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Living in Preston

The employment rate was 54.7% in March 2021. In 2025, annual PM2.5 was 6.1 µg/m³. The population of Preston (Preston), in the United Kingdom, was 94,490 in March 2021. The city covered 19.8 km² in December 2022. Population density was 4,767 people per km² in 2021. Gigabit broadband availability was 90.7%. The city had 45 schools in 2026.

Higher unemployment than 62% of United Kingdom cities that publish it and cleaner air than 75% of United Kingdom cities that publish it.

Which United Kingdom-wide rules apply when you move to Preston?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United KingdomNational rates and thresholds that apply in Preston.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Owner occupation accounted for 48.6% of homes in March 2021.

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for Preston yet. United Kingdom has country-level context; it is not substituted for this city.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Dwellings37,665 count21 Mar 2021ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley5Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Preston?

The unemployment rate is 4 % (January 2023). Source: www.ons.gov.uk19

Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Preston is 4.0%. Of 384 cities with data, 230 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United Kingdom per band9 cities: 0% to under 2%90–2230 cities: 2% to under 4%2302–4107 cities: 4% to under 6%1074–6Preston 4.0%30 cities: 6% to under 8%306–84 cities: 8% to under 10%48–103 cities: 10% to under 12%310–121 city: 16% to under 18%116–18

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Gigabit broadband availability90.73 %Not statedwww.ofcom.org.uk20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Employment rate54.7 %21 Mar 2021ONS Census 2021 towns and cities dataset Figure 9 individual BUA employment row for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Superfast broadband availability99.36 %Not statedwww.ofcom.org.uk20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross salary (regional)3,427 EUR/month31 Dec 2024www.ons.gov.uk18Official
Unemployment rate4 %country median 3.5%31 Dec 2023www.ons.gov.uk19Official
Unemployment rate over time8 published observations, 2004–2023
Unemployment rate in Preston by year, %2.5%5.4%8.3%11.1%20042011201620234.0%%

Unemployment rate fell 36.2% between 2004 and 2023, from 6.3% to 4.0%.

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Preston. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Jobcentre Plus — Public employment service

Department for Work and Pensions

Job SearchUnemployment Claim
Open official service
Open the United Kingdom service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Preston. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Schools45 count7 Jul 2026DfE Get Information About Schools all establishments extract3Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Primary School Count122 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)2Official
School Count177 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)2Official

Safety

How safe is Preston?

Police recorded about 9,866 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.

  • Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 9,866 offences per 100,000 · Office for National Statistics7
Recorded crime across major citiesPreston highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Preston highlighted14,267Manchester13,099Bristol12,409Liverpool11,462Leeds11,416Birmingham11,001Leicester9,866Preston9,693Sheffield9,379Cardiff8,836Coventry757Glasgow549Edinburghrecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents9,866 offences per 100,000country median 9,66931 Dec 2024Office for National Statistics7Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents5,658 per 100,000Apr 2026data.police.uk all-crime polygon replay, filtered to Burglary1Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Burglary per 100,000 residents500.6 per 100,000Apr 2026data.police.uk all-crime polygon replay, filtered to Burglary1Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Airport Direct Destinations Count48 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights15Official
Nearest Major Airport Distance Km49 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports16Official
Nearest Major Airport IataLPL3 Aug 2026OurAirports16Official

Climate and air quality

Annual NO₂ was 9.64 µg/m³ in 2025. Annual PM10 was 10.8 µg/m³ in 2025.

Is the air quality good in Preston?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.1 µg/m³ (2025) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: official estimated total annual mean background concentration12

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Preston average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°JFMAMJJASOND20°2°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Preston average monthly precipitation, mm03060901207864544954636680841019599JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Preston annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5256.1PM2.5154010.8PM1010409.6NO₂µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United KingdomAnnual PM2.5 in Preston is 6.1 µg/m³. Of 104 cities with data, 52 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United Kingdom per band1 city: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³14–522 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³225–652 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³526–7Preston 6.127 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³277–82 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³28–9

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean9.64 µg/m³country median 7.82025official estimated total annual mean background concentration10Official
NO₂ — latest reading6.36 µg/m³14 Jul 2026official hourly station observations exist only where a source station has an exact target relation13Official
PM10 — annual mean10.8 µg/m³country median 11.52025official estimated total annual mean background concentration11Official
PM2.5 — annual mean6.1 µg/m³country median 6.62025official estimated total annual mean background concentration12Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 7.3 · Feb 7.8 · Mar 9.7 · Apr 12.6 · May 15.7 · Jun 18.1 · Jul 19.8 · Aug 19.5 · Sep 17.6 · Oct 14.1 · Nov 10.4 · Dec 7.9 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station BLACKPOOL17Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan 2.3 · Feb 2.2 · Mar 3.4 · Apr 5.1 · May 7.9 · Jun 10.9 · Jul 12.9 · Aug 13 · Sep 10.6 · Oct 8 · Nov 5 · Dec 2.5 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station BLACKPOOL17Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 4.8 · Feb 5 · Mar 6.5 · Apr 8.8 · May 11.8 · Jun 14.5 · Jul 16.4 · Aug 16.3 · Sep 14.1 · Oct 11 · Nov 7.7 · Dec 5.2 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station BLACKPOOL17Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 77.8 · Feb 64 · Mar 54.4 · Apr 48.7 · May 54 · Jun 63.1 · Jul 66 · Aug 79.9 · Sep 83.5 · Oct 101.4 · Nov 94.7 · Dec 99.1 mm1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station BLACKPOOL17Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in United Kingdom

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United Kingdom cities
Stevenage94,470 residentsSouthport94,440 residentsBath94,080 residentsHarlow93,580 residentsSutton Coldfield93,375 residentsHemel Hempstead95,985 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Preston?

