Preston, Connecticut

Town · population 4,788 (2020 Census)

Median home: $361,900
Household income: $116,648
Jan low / Jul high: 21° / 84°
Snow a year: 28 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 2
Median age: 46.2

Preston is a town of 4,788 people, Connecticut. The median home is worth $361,900, close to the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). It ranks easier by car than 90% of Connecticut towns, better for families than 81% of Connecticut towns, quieter than 80% of Connecticut towns.

Preston in our rankings:

#5 in 25 Small Towns in Connecticut With the Fewest Tornadoes Since 1950

How Preston ranks

Percentile among Connecticut towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Connecticut towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Preston is worth $361,900, close to the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $116,648, which is more affordable than 74% of Connecticut towns. Median rent is $1,433 a month. 91.7% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Connecticut towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Preston	Typical Connecticut town
Median home value	$361,900	$376,000
Median rent	$1,433	$1,462
Median household income	$116,648	$109,167
Home value ÷ income	3.1×	3.6×
Homeownership	91.7%	80.3%
Median year built	1970	1969
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Preston

People	Preston	Typical Connecticut town
Median age	46.2	45.0
Age 65 and over	23.0%	20.6%
Under 18	18.7%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	28.5%	45.8%
Below the poverty line	2.4%	5.7%
Veterans	10.2%	—
Born outside the U.S.	3.7%	—
Work from home	10.3%	16.8%
Average commute	22.1 min	27.6 min
Homes with broadband	91.8%	93.8%

Weather in Preston

July highs average 84.1°F and January lows 21.2°F. About 52.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 27.8 inches of snow (typical Connecticut town: 39.0 in). Expect about 15 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 124 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Norwich Public Utility Plt station (3.1 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Preston since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Connecticut town. The strongest, an F1, struck on June 16, 2002 about 8.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on October 29, 2018.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 19 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on May 25, 2014.

Public schools in Preston

2 public schools with 444 students, about 13.9 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
Preston Veterans' Memorial School	PK-5	314	13.7
Preston Plains School	6-8	130	14.4

Towns near Preston

Norwich, CT
4.7 mi · 40,125 people · home $242,300
Lisbon, CT
5.8 mi · 4,195 people · home $315,700
Ledyard, CT
6.1 mi · 15,413 people · home $326,200
Jewett City, CT
6.3 mi · 3,328 people · home $196,900
Griswold, CT
6.4 mi · 11,402 people · home $275,900
North Stonington, CT
7.7 mi · 5,149 people · home $397,100
Oxoboxo River, CT
8.0 mi · 2,955 people · home $246,200
Montville, CT
8.6 mi · 18,387 people · home $285,600

Preston questions

Is Preston, Connecticut a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Preston scores better for retirees than 32% of Connecticut towns and quieter than 80%. 23.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.2).

How much does a house cost in Preston?

The median owner-occupied home in Preston is valued at $361,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $116,648, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $1,433 a month.

What is the weather like in Preston?

July highs average 84.1°F and January lows 21.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 52.2 inches of precipitation a year and 27.8 inches of snow.

Does Preston get tornadoes?

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Preston since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on June 16, 2002. The typical Connecticut town has had 8.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Preston's Census boundary (GEOID 0918062150). Comparisons use the median of Connecticut towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.