Dunward Lodge building, 2015
Prospect’s story
189 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1837Prospect is settled
ProspectOH
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
1,056
2025 Census estimate · −1.4% since 2020
Typical home
$264K
+4.6% in a year
Household income
$71K
median
Median age
31.4
years
Jobs based here
116
A commuter town
Is Prospect a good place to live?
Prospect’s best subject grades are a B+ for history and civic life; its weakest is a C for hazard risk. Only 134 of Ohio’s 1,718 towns score lower on hazard risk. Prospect’s median age is 31.4 years, below both Ohio’s towns (41.7 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Prospect has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
WeakestCHazard risk
What makes Prospect stand out
Where Prospect beats most towns.
Small town
1,056 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Prospect grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Prospect is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →HealthMarion General Hospital 8.7 miles awayBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.2 of 20; 2.4% of households have no car; 1.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →Jobs & income$71K median household incomeB−Open →SchoolsBeat 51% of Ohio districts on tests and graduationB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsCOpen →History1 notable person born hereB+Open →Civic life3.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Prospect: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Prospect, and how to reach them.
PowerProspect CorporationEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterAqua Ohio - MarionNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Prospect’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, Marion County Board of ElectionsMarion County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2019
ZIP code4334243342 100%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 Prospect.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Prospect stands out in Ohio and nationally: a smaller share of its working residents work locally
0.9% of working residents work locally in Prospect, below both the Ohio town median (6.9%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Jobs based in Prospect fell to 116 in 2023, 27 fewer than in 2013. Prospect’s average trip to work is 30 minutes.
1%work in town
| Prospect | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.9% | 6.9% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Prospect1%
Delaware11%
Columbus11%
Marion9%
Marion Township7%
21 mi
median commute distance
116
jobs based in Prospect
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 46% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
High risk in Prospect, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 68% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 55 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Prospect.
68risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
55
paid flood claims since 1978
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Prospect, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Prospect has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 20° and about 26 inches of snow falls in a winter.
26″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–38°
Spring40–61°
Summer61–83°
Fall43–64°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 25
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB
Prospect is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns
Prospect beats the Ohio average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 41% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Prospect.
58%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Prospect | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 23% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 20% | 19% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Ohio
7 better24 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Prospect | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.3% | 14.1% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6% | 8.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19% | 15.3% |
Marion General Hospital
8.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade B
A typical Prospect home is worth about $264K
The typical Prospect home is worth about $264,000, up 4.6% in a year, 7% above the Ohio typical home.
$264KZillow home value
| Prospect | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,072 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 77% | 73% |
Typical home value
Prospect$264K
Ohio$246K
+4.6%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 463 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Prospect Community Park | — | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 49 attractions →Ohio Stadium and 34 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Prospect. Close and well known come first.
Big draw32 mi Stadium & arenaOhio Stadium
9 mi LandmarkHarding Tomb
21 mi Zoo & aquariumColumbus Zoo and Aquarium
32 mi Stadium & arenaHistoric Crew Stadium
35 mi Stadium & arenaScottsMiracle-Gro Field
29 mi MountainCampbell HillSources: 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 · Harding Tomb: User:Postdlf, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Columbus Zoo and Aquarium: Adolphus79 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Historic Crew Stadium: Rick Dikeman, CC BY-SA 3.0 · ScottsMiracle-Gro Field: Nova Crystallis, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Campbell Hill: Analogue Kid (talk)., CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Prospect
19pages on Prospect
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Prospect
Ohio State University-Marion CampusUniversity or college · Public · Marion9.9 mi$9,488 in-state tuitionMarion Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Marion9.9 mi$6,595 in-state tuitionOhio Wesleyan UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Delaware12.5 mi$53,888 tuition
About 8 of every 100 Prospect residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Prospect for work
Where Prospect’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
116jobs based in Prospect
1%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Prospect
Village in Ohio, United States
Prospect is a village in Marion County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,067 at the 2020 census. The village is served by Elgin Local School District.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 909 ft
- ZIP code
- 43342
Questions about Prospect
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Prospect, OH expensive?
That is 4.4 years of the area's median household income ($59,371 across the Marion, OH area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.