Town · Maine
Prospect, Maine
Prospect, town, in Waldo County, Maine. Prospect had 703 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 698 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 923 (±206). GEOID 2302761210.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
703
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 698 · ACS 2020-2024: 923 ±206
Median household income
$81,250
±$17,270 (90% margin)
Maine: $74,733
Median home value
$196,500
±$19,086 (90% margin)
Maine: $296,600
Median gross rent
$1,107
±$61 (90% margin)
Maine: $1,139
Where is Prospect and what county is it in?
Prospect is a town in Waldo County, Maine. It covers 18.1 square miles of land, 39 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Prospect, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 703 people lived in Prospect on July 1, 2025, up 1.9% since 2020, slower than Maine (+3.8%). The 2020 Census counted 698 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 923 (±206).
| Measure | Prospect | Waldo County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 923±206 | 40,192 | no clear change |
| Households | 376±70 | 17,470 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.45±0.41 | 2.25 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 379±70 | 22,252 | no clear change |
Prospect's population since 2000
From 642 in 2000 to 703 in 2025: up 9.5%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Prospect as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Prospect?
The median resident of Prospect is 45.2 years old; 25.2% are under 18 and 19.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 90.0%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 7.8%.
| Measure | Prospect | Waldo County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.2±7.5 | 47.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 25.2%±10.6 pts | 17.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.8%±6.3 pts | 25.1% | – |
| Male | 49.1%±6.7 pts | 49.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.8%±1.9 pts | 1.6% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 90.0%±4.4 pts | 92.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.9 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.3%±0.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 7.8%±4.3 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.9 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.3%±1.4 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.1%±1.1 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.7%±3.6 pts | 7.6% | – |
| With a disability | 13.4%±4.4 pts | 16.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.5%±2.2 pts | 9.2% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.5%±3.9 pts | 93.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 22.3%±6.5 pts | 34.4% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.9%±3.4 pts | 14.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.9%±5.0 pts | 91.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.3%±1.4 pts | 2.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Prospect earn?
Half of Prospect's 376 households earn less than $81,250 a year (±$17,270), against $72,782 in Waldo County and $74,733 in Maine. In 2015-2019 it was $64,765 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 7.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Prospect | Waldo County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $81,250±$17,270 | $72,782 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $86,565±$12,369 | $91,541 | – |
| Per capita income | $34,387±$7,199 | $40,336 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 7.3%±3.6 pts | 12.0% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 4.9%±6.6 pts | 15.1% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.5%±4.8 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.1%±3.6 pts | 93.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 95.2%±3.9 pts | 89.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Prospect?
Owners occupy 88.8% of Prospect's occupied homes and renters 11.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $196,500 by its owner (±$19,086). The median renter pays $1,107 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Prospect | Waldo County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $196,500±$19,086 | $257,700 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,107±$61 | $1,021 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 6.3%±11.1 pts | 33.5% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,383±$135 | $1,542 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 88.8%±7.6 pts | 81.9% | +13.6 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 11.2%±7.6 pts | 18.1% | – |
| Housing units | 379±70 | 22,252 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±7.9 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±42.1 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 68.3%±8.7 pts | 75.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 24.3%±8.8 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 6.1%±7.3 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 9.2%±5.8 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 11.6%±6.0 pts | 21.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.5%±4.1 pts | 5.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Prospect work and get to work?
87.9% of Prospect's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 32.9 minutes.
| Measure | Prospect | Waldo County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 57.0%±9.9 pts | 58.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1%±4.7 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 87.9%±5.8 pts | 72.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.9%±4.6 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±6.8 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 0.0%±6.8 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.2%±4.2 pts | 15.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 32.9 min±7.3 | 26.6 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Prospect?
No census tract lies mostly in Prospect; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 420Waldo County | 6,328 | $73,187 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Prospect) · Census block assignment files
How does Prospect compare with other places in Maine?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Prospect is the 8,993rd-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 300th-most populous of 454 in Maine.
Prospect is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 300th | 454 |
Prospect's figures with every place in Maine (CSV)
Every place in Maine, sortable · Compare Prospect with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Prospect?
21 of the 57 figures for Prospect on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Prospect are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.