Hook Elementary School shooting. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.58%, is water. Neighboring towns are Waterbury to the north, Cheshire to the east, Bethany to the south, and Naugatuck to the west. The town is located among the far eastern hills of the Berkshires, and the hilly landscape dominates the town's geography. The town is notable for rocky soil, deposited during the retreat of the glaciers around 11,000 years ago. Trees in the town are relatively new, they had all once been cleared for farming and pastures. Oaks are the most abundant tree in the town, although in the swamp areas, the Red Maple dominates. The town has several reservoirs either fully or partially inside its boundaries. Several small streams and brooks also originate in the town. Climate According to the Köppen classification, Prospect is Dfb, or a humid continental climate. The town has warm and humid summers with cold winters. Precipitation is spread throughout the year, with thunderstorms frequent during the summer months, and heavy snowfalls during the winter months. Due to Prospect's elevation and location, temperatures are often colder, leading to snow in the town while lower towns to its east have rain. Like Connecticut, Prospect frequently experiences Nor'easters and Blizzards during the winter, which can bring heavy snowfall to the town. Demographics As of the 2010 Census, there were 9,405 people, 3,357 households, and 2,616 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 3,094 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.3% White, 1.9% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.3% of the population. Of the 3,357 households 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.3% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.1% were non-families. 28.4% of households were one person and 8.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.15. The age distribution was 22.6% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 32.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% 65 or older. The median