Village · Missouri
Preston, Missouri
Preston, village, in Hickory County, Missouri. Preston had 181 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 10.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 157 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 331 (±149). GEOID 2959870.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
181
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 157 · ACS 2020-2024: 331 ±149
Median household income
$40,417
±$17,492 (90% margin)
Missouri: $70,702
Median home value
$179,900
±$51,992 (90% margin)
Missouri: $230,300
Median gross rent
$577
±$44 (90% margin)
Missouri: $1,033
Where is Preston and what county is it in?
Preston is a village in Hickory County, Missouri. It covers 0.8 square miles of land, 208 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Preston, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 181 people lived in Preston on July 1, 2025, up 10.4% since 2020, faster than Missouri (+1.9%). The 2020 Census counted 157 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 331 (±149). The survey estimate is more than double the 2020 count: in a place this small the survey reaches a few dozen households, and a few of them can move the estimate a long way.
| Measure | Preston | Hickory County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 331 ±149 | 8,585 | no clear change |
| Households | 135 ±60 | 3,601 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.45 ±0.74 | 2.34 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 138 ±60 | 5,480 | no clear change |
Preston's population since 2000
From 113 in 2000 to 181 in 2025: up 60.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Preston as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Preston?
The median resident of Preston is 37.6 years old; 21.8% are under 18 and 18.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 90.9%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 7.9%.
| Measure | Preston | Hickory County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.6 ±15.1 | 55.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 21.8% ±10.6 pts | 17.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 18.1% ±10.1 pts | 32.3% | – |
| Male | 42.0% ±9.6 pts | 50.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.2% ±2.3 pts | 1.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 90.9% ±10.1 pts | 93.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±10.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±10.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±10.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±10.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 7.9% ±10.2 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±10.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±10.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.3% ±4.4 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.9% ±2.1 pts | 12.5% | – |
| With a disability | 26.9% ±11.7 pts | 25.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 22.4% ±10.5 pts | 13.2% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.1% ±7.5 pts | 87.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 3.7% ±3.5 pts | 12.8% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.6% ±3.2 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 80.9% ±15.6 pts | 89.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±10.2 pts | 1.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Preston earn?
Half of Preston's 135 households earn less than $40,417 a year (±$17,492), against $39,390 in Hickory County and $70,702 in Missouri. In 2015-2019 it was $32,441 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 30.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Preston | Hickory County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $40,417 ±$17,492 | $39,390 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $46,159 ±$12,807 | $54,402 | – |
| Per capita income | $18,578 ±$5,575 | $24,107 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 30.8% ±16.5 pts | 19.8% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 19.4% ±25.0 pts | 17.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 18.5% ±12.7 pts | 11.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 85.2% ±16.7 pts | 85.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 66.7% ±17.1 pts | 71.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Preston?
Owners occupy 61.5% of Preston's occupied homes and renters 38.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $179,900 by its owner (±$51,992). The median renter pays $577 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Preston | Hickory County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $179,900 ±$51,992 | $176,100 | +$92,644 |
| Median gross rent | $577 ±$44 | $648 | −$267 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 8.1% ±13.4 pts | 50.2% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $994 ±$164 | $1,072 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 61.5% ±17.7 pts | 82.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 38.5% ±17.7 pts | 17.6% | – |
| Housing units | 138 ±60 | 5,480 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±32.9 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±42.7 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 65.9% ±18.0 pts | 69.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 25.4% ±15.7 pts | 26.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±22.2 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±22.2 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 8.7% ±7.6 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 19.3% ±18.0 pts | 5.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Preston work and get to work?
69.6% of Preston's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 40.4 minutes.
| Measure | Preston | Hickory County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 59.5% ±12.7 pts | 41.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 10.4% ±9.8 pts | 13.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 69.6% ±21.6 pts | 77.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 22.5% ±22.1 pts | 14.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±22.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 3.6% ±4.0 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.3% ±5.8 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 40.4 min ±16.2 | 30.7 min | +18.4 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Preston?
No census tract lies mostly in Preston; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4701Hickory County | 2,889 | $37,297 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Preston) · Census block assignment files
How does Preston compare with other places in Missouri?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Preston is the 16,787th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 693rd-most populous of 936 in Missouri.
Preston is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 693rd | 936 |
Preston's figures with every place in Missouri (CSV)
Every place in Missouri, sortable · Compare Preston with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Preston?
27 of the 57 figures for Preston on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Preston are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Preston.