1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Pennsylvania - Butler County - Franklin - ED 10-55, 1880
Prospect’s story
229 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1880.
- 1797Prospect is settled
ProspectPA
A town of 1,086, settled in 1797.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
1,086
2025 Census estimate · −3.9% since 2020
Typical home
$298K
−2.6% in a year
Household income
$88K
median
Median age
43.5
years
Jobs based here
143
A commuter town
Is Prospect a good place to live?
Prospect’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and schools; its weakest is a C for walkability. On cost of living, just 99 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns do better. Prospect has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Prospect stand out
Where Prospect beats most towns.
Typical home value
Prospect$298K
Pennsylvania$287K
Cost of livingA
3.9 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 94% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Slippery Rock Area SD schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Moraine El Sch | K–5 | 349 |
SchoolsA
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Natural hazardsA
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Small town
1,086 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Franklin TownshipProspect
How Prospect grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Prospect is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →SchoolsAOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 12% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →Jobs & income$88K median household incomeA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.5 of 20; 5% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →HealthIndependence Health System Butler Memorial Hospita 5.5 miles awayBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 8% conserved landB+Open →History1 notable person born hereBOpen →Civic life6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateCold winters, 83° summer afternoons, 35″ of snow–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 43.5; 22% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
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.
PowerCentral Electric Coop16.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCoral Ridge Estates MHP1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Prospect’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereButler County Board of ElectionsButler County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code1605216052 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Prospect.
SchoolsA
Public schools in Prospect beat 92% of Pennsylvania districts
Its public schools are run by Slippery Rock Area SD. Its one school is below.
92%of PA districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moraine El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 349 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Very low risk in Prospect, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 88% of U.S. communities. Since 2004, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Prospect.
12risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 2004
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Prospect has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Prospect for work: only 1% work in town. Since 2013, Prospect has lost 51 jobs, to 143 in 2023. 5.8% of residents live below the poverty line in Prospect, near the Pennsylvania town median (7.6%) and below the median of U.S. towns (9.6%).
1%work in town
| Prospect | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.2% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.8% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $88,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Prospect1%
Pittsburgh11%
Butler Township9%
Butler7%
Cranberry Township6%
16 mi
median commute distance
143
jobs based in Prospect
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 28% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Prospect, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Prospect has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Prospect’s July high is 83°F, against 85°F in Pennsylvania’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns.
35″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–38°
Spring37–60°
Summer58–81°
Fall42–63°
Oct 14
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB
Prospect is healthier than 61% of U.S. towns
Prospect beats the Pennsylvania average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 20% of adults binge drink in Prospect.
61%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Prospect | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 5.6% | 6.9% | 8.1% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
1 better24 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Prospect | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.3% | 14.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10% | 8.8% |
Independence Health System Butler Memorial Hospita
5.5 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Safety
Compared with most of Pennsylvania and the rest of the country, property crime in Prospect is lower
Prospect’s property crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents. Prospect's reported crime rate is well below Pennsylvania's. No violent crimes were reported in 2024.
| Prospect | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 6.8 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.7 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Prospect0
Pennsylvania2.5
U.S.3.6
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Prospect0
Pennsylvania14.7
U.S.17.7
0
violent crimes reported in 2024
0
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
8.5%conserved
| Prospect | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 8.5% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
8.5%
conserved · 221 of 2,599 acres
1.7 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade A
Homes in Prospect are worth about $298K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Prospect home is worth about $298,000, down 2.6% in a year, close to the Pennsylvania typical home. 91% of Prospect households own their home.
$298KZillow home value
| Prospect | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 91% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $873 a month | $1,115 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Prospect$298K
Pennsylvania$287K
−2.6%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in March
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Prospect
20pages on Prospect
The big questions
SchoolsABeat 92% of PA districts · 1 schoolSafety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2024)HealthBBetter than PA on 1 of 26 CDC measuresCost of livingA$298K typical home · down 2.6% in a yearWork & commuteA−$88K median household income · 143 jobs hereNatural hazardsAFEMA risk higher than 12% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Prospect
Butler County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Butler8.6 mi$5,910 in-state tuitionSlippery Rock University of PennsylvaniaUniversity or college · Public · Slippery Rock11.3 mi$10,568 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Prospect residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Prospect for work
Where Prospect’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
143jobs based in Prospect
1%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Prospect
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Prospect is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, Prospect had a population of 1,123.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1797
- Area
- 4.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,368 ft
- ZIP code
- 16052
Questions about Prospect
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Prospect, PA expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.