Cost of living in Plainfield research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Plainfield is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Illinois, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Plainfield is 123, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Plainfield is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Plainfield ranks as the #284 cheapest in Illinois out of 336.
Plainfield ranks as the #4,598 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Plainfield is $418,740.
The median income in Plainfield is $142,265.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Plainfield has an overall cost of living index of 123, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Illinois, Plainfield has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than Illinois's index of 97.
The standard of living in Plainfield ranks as #284 most affordable out of the 336 places we measured in Illinois. By definition, that implies Plainfield ranks as the #52 most expensive place in the Prairie State.
For more reading on life in Plainfield, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Plainfield. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Plainfield is 104.
The Groceries index in Plainfield is 99.
The Health index in Plainfield is 98.
The Housing index in Plainfield is 178.
The Transportation index in Plainfield is 112.
The Utilities index in Plainfield is 79.
| Living Expense | Plainfield | Illinois | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 123 | 97 | 100 | |
| Services | 104 | 95 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 99 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 98 | 93 | 100 | |
| Housing | 178 | 95 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 112 | 102 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 79 | 91 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Illinois, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Plainfield is $418,740.
The Median Rent in Plainfield is $1,889.
The Median Income in Plainfield is $142,265.
The Home Value To Income in Plainfield is 2.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Plainfield is 0.16x.
| Statistic | Plainfield | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $418,740 | $283,508 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,889 | $1,227 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $142,265 | $81,702 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 2.9x | 3.5x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.16x | 0.18x | 0.21x |
| Item | Plainfield | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.32 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $9.99 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $16.0 | $18 |
| Haircut | $19.72 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $37.22 | $45.56 |
| Item | Plainfield | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.94 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.39 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.55 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.08 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $10.69 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.61 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.72 | $3.7 |
| Item | Plainfield | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $86.67 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $110.0 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $82.0 | $113.29 |
| Item | Plainfield | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.52 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $45.0 | $59.92 |
| Item | Plainfield | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $156.87 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $198.03 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Plainfield. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Joliet, IL has a cost of living index of 101, 0.8x Plainfield.
Naperville, IL has a cost of living index of 133, 1.1x Plainfield.
Bolingbrook, IL has a cost of living index of 111, 0.9x Plainfield.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joliet, IL | 149,785 | 101 | 0.8x |
| Naperville, IL | 149,424 | 133 | 1.1x |
| Bolingbrook, IL | 73,813 | 111 | 0.9x |
| Wheaton, IL | 53,453 | 128 | 1.0x |
| Downers Grove, IL | 49,867 | 125 | 1.0x |
| Romeoville, IL | 40,996 | 111 | 0.9x |
| Oswego, IL | 35,463 | 115 | 0.9x |
| Glen Ellyn, IL | 28,270 | 135 | 1.1x |
| Westmont, IL | 24,201 | 119 | 1.0x |
| Lisle, IL | 23,413 | 124 | 1.0x |