Cove

Cove is a little slice of heaven located on the eastern edge of the Grande Ronde Valley in Union County, Oregon. Cove is on the valley’s eastern slope, nestled between the Wallowa Mountains and adjacent ridges. Cove’s name comes from the niche created by the base of Mt. Fanny, Mill Creek, and the ridges to the south. Cove is a small community with approximately 680 people within city limits. Another 1,200 people live in the greater Cove area.  Cove has a public library, K-12 charter school, corner market and fueling station, volunteer fire department, styling salon, steakhouse, and, of course, the Cove Drive-in. A wide array of home-based businesses are a testament to Cove’s robust entrepreneurial spirit.

Cove has been a fruit production center for over 100 years. Today, approximately 500 acres of commercial orchards, planted mostly to sweet cherries and peaches, grace the hillsides above town. Livestock production and processing, field crops, and small-scale produce growers make up the remaining farm operations.

For more information, visit https://coveoregon.org/

Population

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Population

Population 2000 2010 2026 2031
Cove 562 590 606 593

Source: ESRI, 2026-09-09

Population by Age

Population 2026
0-4 26
5-9 37
10-14 38
15-19 33
20-24 19
25-29 16
30-34 28
35-39 55
40-44 30
45-49 31
50-54 25
55-59 33
60-64 44
65-69 72
70-74 45
75-79 38
80-84 17
85+ 19
18+ 483
Median Age 48

Source: ESRI, 2026-09-09

Population by Race

Cove 2026
Total 606.00
White Alone 90.59%
Black Alone 0%
American Indian Alone 0.83%
Asian Alone 0.5%
Pacific Islander Alone 0.33%
Some Other Race 0.83%
Two or More Races 6.93%
Hispanic Origin 3.80%
Diversity Index 23.50

Source: ESRI, 2026-09-09

Growth Rate

Cove 2026 - 2031
Population -0.43%
Households -0.15%
Families 0.64%
Median Household Income 2%
Per Capita Income 3%

Source: ESRI, 2026-09-09

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Housing

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Households

Population 2000 2010 2026 2031
Households 221 257 272 270
Housing Units 238 274 279 279
Owner Occupied Units 220 226
Renter Occupied Units 52 44
Vacant Units 7 9

Source: ESRI, 2026-09-09

Home Value

Cove 2026 2031
Median Home Value $433,333 $447,436
Average Home Value $481,136 $478,905
<$50,000 1 0
$50,000 - $99,999 6 4
$100,000 - $149,999 2 1
$150,000 - $199,999 8 10
$200,000 - $249,999 11 14
$250,000 - $299,999 12 11
$300,000 - $399,999 51 36
$400,000 - $499,999 57 78
$500,000 - $749,999 49 49
$1,000,000 + 0 0

Source: ESRI, 2026-09-09

Housing Year Built

Year Range Houses Built
2010 or Later 19
2000-2009 59
1990-1999 48
1980-1989 23
1970-1979 44
1960-1969 6
1950-1959 10
1940-1949 9
1939 or Before 68

Source: ESRI, 2026-09-09

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Income

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Income

Cove 2026 2031
Median Household $78,016 $84,564
Average Household $93,405 $107,343
Per Capita $41,925 $48,875

Source: ESRI, 2026-09-09

Household Income

Cove 2026
<$15,000 15
$15,000 - $24,999 23
$25,000 - $34,999 14
$35,000 - $49,999 22
$50,000 - $74,999 52
$75,000 - $99,999 59
$100,000 - $149,999 35
$150,000 - $199,999 39
$200,000+ 13

Source: ESRI, 2026-09-09

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Employees

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Commute

Category Commuters
Workers 16+ 214
In-County Residents 206
Out-of-County Residents 8
Drive Alone 187
Carpooled 14
Public Transport 0
Work at Home 13
Motorcycle 0
Bicycle 0
Walked 0
Other 0
Less than 5 minutes 18
5-9 minutes 27
10-14 minutes 12
15-19 minutes 17
20-24 minutes 56
25-29 minutes 16
30-34 minutes 29
35-39 minutes 0
40-44 minutes 3
45-59 minutes 8
60-89 minutes 0
90+ minutes 15
Average Travel Time 0

Source: ESRI, 2026-09-09

Source: ESRI, 2026-09-09

Employees by NAICS

Category Number
Total Employees 105
Agr/Forestry/Fish/Hunt 1
Mining 0
Utilities 0
Construction 2
Manufacturing 2
Wholesale Trade 0
   
Retail Trade 5
   
Transportation/Warehouse 4
Information 21
   
Finance & Insurance 0
   
Real Estate/Rent/Leasing 0
Prof/Scientific/Tech Srv 0
Legal Services 0
Mgmt of Comp/Enterprises 0
Admin/Support/Waste Mgmt 0
Educational Services 48
HealthCare/Social Assist 0
Arts/Entertainment/Rec 0
   
Accommodation/Food Srvcs 10
   
Other Srv excl Pub Admin 5
Auto Repair/Maintenance 0
Public Administration Emp 7

Source: ESRI, 2026-09-09

Educational Attainment (25+)

Cove 2026
<9th Grade 10
Some High School 21
GED 17
Graduated High School 133
Some College/No Degree 64
Associates Degree 31
Bachelor's Degree 103
Graduate Degree 74

Source: ESRI, 2026-09-09

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Businesses

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Businesses by NAICS

Category Number
Total Businesses 17
Agr/Forestry/Fish/Hunt Bus 1
Mining Bus 0
Utilities Bus 0
Construction Bus 1
Manufacturing Bus 1
Wholesale Trade Bus 0
   
Retail Trade Bus 1
   
Transportation/Warehouse Bus 1
Information Bus 2
   
Finance & Insurance Bus 0
   
Real Estate/Rent/Leasing Bus 0
Prof/Scientific/Tech Srv Bus 0
Legal Services Bus 0
Mgmt of Comp/Enterprises Bus 0
Admin/Support/Waste Mgmt Bus 0
Educational Services Bus 2
HealthCare/Social Assist Bus 0
Arts/Entertainment/Rec Bus 0
   
Accommodation/Food Srvcs Bus 2
   
Other Srv excl Pub Admin Bus 4
Auto Repair/Maintenance Bus 0
Public Administration Bus 2

Source: ESRI, 2026-09-09

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