Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,305, organized in 1808. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
The best of Preble’s subject grades are an A− for health and civic life and an A for history; the weakest is a D for walkability. On walkability, just 115 of New York’s 1,216 towns do worse. 29% of residents are 65 or older in Preble, against 20% in New York’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. 15% of the land in Preble is conserved, against 5.2% in New York’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Heiberg Memorial Forest, 2,256 acres with 13 miles of trail. Preble has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Preble 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 New York), ordered by how far Preble is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,257 in 1820, a low of 642 in 1930, 1,393 in 2010. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and 4 maps from 1903 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Preble, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Preble.
Preble beats the New York average on 12 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 30% of Preble adults feel lonely.
| Preble | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 25% | 25% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 81% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.8% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Preble | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10% | 17.2% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.7% | 7.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.1% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Preble for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Preble has added 170 jobs, to 318 in 2023. 5.4% of residents live below the poverty line in Preble.
| Preble | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 5.4% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.8% | 10% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Preble has lost 3.8% of its people since 2020, down to 1,305 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Preble’s median age is 44.8 years. 38% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 40% across New York.
| Preble | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.8 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 32% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 21% | 20% | 22% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.5 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.
| Preble | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.9% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.3% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.1% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.9% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.1% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.4% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.3% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.4% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.7% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.4% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36.4% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 9.1% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.5% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.4% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.2% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,300, single groups can be off by several points
Preble has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Preble is 79°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Heiberg Memorial Forest | 13 mi | 2,256 |
| 2. Dwyer Memorial Park | 0.4 mi | 56 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 58% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Preble.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Preble
About 6 of every 100 Preble residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New York.
Where Preble’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Preble on the National Register of Historic Places.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
