Broad Street in New Rome, 2016
Prairie Township’s story
Prairie Township in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1842 and 5 maps from 1923 on.
Explore the history →Prairie TownshipOH
A town of 16,899.
Population
16,899
2025 Census estimate · −3% since 2020
Median home value
$215K
Census ACS
Household income
$74K
median
Median age
37.9
years
Jobs based here
5,290
A commuter town
TownGrade
B+
#361 of 987 in OH
Is Prairie Township a good place to live?
Prairie Township is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades B+ overall, ranked 361st of 987 in Ohio, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is incomes: the median household earns $74K. A typical home there costs about $215K, 2.6 years of the Columbus metro’s $82K median household income. Only 137 of Ohio’s 1,718 towns score higher on walkability. Prairie Township's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 93% of U.S. towns. Only 143 of Ohio’s 1,718 towns score higher on the outdoors.
What makes Prairie Township stand out
Where Prairie Township beats most towns.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Prairie Township for work
Where Prairie Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
5,290jobs based in Prairie Township
2%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Prairie Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Prairie Township is from typical.
Jobs & income5,290 jobs based hereA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.5 of 20; 6.4% of households have no carA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 28% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →SchoolsC+Open →HealthDoctors Hospital 2.8 miles awayBOpen →Cost of livingB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors8% conserved landA−Open →History1 notable person born hereC−Open →Civic life0.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 57 attractions →Ohio Stadium and 34 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Prairie Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw10 mi Stadium & arenaOhio Stadium
9 mi Stadium & arenaScottsMiracle-Gro Field
11 mi Stadium & arenaHistoric Crew Stadium
10 mi Stadium & arenaValue City Arena
15 mi Zoo & aquariumColumbus Zoo and Aquarium
13 mi MuseumOhio Governor's MansionSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Ohio Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · ScottsMiracle-Gro Field: Nova Crystallis, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Historic Crew Stadium: Rick Dikeman, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Value City Arena: Nick81aku at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Columbus Zoo and Aquarium: Adolphus79 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Ohio Governor's Mansion: Bwsmith84 (talk), CC BY 3.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Prairie Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Prairie Township, and how to reach them.
PowerAEP Ohio19.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterColumbus Public Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Prairie Township’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Ohio you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereDirector, Franklin County Board of ElectionsFranklin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP codes43228, 4311943228 58% · 43119 41%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Prairie Township.
OutdoorsA−
Conserved land covers 8.1% of Prairie Township
In the comparison, Prairie Township comes above both Ohio’s towns (3.7%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). 10 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Darby Plains/Wet Prairie Restoration Area, 569 acres with 3.1 miles of trail.
#213for trails in OH
| Prairie Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 8.1% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
8.1%
conserved · 954 of 11,704 acres
10 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Darby Plains/Wet Prairie Restoration Area | 3.1 mi | 569 |
| 2. Lakota Park | 0.2 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsC+
On state tests, Prairie Township’s schools trail 59% of Ohio districts
Its public schools are run by the South-Western City school district. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Westland High School, with 1,853 students.
41%of OH districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norton Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 583 | C |
| Westland High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,853 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
About half of Prairie Township’s working residents commute to Columbus
Most working residents leave Prairie Township for work: only 2% work in town. At 21 minutes, Prairie Township’s average trip to work is below both the Ohio town median (24 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). 15% of Prairie Township workers work from home.
2%work in town
| Prairie Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 15% | 9.7% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 6.9% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.3% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Prairie Township2%
Columbus47%
Dublin5%
Grove City4%
Hilliard4%
11 mi
median commute distance
5,290
jobs based in Prairie Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 78% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Prairie Township
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Prairie Township.
28risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesHeat waves
7
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Prairie Township
Prairie Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 21° and about 24 inches of snow falls in a winter.
24″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–39°
Spring41–63°
Summer62–83°
Fall44–65°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 20
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Younger than Ohio overall
People 65 and older are 13% of residents (18% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 43% of residents (38% statewide). 25% of residents are under 18 in Prairie Township. Prairie Township has lost 3% of its people since 2020, down to 16,899 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
37.9median age · OH 39.7
| Prairie Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 20% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 25% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 37.9 years | 41.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 23% | 24% | 29% |
Prairie TownshipOhioUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma12%
High school39%
Some college20%
Associate’s7%
Bachelor’s16%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.2 points. Across Ohio, 50.7% of residents are women. Median age: women 38.9, men 37.1.
| Prairie Township | OH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.2% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.1% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.1% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.8% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.3% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.8% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9% | 10.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.6% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.6% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 38.5% | 32.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.8% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.9% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.6% | 19.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.6% | 12.2% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
59%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Ohio
10 better19 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Prairie Township | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.2% | 7.1% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.8% | 3.7% |
| More binge drinkers | 19.3% | 16.6% |
Doctors Hospital
2.8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
70th
percentile among OH towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Prairie Township
19pages on Prairie Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
7 within 15 miles of the center of Prairie Township
Mount Carmel College of NursingUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Columbus8.8 mi$22,080 tuitionOhio State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Columbus10.4 mi$13,244 in-state tuitionFranklin UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Columbus10.5 mi$9,577 tuition
About 6 of every 100 Prairie Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Ohio.
About Prairie Township
Township in Ohio, US
Prairie Township is one of the seventeen townships of Franklin County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 17,415. Prairie Township is on the far west side of Franklin County touching the east side of Madison County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 19 sq mi
- Elevation
- 919 ft
Prairie Township’s neighbors
10 towns share a border with Prairie Township.
It grades higher overall than all 7 graded towns on its borders; West Jefferson (B) comes closest.
ColumbusJefferson TownshipLake DarbyLincoln VillageWest JeffersonBrown TownshipFranklin TownshipPleasant TownshipNorwich TownshipJackson TownshipPrairie Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Township | #361 | B+ | B− | — | C+ | B |
| Columbus | #933 | D | C | D | C | B− |
| Jefferson Township | #476 | B | B+ | — | B− | C+ |
| Lake Darby | #740 | C+ | C− | — | B− | B+ |
| Lincoln Village | #550 | B− | B | — | C+ | C− |
| West Jefferson | #427 | B | A− | B | B− | B− |
| Brown Township | #569 | B− | C− | — | B | A |
| Franklin Township | #821 | C | B− | — | C+ | D |
Prairie Township, Jefferson Township, Lake Darby, Lincoln Village, Brown Township and Franklin Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Prairie Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Prairie Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Prairie Township, OH a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Prairie Township grades B+ overall, better than 69% of U.S. towns and #361 of 987 in Ohio. It grades B for health and C+ for schools.
Is Prairie Township, OH expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.