The published population was 94,490 people in March 2021. Source: Census 2021 usual resident population count for the exact Built Up Area (BUA), England excluding London or Wales.5

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Preston residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport76.3%Foreign residents23.7%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Area19.82 km²Dec 2022ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley5Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
City area19.82 km²Dec 2022Exact 2022 Built Up Area polygon area for BUA22CD in EPSG:27700, converted from square metres to km2.4Official
Foreign residents22,395 people21 Mar 2021Exact BUA non-UK-born population derived as the sum of the published Europe: EU countries and Non-EU countries (including British Overseas) counts.5Official
GP practices per 10,000 residents1.27 per 10,000 people7 Jul 2026NHS ODS GP Practices report + ONSPD Live postcode coordinates6Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Schools per 10,000 residents4.76 per 10,000 people7 Jul 2026DfE Get Information About Schools all establishments extract3Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Population density4,767 people/km²21 Mar 2021www.ons.gov.uk5Official · built-up-area figure
Population94,490 people21 Mar 2021Census 2021 usual resident population count for the exact Built Up Area (BUA), England excluding London or Wales.5Official

International community in Preston

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Usual residents living in the individual ONS Built-up Area on Census Day 21 March 2021 · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Europe: United Kingdom72,09576.3%
Non-EU countries (including British Overseas)14,23015.1%
Europe: EU countries8,1658.6%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source5

Is Preston a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker59%strong on work, weak on safety · range 50–68%
Skilled employee64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 56–72%
Student64%strong on education, weak on safety · range 56–72%
Family57%strong on family, weak on cost · range 49–65%
Retirement55%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 45–65%
Foreign residents22,395 people21 Mar 2021Official source · Exact BUA non-UK-born population derived as the sum of the published Europe: EU countries and Non-EU countries (including British Overseas) counts.
Population94,490 people21 Mar 2021Official source · Census 2021 usual resident population count for the exact Built Up Area (BUA), England excluding London or Wales.
NO₂ — latest reading6.36 µg/m³14 Jul 2026Official source · official hourly station observations exist only where a source station has an exact target relation
Dwellings37,665 count21 Mar 2021Official source · ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley
Gigabit broadband availability90.73 %Not statedIndependent source · www.ofcom.org.uk
Employment rate54.7 %21 Mar 2021Official source · ONS Census 2021 towns and cities dataset Figure 9 individual BUA employment row for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Owner-occupied homes48.64 %21 Mar 2021ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley5Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
GP practices12 count7 Jul 2026NHS ODS GP Practices report + ONSPD Live postcode coordinates6Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Residents born abroad23.7 %21 Mar 2021ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley5Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct27.6 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics8Official
G09 Total Workers 16plus41,275 workers31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics8Official
Median age33 years21 Mar 2021ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley5Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Universities1 count3 Aug 2026Office for Students9Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Preston under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Preston?

The published population was 94,490 people in March 2021. Source: Census 2021 usual resident population count for the exact Built Up Area (BUA), England excluding London or Wales..

Is the air quality good in Preston?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.1 µg/m³ (2025) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: official estimated total annual mean background concentration.

How safe is Preston?

Police recorded about 9,866 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Office for National Statistics.

What is the unemployment rate in Preston?

The unemployment rate is 4 % (January 2023). Source: www.ons.gov.uk.

What is the typical salary around Preston?

The median gross salary is 3,427 EUR/month. Source: www.ons.gov.uk.

How many foreign residents live in Preston?

22,395 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Exact BUA non-UK-born population derived as the sum of the published Europe: EU countries and Non-EU countries (including British Overseas) counts..

Is Preston a good place to live?

Preston may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Europe: EU countries live in Preston?

The official country of birth distribution records 8,165 people (8.6%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Preston, United Kingdom: rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/preston/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_preston-united-kingdom-rent-salary-jobs_3971d4a6ebe1,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Preston, United Kingdom: rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/preston/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Preston, United Kingdom: rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/preston/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. data.police.uk all-crime polygon replay, filtered to Burglary data.police.uk · checked 2026-07-07
  2. Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  3. DfE Get Information About Schools all establishments extract get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-07
  4. Exact 2022 Built Up Area polygon area for BUA22CD in EPSG:27700, converted from square metres to km2. services1.arcgis.com · checked 2026-07-15
  5. Exact BUA non-UK-born population derived as the sum of the published Europe: EU countries and Non-EU countries (including British Overseas) counts. ons.gov.uk · checked 2021-03-21
  6. NHS ODS GP Practices report + ONSPD Live postcode coordinates digital.nhs.uk · checked 2026-07-07
  7. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
  8. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-07
  9. Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  10. official estimated total annual mean background concentration uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-15
Show 10 more sources
  1. official estimated total annual mean background concentration uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-15
  2. official estimated total annual mean background concentration uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-15
  3. official hourly station observations exist only where a source station has an exact target relation uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-15
  4. ONS Census 2021 towns and cities dataset Figure 9 individual BUA employment row for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-05
  5. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  6. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  7. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station BLACKPOOL WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  8. www.ons.gov.uk ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-27
  9. www.ons.gov.uk ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-26
  10. www.ofcom.org.uk ofcom.org.uk · checked 2026-07-15

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