get city water, city trash and a city tax of about $0.19 per $100. Step outside and it’s Woodrow-Osceola WSC or a well, septic, and either HILCO or Oncor for power. I confirm every one of those for the exact address before we write an offer.
Council actions reported in 2025 put a city water meter and a sewer tap at about $8,000 each. Out in the country, the WSC has its own fees and a standing conservation notice. I get tap costs in writing before you fall in love with a lot.
Some lots around Covington are offered with owner financing, often at a higher price. Texas has strict rules for contracts for deed, so I push for a recorded deed and lien, title insurance and a real estate attorney’s review.
Midpoint Solar covers about 640 acres between Covington and Blum, and a second project, High Noon Solar, holds a tax agreement with Covington ISD. Rural Hill County has no zoning, so I check what’s built and planned around every tract.
The regional median for rural land sales was about $8,040 an acre in spring 2026, but that’s big-tract math. Small tracts near town ask much more per acre. I price against closed sales of similar size, and I estimate any ag valuation rollback before you build.
Covington rewards honesty. There is no full grocery store in town, the ERs are about 20 minutes away, and internet varies street by street. Solar farms are part of the landscape now. If any of that is a dealbreaker, you will hear it from me first.
Confirm city limits, which decides water, trash and the city tax. Second, get tap and meter costs in writing. Third, confirm HILCO or Oncor and internet at the address. Fourth, check the flood map near any creek. And fifth, read the deed restrictions and any financing terms before you sign.
Covington-specific things to raise with all four. Hill County sits outside the Dallas–Fort Worth metro, so the 2026 FHA limit here is the national floor, $541,287. Ask about USDA and check eligibility by address. For raw land, compare a Farm Credit loan with any owner-financing offer, and for a manufactured home on land, ask early how the home must be titled. And build your escrow on every taxing unit, including the city tax in town. I recommend these lenders based on their expertise and service. I do not receive compensation for referrals.
Either is fine. I answer my own phone, and you will never be routed to a call center or handed to a junior agent. Send me an address and I will tell you whether it’s inside city limits, who supplies the water and power, what the tap will cost, and what’s built nearby.
Bobby Franklin, REALTOR® · Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team · 214-228-0003 · northtexasmarketinsider.com
Information on this page is provided for general reference and is not legal, tax, insurance, environmental or lending advice. The City of Covington’s 2025 tax rate of about 0.1859 per $100 and the water meter and sewer tap fees are from summaries of council minutes and should be confirmed with City Hall. Woodrow-Osceola WSC notices are from its website. Electric service in 76636 is listed by third-party directories as both HILCO and Oncor. Owner financing and contracts for deed are governed by Texas Property Code Chapter 5, Subchapter D, and federal and state lending rules may apply to sellers; consult a real estate attorney. Midpoint Solar details are from The Lakelander, POWER Magazine and Texas Comptroller Chapter 313 records; High Noon Solar Project, LLC holds a Chapter 313 agreement with Covington ISD, and its size and location were not confirmed. Texas solar decommissioning financial assurance is governed by Utilities Code Chapter 302. The land figure is the Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center’s Region 7 median for the second quarter of 2026 as reported by third parties; Hill County’s regional assignment was not confirmed. Ag valuation rollback terms reflect Texas law since 2019. Hill County’s 2025 combined rate is 0.452647 per $100. Covington ISD’s 2025 and 2026 adopted rates were not confirmed. The FHA limit of $541,287 is HUD’s 2026 national floor. USDA eligibility is determined by address and household income. Manufactured home titling requirements are set by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Flood risk is parcel-specific; order a floodplain determination. School information is not a recommendation regarding any school, district, neighborhood or property. Drive times and distances are estimates. Search results relating to other places named Covington were excluded; every figure was verified as Covington or Hill County, Texas. All real estate services are provided through Legacy Realty Group. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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