Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Preston grades C+ overall, 114th among Connecticut's 151 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Residents are healthier than 83% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and the median household earns $117K. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $426K, 4.9 years of the Norwich metro’s $87K median household income. Only 6 of Connecticut’s 175 towns score lower on walkability. Its National Register listings include Preston City Historic District and Norwich Hospital District. Only 8 of Connecticut’s 175 towns score lower on the outdoors.
Where Preston beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,899 in 1820, a low of 1,775 in 1950, 4,788 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1906 and 7 maps from 1889 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Preston takes its name from Preston in Lancashire, England, 3,200 miles across the Atlantic.
UKUK editionPreston, settled in 1687, takes its name from Preston, a large town in Lancashire, England.
Named after: each U.S. town’s Wikipedia article. Grades compare each town with towns in its own country, so they aren’t a head-to-head.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Connecticut), ordered by how far Preston is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Preston. Close and well known come first.
Big draw37 mi MuseumThe Breakers
Big draw37 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
5 mi Stadium & arenaMohegan Sun Arena
34 mi Ancient siteHMS Endeavour
37 mi MuseumMarble House
36 mi MuseumThe ElmsThe Breakers: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mohegan Sun Arena: Bbjeter, CC BY-SA 3.0 · HMS Endeavour: Samuel Atkins (c.1760-1810), Public domain · Marble House: [email protected], Public domain · The Elms: The original uploader was Daderot at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Preston, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Preston.
Preston sends most of its workers to Groton and beyond and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Connecticut.
Within Connecticut it is less healthy than 64% of the 154 graded towns: Connecticut sets a high bar. Its widest gap with Connecticut is tooth loss: 5.6% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 9.8% statewide.
82% of Preston adults had a checkup this year, close to Connecticut’s towns (81%) and above U.S. towns (79%). Preston beats the Connecticut average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 9.7% of adults smoke cigarettes in Preston.
| Preston | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 81% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.7% | 9.7% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 30% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 19% |
| What stands out | Preston | CT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.6% | 9.8% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.8% | 14.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.2% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Preston School District. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preston Veterans' Memorial SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 284 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CT on state tests
Preston has 559 jobs for its 2,318 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here fell from 734 in 2013 to 559.
Most working residents leave Preston for work: only 5% work in town. 2.4% of Preston residents live below the poverty line, where Connecticut’s towns sit at 5.8% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Jobs based in Preston fell to 559 in 2023, 175 fewer than in 2013.
| Preston | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.4% | 5.8% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $117,000 | $109,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.3% | 11% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Preston has chilly winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 20° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
24 miles of trail in 20 parks and preserves. The trail density in Preston is 0.8 miles per square mile. Rose Hill Wildlife Management Area, at 287 acres with 1.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Preston | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 1.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.7% | 14% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Route 2 Open Space | 1.6 mi | 155 |
| 2. Rose Hill Wildlife Management Area | 1.4 mi | 287 |
| 3. Jean and Hobart Mitchell Preserve | 1.2 mi | 112 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
92% of Preston households own their home. Typical home values rose 7.2% in the year to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Preston.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
4 within 15 miles of the center of Preston
About 5 of every 100 Preston residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Connecticut.
Where Preston’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 places in Preston on the National Register of Historic Places.
9 notable people were born in Preston.
Town in Connecticut, United States
Preston is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Southeastern Connecticut planning region. Its population was 4,788 at the 2020 census. The town includes the villages of Long Society, Preston City, and Poquetanuck.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Preston.
| Town | CT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preston | #114 | C+ | C | — | C+ | A− |
| Lisbon | #104 | B− | C− | — | B− | B |
| Ledyard | #67 | B+ | D | A | B− | A |
| Norwich | #145 | D | D | B− | D | C+ |
| Montville | #105 | B− | C+ | — | C+ | A− |
| Griswold | #129 | C | C | — | C− | B |
| North Stonington | #28 | A− | C | — | A | A− |
| Mashantucket | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Preston, Lisbon, Montville, Griswold and North Stonington report no FBI crime data of their own. Mashantucket isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Preston with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Preston grades C+ overall, better than 41% of U.S. towns and #114 of 151 in Connecticut. It grades A− for health and C+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
9 notable people were born here, including William Howard Doane and George D. Prentice.
