Living in Preston
Police recorded 108 crimes per 1,000 residents in Preston in the year to April 2026, well above the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Homes sell for a median of about £1,933 per m², well below the typical council in England and Wales (£3,342). 18.4% of households rent from the council or a housing association, close to the UK average of 17.5%. About 7.7% of homes are in areas where road or rail noise reaches 65 dB, against 6.9% across Great Britain. 65% of homes are within a five-minute walk of a public park (Great Britain: 56%).
Preston at a glance
| Measure | Preston | Comparison | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social housing (share of households) | 18.4% | UK 17.5% | 110th highest of 374 |
| Recorded crime per 1,000 residents | 108 | E, W & NI 82 | 40th highest of 327 |
| Anti-social behaviour per 1,000 residents | 39 | E, W & NI 16 | |
| Homes in areas with 65 dB+ road or rail noise | 7.7% | GB 6.9% | 292nd quietest of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a public park | 65% | GB 56% | 80th of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a play space | 65% | GB 60% | |
| Median house price per m² | £1,933 | E&W council median £3,342 | 293rd highest of 314 |
| Schools rated Good or Outstanding | 92% | E&W 87% | |
| Median broadband speed available | 1,000 Mbit/s | Council median 1,000 Mbit/s |
How much crime is there in Preston?
From May 2025 to April 2026, police recorded 16,036 crimes in Preston — 108 per 1,000 residents, well above the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the 40th highest of 327 councils. That is 1% more than in the previous 12 months. The most common offences were violence and sexual offences (45%), criminal damage and arson (10%) and shoplifting (9%). Police also logged 5,734 incidents of anti-social behaviour (39 per 1,000 residents).
Rates are per resident, so council areas with busy city centres, shopping or nightlife districts show higher rates than residents alone would suggest. See where crime is recorded on the map →
How much social housing is there in Preston?
Preston ranks 110th of 374 UK local authorities by social-housing share. Of its 59,584 households, 10,993 are social homes (18.4%) — renting from the council or a housing association, according to the 2021–22 Census.
How does Preston compare with the UK average?
At +1.0 percentage points versus the UK average of 17.5%, Preston sits close to the national level.
How noisy is Preston?
In Preston, about 7.7% of homes are in areas where modelled road or rail noise reaches 65 dB Lden or more — the level Defra and the WHO treat as high. The Great Britain average is 6.9%, and Preston is the 292nd quietest of 363 councils mapped.
Estimated from the official strategic noise maps: the share of each census area at 65 dB or more, weighted by its households. See noisy roads and railways on the map →
How close are parks in Preston?
65% of homes in Preston are within 400 m — about a five-minute walk — of a public park or garden, and 65% are that close to a children's play space. Across Great Britain the figures are 56% and 60%, which puts Preston 80th of 363 councils for access to a park.
Straight-line distance from the centre of each census area to the edge of the nearest site in OS Open Greenspace, weighted by households. See parks and play spaces on the map →
Schools, prices and more in Preston
What the map's other datasets say about Preston.
Schools
On the Department for Education's register, Preston has 82 schools — 74 state-funded and 8 independent. That includes 53 primary and 10 secondary schools. Of the 25 with a published Ofsted grade, 92% are Good or Outstanding.
Nurseries
There are 73 nurseries and pre-schools on Ofsted's childcare register in Preston, offering about 3,847 registered childcare places. Childminders are not counted — Ofsted withholds their addresses.
Deprivation
The median neighbourhood in Preston sits in decile 3 of 10 on its nation's deprivation index, and 45% of its 87 neighbourhoods fall in the most-deprived national fifth.
House prices
The median neighbourhood price is about £1,933 per m², from Land Registry sold prices matched to EPC floor areas.
Broadband
Median available download speed is about 1,000 Mbit/s — what can be ordered, not what residents have bought (Ofcom Connected Nations).
Explore Preston on the map
Areas with a similar share of social housing
Sources: 2021–22 Census (social housing); data.police.uk, May 2025 to April 2026 (crime); strategic noise maps, Round 4 (noise); OS Open Greenspace (parks) · Page updated 27 September 2026 · Download the data (CSV, all 374 councils).