The Town FilesCove, Oregon
City in Union County · population 620 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $328,000
- Household income
- $82,500
- Jan low / Jul high
- 25° / 86°
- Snow a year
- 16 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 47.6
Cove is a city of 620 people in Union County, Oregon. The median home is worth $328,000, below the typical Oregon town ($394,200). It ranks easier by car than 98% of Oregon towns, better for retirees than 95% of Oregon towns, better for families than 89% of Oregon towns.
How Cove ranks
Percentile among Oregon towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Oregon towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Cove is worth $328,000, below the typical Oregon town ($394,200). Homes cost about 4.0 times the median household income of $82,500, which is more affordable than 85% of Oregon towns. Median rent is $1,390 a month. 71.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Cove | Typical Oregon town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $328,000 | $394,200 |
| Median rent | $1,390 | $1,312 |
| Median household income | $82,500 | $76,221 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.0× | 5.1× |
| Homeownership | 71.1% | 71.1% |
| Median year built | 1983 | 1981 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.0% | — |
Who lives in Cove
| People | Cove | Typical Oregon town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.6 | 41.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 28.6% | 20.1% |
| Under 18 | 19.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.5% | 23.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 12.7% | 10.8% |
| Veterans | 9.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.5% | — |
| Work from home | 6.1% | 12.2% |
| Average commute | 24.2 min | 23.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 83.2% | 92.4% |
Weather in Cove
July highs average 85.8°F and January lows 25.4°F. About 14.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 16.2 inches of snow (typical Oregon town: 3.1 in). Expect about 29 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 135 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Cove since 1950.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 11 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on July 18, 2012.
Severe weather in Union County since 1996
Union County has been included in 10 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 9, 2026 | Fire | FM-5664: Hagen Fire |
| April 7, 2026 | Severe Storm | DR-4907: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| April 3, 2020 | Flood | DR-4519: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 28, 2020 | Biological | DR-4499: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3429: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Union County
Union County had 10,486 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $52,345 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in Cove itself the ACS puts it at 1.4%.
Public schools in Cove
1 public school with 302 students, about 14.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cove Charter School (charter) | K-12 | 302 | 14.4 |
Towns near Cove
- Union, OR6.7 mi · 2,152 people · home $231,400
- Island City, OR11.9 mi · 1,144 people · home $295,100
- La Grande, OR13.6 mi · 13,026 people · home $278,700
- North Powder, OR19.2 mi · 504 people · home $142,200
- Elgin, OR19.3 mi · 1,717 people · home $191,300
- Wallowa, OR23.3 mi · 796 people · home $336,100
- Enterprise, OR27.3 mi · 2,052 people · home $319,800
- Joseph, OR28.4 mi · 1,154 people · home $334,900
Cove questions
Is Cove, Oregon a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cove scores better for retirees than 95% of Oregon towns and quieter than 84%. 28.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 47.6).
How much does a house cost in Cove?
The median owner-occupied home in Cove is valued at $328,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $82,500, so homes cost about 4.0 times income. Median rent is $1,390 a month.
What is the weather like in Cove?
July highs average 85.8°F and January lows 25.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 14.8 inches of precipitation a year and 16.2 inches of snow.
Does Cove get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Cove in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)