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Living in Preston

In Preston, the median gross salary is €3,702 a month (2025), tenants pay an average rent of €923 a month (2026) and unemployment is 4% (2023).

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.

Last checked 2026-09-2337 sources

Population94,490people21 Mar 2021Official source · Census 2021 usual resident population count for the exact Built Up Area (BUA), England excluding London or Wales.
Median gross salary3,702EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · Annual survey of hours and earnings - workplace analysis, NOMIS table NM_99_1 (ONS)
Average rent922.8EUR/month31 Aug 2026Official source · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority
Unemployment rate4%country median 3.4% — 18% aboveOfficial source · www.ons.gov.uk
Recorded crime9,866offences per 100,000country median 9,646 — 2% aboveOfficial source · Office for National Statistics
PM2.5, annual mean6.1µg/m³country median 6.5 — 6% belowOfficial source · official estimated total annual mean background concentration

Higher unemployment than 68% of United Kingdom cities that publish it and cleaner air than 71% 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 figure is published for Preston. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Preston recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€24
Mobile plan, 10 GB€13
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited24.02 EUR/month30 Sept 2026BT Full Fibre 1502Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB12.87 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Three 100GB one-month data pack23Official · national market
Dwellings37,665 count21 Mar 2021ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Rent price index, mean922.8 EUR/month31 Aug 2026Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics, 16 September 2026 edition22Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)922.8 EUR/month31 Aug 2026ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority19Official

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 worker55%strong on work, weak on safety · range 47–63%
Skilled employee63%strong on work, weak on safety · range 55–71%
Student45%strong on education, weak on work · range 38–52%
Family56%strong on family, weak on cost · range 48–64%
Retirement53%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 44–62%

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Preston?

The median gross salary is about 3,702 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table.

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.

  • Median gross salary: 3,702 EUR/month · Annual survey of hours and earnings - workplace analysis, NOMIS table NM_99_1 (ONS)1
  • Median gross salary (regional): 2,878 EUR/month · 2026-09-17 · www.ons.gov.uk26

What is the unemployment rate in Preston?

The unemployment rate is 4 % (January 2023). Source: www.ons.gov.uk27

Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Preston is 4.0%. Of 999 cities with data, 652 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Gigabit broadband availability90.73 %Not statedwww.ofcom.org.uk37Supplemental 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 Langley18Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Superfast broadband availability99.36 %Not statedwww.ofcom.org.uk37Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross salary3,702 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Annual survey of hours and earnings - workplace analysis, NOMIS table NM_99_1 (ONS)1Official
Median gross salary (regional)2,878 EUR/month31 Dec 2024www.ons.gov.uk26Official
Unemployment rate4 %country median 3.4%31 Dec 2023www.ons.gov.uk27Official
Unemployment rate over time8 published observations, 2004–2023

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

What does a salary buy in Preston?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Preston median gross pay: €3,702 (Annual survey of hours and earnings - workplace analysis, NOMIS table NM_99_1 (ONS), 2025-12-31).
Left over each month€2,047of €3,007 take-home
  • Rent
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.€3,007
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority · 2026-08-31− €923
Internet€24 · official · BT Full Fibre 150 · 2026-09-30− €24
Mobile plan€13 · official · Three 100GB one-month data pack · 2026-09-30− €13
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish€2,047
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Preston Salary needed to live in Preston

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 extract5Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Primary schools122 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)4Official
Schools177 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)4Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 5 to 16, and public school is free.

A country-wide rule for United Kingdom; Preston's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: legislation.gov.uk · 1996–2026.

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
GP practices62 count30 Sept 2026ODS GP Practices report (epraccur)9Official
Pharmacies62 count30 Sept 2026ODS Pharmacy/Dispensaries report (edispensary)10Official

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.

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 Statistics11
Recorded crime across major citiesPreston highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Preston highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Manchester14,267
Bristol13,099
Liverpool12,409
Leeds11,462
Birmingham11,416
Leicester11,001
Preston9,866
Sheffield9,693
Cardiff9,379
Belfast9,156
Glasgow757
Edinburgh549
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents9,866 offences per 100,000country median 9,64631 Dec 2024Office for National Statistics11Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents5,658 per 100,000Apr 2026data.police.uk all-crime polygon replay, filtered to Burglary3Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Burglary per 100,000 residents500.6 per 100,00030 Apr 2026data.police.uk all-crime polygon replay, filtered to Burglary3Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport48 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights20Official
Distance to the nearest major airport49 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports21Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)LPL3 Aug 2026OurAirports21Official

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 concentration16

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
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

