Prosser: west of the Tri-Cities in Yakima Valley’s wine country
Prosser, a small city on the Yakima River, is about 30 miles east of Washington's Tri-cities: Kennewick, Pasco and Richland. Interstate 82 runs through the area. The Pacific Northwest's viticulture, or grape cultivation, originated in the Yakima Valley. Prosser, sometimes called "the Birthplace of Washington Wine," has about 30 wineries.
"It's at the east end of the Yakima Valley and really sits in wine country. It's become known as a wine hub in the last 15 to 20 years," says Scott M. Anderson, a broker with HomeSmart Elite Brokers. The climate is conducive to successful vineyards, as there's sunshine about 300 days a year and the temperature doesn't fluctuate too much.
Vintner's Village, north of the river off Cabernet Court, offers a collection of more than 10 wineries within walking distance of each other. Views from Prosser include the Horse Heaven Hills, a range of rolling terrain where wild horses once lived.
A historic downtown, grocery options and Chukar Cherries
Established in 1899, Prosser has a walkable historic downtown, with gridded streets and sidewalks. The Parade of Ponies, a public art project, installed 20 pony statues decorated by area artists downtown. "Prosser has a small-town feel. It has one main drag, but it's really cute, it has some neat little restaurants and coffee shops," Anderson says. Cuisines including Mexican, Chinese, Italian and Japanese are represented. Berns Tavern, a mainstay for over a hundred years, has pool tables and hosts live music, theme nights and holiday parties.
Downtown has a Grocery Outlet, Lep-re-kon Harvest Foods is to the northwest and North Prosser Market is on the other side of I-82. Chukar Cherries, a well-known family owned producer of chocolate-covered cherries, is headquartered in Prosser. The company has had a spot in Seattle's Pike Place Market for over twenty years.
A wide range of home types and prices in Prosser
Homes from the early 20th century through the 1980s include cottages, farmhouses, ramblers and split-levels. Contemporaries built from the 2000s and after tend to be larger, and there has been a good amount of construction in the 2020s. One of the newer developments is a townhouse community off Wine Country Road.
Home prices typically range from about $160,000 to $750,000, though some exceed $1 million. Older, smaller homes and townhouses are in the lower half of the range, whereas higher-priced properties may have more square footage and multiacre lots; some include agricultural land.
Manufactured homes range from about $100,000 to $520,000. Wine Country Villas, a manufactured housing community for residents 55 and older, has few listings on the market at a time, though in recent years, some have sold for under $200,000. Other manufactured home communities, like Prosser Foothill Estates Mobile Park, have had prices under $70,000.
Community parks, river activities and nature refuges nearby
Prosser has nine city parks, including EJ Miller Park, which has a playground, basketball and tennis courts, a skate park and an aquatic center. According to Anderson, the Yakima River isn't big enough for boats and water sports like Jet Skiing. "But there's some fishing, kayaking and a lot of floating going on."
Touching three counties, the 20,000-plus-acre Sunnyside-Snake River Wildlife Area is a nature refuge with wetlands popular for fishing, boating, hunting and bird watching. It's divided into units, some of which are a short distance from Prosser.
Niche gives the Prosser School District a C-plus rating
The Prosser School District receives an overall C-plus grade from Niche and enrolls about 2,400 students. There are three elementary schools, each offering a different lineup of grades. After elementary school, students may attend Housel Middle School and Prosser High School. Choice transfer requests are allowed for attendance outside the district boundaries.
Residential streetscapes, several major roads and bus service
Some of the residential developments in Prosser have sidewalks along suburban-style streets, whereas outlying areas, including North Prosser, remain rural, with home sites spread out off roads without sidewalks.
Prosser Memorial Hospital is northwest of downtown. In addition to I-82, major roads in Prosser include state Routes 22 and 221. Commuters or those seeking more extensive shopping will likely travel to the Tri-Cities. A Ben Franklin Transit city connector route runs from Prosser to Benton City/Richland, with downtown stops at the Stacy Street Transit Center and along Seventh Street.
For passenger flights, people can travel about 35 miles east to the Tri-Cities Airport. It's the largest in southeastern Washington, with carriers including Delta, United and American Airlines.
The Balloon Rally and other annual festivals
Events include the Prosser Wine Music Festival and the Prosser Scottish Fest and Highland Games, both in June. The Great Prosser Balloon Rally is held in late September. "It's a weekend festival; they've got a street fair and tethered balloon rides. A bunch of people watch the hot-air balloons take off in the mornings. And there's a night glow, where they fire up their torches, and it really is spectacular," Anderson says. The rally, held at the airport and other locations, is in conjunction with downtown's Harvest Festival and the Caren Mercer-Andreasen Street Painting Festival, which involves chalk, not paint.
Flooding risk, railway and airport noise
People living closest to the river may need to watch for flooding. Additionally, a freight rail line runs through downtown, which can result in typical train noise. Those close to the Prosser Airport, a general aviation facility, may experience aircraft noise. Pilots can use voluntary noise abatement procedures, including provisions to minimize noise pollution between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Written By
Robin Silberman
