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Cost of living, pay and housing

41.50° N · 88.08° W · GEOID 1761860

Preston Heights

Will County, Illinois · part of the Chicago, IL metro

Limited data population under 5,000

IllinoisPreston Heights, ILPreston HeightsPreston Heights

The short answer

Preston Heights is home to 2,449 people. Median household income is $51,625 a year and median rent is $1,197 a month, 27.8% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $144,100, about 2.8x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,197
12% below the median place
Median household income
$51,625
36% below the median place
Median home value
$144,100
55% below the median place
Unemployment
4.9%
1% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Preston Heights

  • 8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 98% of the 2,473 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 335 Illinois places.
  • After the median rent, and with prices for everything else adjusted to the US average, the median household has about $36,600 a year left, less than in 93% of places its size.
  • 77% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 97% of places its size.
  • The median rent takes 27.8% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 91% of places its size.
  • Household income has grown 1% a year across the last five survey releases, slower than in 90% of places its size.
01

Moving to Preston Heights

Will County gains about 0.5 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in30,302
Moved out29,968
Net+334

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Cook County, IL12,8907,548+5,342
DuPage County, IL5,4693,886+1,583
Kendall County, IL1,0451,694−649
Grundy County, IL8411,236−395
Kane County, IL755814−59
Lake County, IN480834−354

Within Illinois, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within IllinoisOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$84K
Leavers$82K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Will County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
4.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.8% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Will County report $83,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $82,300.
Income you would need
$47,900 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,197 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,454 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $144,100.
Getting to work
23 minutes each way on average; 8.4% work from home; 2.0% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Crystal Lake, FL matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.8%
58% below the median place
Income of households moving out7
$82,337
17% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
4.6%
20% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasurePreston HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure4.6%20% below
Moved from another state1County figure0.8%58% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure0.5above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$83,70619% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$82,33717% above
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 77.4%, 53% above the median place.

Preston Heights27.8%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$47,880
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
27.8%
36% above the median place
Home price to income
2.8x
27% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
28%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$36,900
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Preston Heights, $1,197 a month, and local prices for everything else (101.9 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Preston Heights, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
West Livingston, TX23.5% vs 27.8%n/aCompare
Lincoln Village, OH23.3% vs 27.8%$6,000Compare
Westville, IN20.1% vs 27.8%$13,800Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Preston Heights.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Preston Heights? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
77.4%
53% above the median place
Median home value1
$144,100
55% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,454
22% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasurePreston HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,19712% below
Rent to income127.8%36% above
Property tax rate11.4%48% above
Home price to income12.8x27% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure103.63% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,01125% above
HUD area median income4County figure$121,50013% above
Property tax paid (median)1$1,94940% below
Median home value1$144,10055% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure4.6%44% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure52.5%2% above
Homeownership158.0%13% below
Renters paying 30%+177.4%53% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,45422% below
Vacant homes1County figure3.9%44% below
Median year built119690% below
03

Work and pay

Income per person is $25,593, 36% below the median place.

Income per person1
$25,593
36% below the median place
Poverty rate1
22.8%
111% above the median place
Median household income1
$51,625
36% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasurePreston HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$51,62536% below
Income per person1$25,59336% below
Unemployment1County figure4.9%1% above
Average annual pay6County figure$62,4185% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.1%16% below
Jobs6County figure267,86878% above
Poverty rate122.8%111% above
Mean commute123 min9% below
Works from home18.4%33% below
Commutes by transit1County figure2.0%141% above
04

Who lives here

Bachelor's or higher is 8.2%, 75% below the median place.

Bachelor's or higher1
8.2%
75% below the median place
High school or higher1
77.8%
16% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
84.3%
9% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance10.5% +64%
Born abroad12.4% +41%
Household size2.4 −4%
Median age39.4 +1%
All 8 people measures
MeasurePreston HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population12,4496646th largest
Median age139.41% above
Bachelor's or higher18.2%75% below
High school or higher177.8%16% below
Household size12.44% below
Born abroad112.4%41% above
No health insurance110.5%64% above
Homes with broadband184.3%9% below
05

Life in Preston Heights

38 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents8.2 −20%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars18.6 −11%
Shops23.8 −21%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.9 −5%
Doctors' offices and clinics23.8 +18%
Child care centers1.8 −22%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools11
206
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students11
112,659
above the median place (median 4,897)
Shops per 10k8
23.8
21% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasurePreston HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure206above (median 9)
Public school students11County figure112,659above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher11County figure14.37% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure18.611% below
Shops per 10k8County figure23.821% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure3.95% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure23.818% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.822% below
Parks per 10k98.220% below
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings10County figure38192% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Tornado risk is 99.2, 22% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Preston Heights. Larger places are fetched first.

Tornado risk13
99.2
22% above the median place
January average low12
16°F
35% below the median place
Hurricane risk13
26.2
63% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasurePreston HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure84°F3% below
January average low12County figure16°F35% below
Average temperature12County figure51°F8% below
Annual precipitation12County figure39.2 in11% below
Natural hazard risk13County figure97.35% above
Hurricane risk13County figure26.263% below
Tornado risk13County figure99.222% above
Wildfire risk13County figure56.28% below
Heat wave risk13County figure95.56% above
Median air quality index14County figure442% above
Good air days14County figure61.6%10% below
08

Preston Heights in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 28% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 28% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,197/mo (2024)$1,530/mo$1,260 to $1,870/mo+4.2%
Median household income$51,625 (2024)$65,000$55,000 to $77,000+3.9%
Median home value$144,100 (2024)$204,000$148,000 to $281,000+6.0%

The median home would be worth 3.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.8 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Preston Heights

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Crystal Lake, FL$1,181$49,424Compare
West Livingston, TX$1,212$61,943Compare
South Bay, FL$1,085$51,417Compare
Lincoln Village, OH$1,043$53,797Compare
Lincoln Village, OHSouth Bay, FLWest Livingston, TXCrystal Lake, FLPreston Heights, ILPreston HeightsCrystal LakeWest LivingstonSouth BayLincoln VillagePreston HeightsCrystal LakeWest LivingstonSouth BayLincoln Village

Common questions

Is Preston Heights a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 98% of the 2,473 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 335 Illinois places. After the median rent, and with prices for everything else adjusted to the US average, the median household has about $36,600 a year left, less than in 93% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 17 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Preston Heights expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 27.8% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $144,100.

What salary do you need to live in Preston Heights?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $47,880 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Preston Heights?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Crystal Lake, FL, West Livingston, TX, South Bay, FL and Lincoln Village, OH.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Preston Heights with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Preston Heights itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/preston-heights-illinois

Citytistics. “Preston Heights, Illinois.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/preston-heights-illinois/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.