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 941 cities with data, 487 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean9.64 µg/m³country median 7.22025official estimated total annual mean background concentration14Official
NO₂ — latest reading6.36 µg/m³14 Jul 2026official hourly station observations exist only where a source station has an exact target relation17Official
PM10 — annual mean10.8 µg/m³country median 11.32025official estimated total annual mean background concentration15Official
PM2.5 — annual mean6.1 µg/m³country median 6.52025official estimated total annual mean background concentration16Official
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 BLACKPOOL25Official · 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 BLACKPOOL25Official · 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 BLACKPOOL25Official · 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 BLACKPOOL25Official · nearest-station reading

Similar climate. In United Kingdom: Birkenhead ±0.3 °C. Elsewhere: Cork (Ireland) ±0.7 °C, Saanich (Canada) ±1.2 °C, Brugge (Belgium) ±0.7 °C, Neustadt in Holstein (Germany) ±1.5 °C, Bremerhaven (Germany) ±1.5 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

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.7

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

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 Langley7Official 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 km2.6Official
Foreign-resident share23.7 %21 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.7Official
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.7Official
GP practices per 10,000 residents1.27 per 10,000 people7 Jul 2026NHS ODS GP Practices report + ONSPD Live postcode coordinates8Official 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 extract5Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Population density4,767 people/km²21 Mar 2021www.ons.gov.uk7Official · 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.7Official

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 source7

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 Langley7Official 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 Langley7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher27.6 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics12Official
Workers aged 16 and over41,275 workers31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics12Official
Median age33 years21 Mar 2021ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Universities1 count3 Aug 2026Office for Students13Official

Alternatives for people set on Preston

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Bedford as a Preston alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 235 km, better on 1 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

  • Median gross pay, region: €3,452 Bedford vs €2,878 Preston+20%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 7,668 (2025) Bedford vs 9,866 (2024) Prestonno percentage
  • Unemployment: 4.2% Bedford vs 4.0% Preston+5%
Full comparisonMore about Bedford

Cities near Preston

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Alternative cities in United Kingdom

Other cities in United Kingdom to compare with Preston, nearest in population first.

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

How does Preston compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Preston's.

Open the full comparison

Preston in rankings

#10 of 21 in Most international cities in United Kingdom #14 of 30 in Highest salary cities in United Kingdom #17 of 30 in Cities with cleanest air in United Kingdom

Put Preston's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

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 typical salary in Preston?

The median gross salary is about 3,702 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table. Source: Annual survey of hours and earnings - workplace analysis, NOMIS table NM_99_1 (ONS).

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 2,878 EUR/month. Source: www.ons.gov.uk.

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.

Which cities are near Preston?

Clayton-le-Woods, Leyland, Longridge, Freckleton, Chorley are near Preston. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Europe: United Kingdom live in Preston?

The official country of birth distribution records 72,095 people (76.3%) 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, October 25). Preston, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 162a2a4e680d1ef5b36034196a95818a]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/preston/ Retrieved 2026-10-25. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_preston-united-kingdom-population-rent-salary-jobs_6963d79969bb,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Preston, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-25},
  version = {162a2a4e680d1ef5b36034196a95818a},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/preston/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-25. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Preston, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/preston/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 162a2a4e680d1ef5b36034196a95818a; retrieved 2026-10-25; built 2026-10-25.

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. Annual survey of hours and earnings - workplace analysis, NOMIS table NM_99_1 (ONS) nomisweb.co.uk · checked 2026-09-18
  2. BT Full Fibre 150 bt.com · checked 2026-09-15
  3. data.police.uk all-crime polygon replay, filtered to Burglary data.police.uk · checked 2026-07-07
  4. Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  5. DfE Get Information About Schools all establishments extract get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-07
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. NHS ODS GP Practices report + ONSPD Live postcode coordinates digital.nhs.uk · checked 2026-07-07
  9. ODS GP Practices report (epraccur) odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk · checked 2026-09-15
  10. ODS Pharmacy/Dispensaries report (edispensary) odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk · checked 2026-09-15
Show 27 more sources
  1. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
  2. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-07
  3. Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  4. official estimated total annual mean background concentration uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-15
  5. official estimated total annual mean background concentration uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-15
  6. official estimated total annual mean background concentration uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-15
  7. official hourly station observations exist only where a source station has an exact target relation uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-15
  8. 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
  9. ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-23
  10. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  11. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  12. Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics, 16 September 2026 edition ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-18
  13. Three 100GB one-month data pack three.co.uk · checked 2026-09-15
  14. Travel to Work Areas (December 2011) full extent boundaries in the United Kingdom services1.arcgis.com · checked 2026-09-19
  15. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station BLACKPOOL WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  16. www.ons.gov.uk ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-27
  17. www.ons.gov.uk ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-26
  18. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  19. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  20. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  21. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  22. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  23. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  24. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  25. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  26. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  27. www.ofcom.org.uk ofcom.org.uk · checked 2026-07-15

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