Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Preston’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for safety and walkability; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. Only 11 of Minnesota’s 573 towns score higher on cost of living. Only 2 of Minnesota’s 572 towns score higher on civic life. Preston has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Preston Overlook and Fillmore County Jail and Carriage House. Preston has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Preston beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Preston is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1907.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
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 Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Preston.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Fillmore Central school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fillmore Central ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 311 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
Preston’s FEMA risk score is 81 of 100, above both the Minnesota town median (40 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100). Since 1980, 26 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Preston.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Preston home is worth about $263,000, up 4.5% in a year, 25% below the Minnesota typical home. Preston’s median rent is $769 a month, where Minnesota’s towns sit at $1,196 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month.
| Preston | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $769 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Preston has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Preston’s July high is 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Preston for work: only 16% work in town. The median household income in Preston is $64,000. Since 2013, Preston has lost 94 jobs, to 804 in 2023.
| Preston | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.9% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
41% of Preston adults have obesity. Among 272 Minnesota towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Preston. 13% of Preston adults have diabetes.
| Preston | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 31% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 12% |
| What stands out | Preston | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 73.5% | 68.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80% | 76.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.0 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Fillmore County Fairgrounds, at 36 acres.
| Preston | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fillmore County Fairgrounds | — | 36 |
| 2. Preston City Park | 0.2 mi | 10 |
| 3. Pooler Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Preston; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Preston residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
4 places in Preston on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Preston.
City in Minnesota, United States
Preston is a city in and the county seat of Fillmore County, Minnesota, United States. As of the 2020 census, Preston had a population of 1,322. The Root River runs through it, and Mystery Cave State Park is nearby. It bills itself as "America's Trout Capital," with a 20-foot trout placed along Minnesota State Highway 16.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
4 notable people were born here, including George A. Billings and Agnes Larson.
