The Town Files

Prospect, Pennsylvania

Borough in Butler County · population 1,123 (2020 Census)

Map: where Prospect is in PennsylvaniaProspect
Median home
$171,300
Household income
$88,250
Jan low / Jul high
17° / 82°
Snow a year
35 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
28
Median age
43.5

Prospect is a borough of 1,123 people in Butler County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $171,300, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks easier by car than 96% of Pennsylvania towns, better for retirees than 90% of Pennsylvania towns, better for families than 88% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Prospect ranks

Percentile among Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.

Prospect lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement90th pctFamilies88th pctQuiet81st pctWalkability9th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals24th pctVibrancy51st pctHip & trendy50th pctCollege town69th pctUpscale68th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit50th pctDriving96th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Prospect is worth $171,300, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 1.9 times the median household income of $88,250, which is more affordable than 91% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $873 a month. 90.6% of households own their home.

Prospect vs Butler County vs typical Pennsylvania townProspectButler CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$171,300$294,200$214,250Household income$88,250$89,843$75,278Monthly rent$873$1,041$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingProspectTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$171,300$214,250
Median rent$873$996
Median household income$88,250$75,278
Home value ÷ income1.9×2.8×
Homeownership90.6%81.5%
Median year built19711971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Prospect

PeopleProspectTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age43.544.2
Age 65 and over17.3%21.1%
Under 1817.2%—
Bachelor's degree or higher22.2%23.8%
Below the poverty line5.8%8.5%
Veterans7.4%—
Born outside the U.S.1.4%—
Work from home11.5%10.6%
Average commute27.3 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband93.6%89.0%

Weather in Prospect

July highs average 81.7°F and January lows 17.3°F. About 43.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 34.9 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 7 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 140 nights at or below freezing.

Prospect monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing34°17°Jan37°18°Feb46°25°Mar60°35°Apr70°45°May78°54°Jun82°58°Jul81°57°Aug74°50°Sep62°39°Oct50°30°Nov39°23°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.411.32.79.73.35.33.50.63.84.34.24.04.13.30.13.31.13.46.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Butler 2 Sw station (8.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

28 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Prospect since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 31, 1985 about 9.8 miles from the town center and killed 3. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 9 deaths and 124 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 21, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Prospect by decade21950s01960s21970s31980s31990s32000s42010s112020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 44 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 14, 2024.

Severe weather in Butler County since 1996

Storm events in Butler County since 1996 by typeHail170Flood40Tornado19High Wind17Ice Storm11Heavy Snow15Flash Flood77Strong Wind7
NOAA Storm Events Database, Butler County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Butler County has been included in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 30, 2020BiologicalDR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3441: Covid-19
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy
April 16, 2010SnowstormDR-1898: Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms
September 10, 2005HurricaneEM-3235: Hurricane Katrina

Jobs and pay in Butler County

Butler County had 88,461 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $65,579 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in 2023; in Prospect itself the ACS puts it at 5.1%.

Largest industries in Butler CountyHealth care & social assistan…13,924 jobs · $58,407Retail10,837 jobs · $37,650Manufacturing10,799 jobs · $84,267Hotels & restaurants7,681 jobs · $23,001Company management4,638 jobs · $132,748Wholesale trade4,548 jobs · $84,944
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Butler County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Butler 3.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Prospect

1 public school with 341 students, about 13.1 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Moraine El SchK-534113.1

Towns near Prospect

Prospect questions

Is Prospect, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Prospect scores better for retirees than 90% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 81%. 17.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.5).

How much does a house cost in Prospect?

The median owner-occupied home in Prospect is valued at $171,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $88,250, so homes cost about 1.9 times income. Median rent is $873 a month.

What is the weather like in Prospect?

July highs average 81.7°F and January lows 17.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 43.2 inches of precipitation a year and 34.9 inches of snow.

Does Prospect get tornadoes?

28 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Prospect since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 31, 1985. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Prospect's Census boundary (GEOID 4262752). Comparisons use the median of Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.