Counterfactual
The Parallel Lives of Preston and Wade
In 1,131 boys, Preston found its level. 50 years earlier, Wade occupied that same statistical address.
1880–2025
Preston
Peak year
2007
Peak births
3,797
Latest count
1,131
Status
Declining
Peak generation
Gen Z
1880–2025
Wade
Peak year
1970
Peak births
1,423
Latest count
948
Status
Stable
Peak generation
Gen X
In 1,131 boys, Preston found its level. 50 years earlier, Wade occupied that same address. One peaked in the Gen X era; the other in the Gen Z world. They never met. But the data remembers them both.