Map the Block › Places › New Jersey › Plainfield
Plainfield, New Jersey by the numbers
According to the FBI, Plainfield had 4.1 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents in 2024, 87% higher than the New Jersey rate (2.2). The median household income is $85,908 and the median home value is $410,800. About 55,236 people live in Plainfield.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2024. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income by neighborhood · home values · schools
What is the crime rate in Plainfield?
In 2024 the Plainfield Police Department reported 230 violent crimes to the FBI, which works out to 4.1 per 1,000 people. For comparison, that is 87% higher than the New Jersey rate (2.2) and 13% higher than the national rate (3.6). Burglaries, thefts and car thefts added up to 901 (16.1 per 1,000 residents). Violent crimes fell 36% between 2021 and 2024 (359 to 230).
| Offense (2024) | Plainfield count | Per 1,000 | New Jersey per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 230 | 4.1 | 2.2 | 3.6 |
| Murder | 0 | 0.00 | 0.02 | 0.05 |
| Rape | 8 | 0.14 | 0.18 | 0.39 |
| Robbery | 58 | 1.0 | 0.50 | 0.61 |
| Aggravated assault | 164 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 901 | 16.1 | 14.4 | 17.6 |
| Burglary | 76 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 2.3 |
| Larceny-theft | 753 | 13.5 | 11.3 | 12.7 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 72 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.6 |
How has crime in Plainfield changed since 2021?
| Year | Violent crimes | Property crimes | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 359 | 727 | 6 |
| 2022 | 251 | 731 | 4 |
| 2023 | 287 | 915 | 0 |
| 2024 | 230 | 901 | 0 |
| 2025 | not reported in full | – | – |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. City figures are the Plainfield Police Department's own reports.
How does Plainfield compare with New Jersey?
The median household income in Plainfield is $85,908, 17% lower than the New Jersey median ($103,556). The median owner-occupied home is worth $410,800 by owners' estimates, and half of renters pay more than $1,767 a month. About 55,236 people live on 6 square miles of land, roughly 9,269 per square mile. The city lies in Union County and Middlesex County.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Plainfield | New Jersey | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 55,236 | 9,343,809 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $85,908 | $103,556 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $410,800 | $454,400 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,767 | $1,720 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 8.9% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 15.5% | 9.7% | 12.5% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 22.0% | 43.6% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 44.8% | 63.8% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 32.4 | 40.1 | 38.9 |
What environmental sites and hazards are in Plainfield?
Union County carries a “Relatively High” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: river flooding (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Is there road construction in Plainfield?
The state DOT feed had no interstate, U.S. or state highway work zones in Plainfield city limits on October 11, 2026. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel. The map's layer refreshes every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in or near Plainfield?
Inside the city limits there are 20 public schools (2024-25) and 2 private schools (2023-24). 3 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes are in the city. Within about 15 miles: Park Service units in the area: Morristown National Historical Park and Thomas Edison National Historical Park. 7 state parks or recreation areas: Cheesequake State Park, Clay Pit Ponds State Park, Edison State Park, Pigeon Swamp State Park and Raritan River Confluence State Park and 2 more.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Plainfield
Gun shops
No gun shops or licensed gun dealers are on the map inside the Plainfield city limits.
Liquor stores
8 liquor stores are on the map inside the Plainfield city limits: Ben Franklin Wines and Liquors (Plainfield), Corks and Barrels Wine and Spirits (Plainfield), Fenrose Wine and Liquor Stores (Plainfield), Jft Liquors (Plainfield), Park Ave Wine and Spirits (Plainfield), Pickwick Liquor Shop (Plainfield), Sanhoma Liquor (Plainfield) and Station Liquors (Plainfield). New Jersey has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center inside the Plainfield city limits on the map.
See them on the map: liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Plainfield?
In 2024, Plainfield had 4.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (230 reported), 87% higher than the New Jersey rate (2.2). The property-crime rate was 16.1 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Plainfield?
$85,908 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024), compared with $103,556 for New Jersey.
How much do homes cost in Plainfield?
The median value of owner-occupied homes is $410,800 (Census ACS 2020-2024), against $454,400 statewide.
What natural hazards affect Plainfield?
Union County carries a “Relatively High” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: river flooding (Relatively High).
Nearby cities
New Brunswick, NJ (9 mi) · Perth Amboy, NJ (10 mi) · Elizabeth, NJ (12 mi) · Newark, NJ (15 mi) · East Orange, NJ (15 mi) · Bayonne, NJ (16 mi)
More: New Jersey statewide numbers · county pages: Union County and Middlesex County · Sex-offender registry search (NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, agency counts 2021-2025 (Return A); state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables, for the Census place Plainfield city.
- Land area: Census 2024 Gazetteer. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores (county level).
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026).
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026).
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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