Population 148 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Preston
Household size in Preston
| Period | Preston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.37 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.42 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.58 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.31 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Preston are small: just 2.31 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Preston
| Period | Preston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.0 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.4 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.7 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.1 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.9 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Preston skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.1, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Preston
| Period | Preston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.9% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +11.0 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in six households in Preston (17.9%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 11.0 points since 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Preston
Renters in Preston
| Period | Preston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.9% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.6% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.7% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.8% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +10.0 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Preston is largely a place of homeowners: only 18.8% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly six in ten owners (55.9%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Preston
| Period | Preston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.4% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.5% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 23.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.6% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +7.2 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Preston: 11.6% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Preston
| Period | Preston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1968 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1969 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Preston run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1975 against 1980. Still, homes here are newer than in Illinois as a whole, where the median home dates to 1970.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Preston
| Period | Preston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $727 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $798 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $833 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $866 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$139 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Preston costs $866 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 49.9% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Preston
Bachelor's degrees in Preston
| Period | Preston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.2% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.3% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.6% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | −7.7 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Preston: 8.6% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Preston
| Period | Preston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.5% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.3% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.3% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.4% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.0 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Preston: 96.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Preston
| Period | Preston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.3% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.9% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +6.9 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Preston: 14.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Preston compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preston | 2.31 | 44.1 | 17.9% | 18.8% | 11.6% | 1975 | $866 | 8.6% | 96.4% | 14.9% |
| Evansville | 2.36 | 43.2 | 12.0% | 17.9% | 12.7% | 1957 | $846 | 13.4% | 89.5% | 6.2% |
| Baldwin | 2.31 | 43.7 | 18.2% | 20.9% | 12.0% | 1975 | $865 | 8.5% | 96.1% | 14.9% |
| Walsh | 2.19 | 56.8 | 11.8% | 4.6% | 17.6% | 1973 | $863 | 15.3% | 90.5% | 10.3% |
| Houston | 2.13 | 49.2 | 7.2% | 0.9% | 4.0% | 1967 | $825 | 9.4% | 98.2% | 5.3% |
| Prairie | 2.27 | 44.5 | 8.9% | 10.1% | 9.1% | 1974 | $923 | 20.9% | 92.3% | 0.7% |
| Ellis Grove | 2.55 | 42.2 | 11.4% | 9.3% | 20.5% | 1976 | $855 | 14.6% | 94.3% | 9.8% |
| Ruma | 2.42 | 38.9 | 17.8% | 13.5% | 14.1% | 1982 | $1,091 | 15.8% | 88.8% | 0.9% |
| Menard | 2.54 | 42.6 | 11.4% | 9.2% | 20.5% | 1976 | $855 | 14.6% | 94.1% | 9.9% |
| Sparta | 2.14 | 45.8 | 14.5% | 35.7% | 16.6% | 1970 | $770 | 18.3% | 93.3% | 6.4% |
| Modoc | 2.34 | 42.5 | 17.2% | 11.9% | 15.0% | 1980 | $1,052 | 15.3% | 88.5% | 2.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Valley-Hi, PA · Cotesfield, NE · Covena, GA · Cowlic, AZ · Craigsville, PA · Cross Creek, FL · Cummingsville, TN · Curtis, AR · Dahlen, ND · Dalton, MO
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Preston. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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