2012 · New Castle Archaeological Site from southeast · Wikimedia Commons
Prairie’s story
Prairie in pictures
1 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.
Explore the history →
PrairieIN
A town of 5,991. Nearly 7% of it is conserved land.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
5,991
+8.7% since 2010
Median home value
$195K
Census ACS
Household income
$68K
median
Median age
48.6
years
Jobs based here
727
A commuter town
What makes Prairie stand out
The 3 things Prairie does most differently from other towns.
3 miof trails
Outdoors
#78 most conserved land in IN
2.6 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
7% of the town is conserved land.
100 U.S. towns● Prairie
Health
80% of U.S. towns are healthier
on CDC estimates
Better than IN on 0 measures, worse on 5.
CSchool Grade
Schools
Better than 26%
of IN districts
School Grade C.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Prairie for work
Where Prairie’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
727jobs based in Prairie
4%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Prairie’s report card
Now in Prairie
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Prairie is #595 of 600 in IN for “Most kids”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Prairie’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →76°
Clear
H 65° · L 45°
Local news
All →- Crookston Pirate Girls Tennis takes down Moorhead and Parkers Prairie in road triangularKROX · Oct 1
- Chandler Helps Lift Regina to Sweep of Mid-PrairieYour Prep Sports · Sep 29
- Girls Tennis: Park Rapids blanks Parkers Prairie in section matchPark Rapids Enterprise · Sep 29
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Prairie. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Prairie
Most working residents leave Prairie for work: only 4% work in town. The top destinations are New Castle (12%), Muncie (9%) and Henry (5%). Half commute less than 22 miles.
4%work in town
Where working residents work
In Prairie4%
New Castle12%
Muncie9%
Henry5%
Richmond4%
22 mi
median commute distance
727
jobs based in Prairie
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Outdoors
7% of Prairie is conserved land
2.6 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves.
7%conserved
7%
conserved · 1,824 of 25,936 acres
2.6 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
#78
most conserved land in IN
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Summit Lake State Park | 2.6 mi | 1,097 |
| 2. Wilbur Wright Fish and Wildlife Area | — | 510 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health
Healthier than 20% of U.S. towns
Prairie beats the Indiana average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5.
C−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Indiana
0 better27 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Prairie | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.8% | 8.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.1% | 6.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.8% | 8.3% |
Henry County Memorial Hospital
4.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
27th
percentile among IN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Schools
Prairie’s public schools outperform 26% of Indiana districts
The public schools Prairie’s kids attend trail 74% of Indiana’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
CSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue River Valley Elementary Sch | PK–6 | 331 | C− |
| Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch | 7–12 | 289 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IN on state testsAll 2 schools →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Prairie has chilly winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 19 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
19″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–37°
Spring40–61°
Summer61–82°
Fall43–64°
Oct 17
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Low risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 37% of U.S. communities.
37risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
About Prairie
Township in Indiana, United States
Prairie Township is one of thirteen townships in Henry County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 5,517 and it contained 1,346 housing units.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 5,999
- Area
- 41 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,047 ft
Prairie’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Prairie.
JeffersonHenryStoney CreekBlue RiverMonroePrairie
More about Prairie
Still missing for Prairie:upcoming events