Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Prospect’s average trip to work is 33 minutes, against 25 minutes in Maine’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Fort Knox State Park and Marsh School. Prospect has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Prospect beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 770 in 1800, a low of 288 in 1930, 698 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 4 maps from 1900 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Prospect, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Prospect.
Since 2013, Prospect has lost 34 jobs, to 12 in 2023. The top destinations are Belfast (22%), Bangor (14%) and Searsport (10%). Half commute less than 16 miles.
| Prospect | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 7.3% | 9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Prospect has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. At 78°F, Prospect’s July high is below both Maine’s towns (79°F) and U.S. towns (85°F).
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Prospect beats the Maine average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 17% of adults report frequent physical distress in Prospect.
| Prospect | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 81% | 79% |
| What stands out | Prospect | ME |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.4% | 76.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.4% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
4.9 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Howard L. Mendall Wildlife Management Area, at 592 acres. The trail density in Prospect is 0.2 miles per square mile.
| Prospect | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 8.9% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fort Knox State Historic Site | 1 mi | 40 |
| 2. Mount Tuck Preserve | 0.4 mi | 49 |
| 3. Howard L. Mendall Wildlife Management Area | 0.3 mi | 592 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Prospect. Close and well known come first.
Big draw27 mi National ParkAcadia National Park4.1M visitors a year
in town LandmarkFort Knox
35 mi MountainCadillac Mountain
36 mi LighthouseBass Harbor Head Light
34 mi MuseumFarnsworth Art Museum28 mi Ski areaCamden Snow Bowl31 runs · 836 ft verticalAcadia National Park: Plh1234us, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Knox: Unknown, Public domain · Cadillac Mountain: The original uploader was NightThree at English Wikipedia., CC BY 2.0 · Bass Harbor Head Light: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Farnsworth Art Museum: Panoramio user MementoMori, CC BY 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Prospect
About 2 of every 100 Prospect residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
Where Prospect’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in Maine, United States
Prospect is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 698 at the 2020 census. The most prominent landmark in Prospect is Fort Knox, a large 19th-century fort. It is now a major tourist attraction, as is the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Prospect has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
