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 New Jersey, 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 118, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Plainfield is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Plainfield ranks as the #74 cheapest in New Jersey out of 260.
Plainfield ranks as the #4,280 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Plainfield is $519,470.
The median income in Plainfield is $80,334.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Plainfield has an overall cost of living index of 118, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Jersey, Plainfield has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than New Jersey's index of 122.
The standard of living in Plainfield ranks as #74 most affordable out of the 260 places we measured in New Jersey. By definition, that implies Plainfield ranks as the #186 most expensive place in the Garden 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 113.
The Groceries index in Plainfield is 101.
The Health index in Plainfield is 104.
The Housing index in Plainfield is 143.
The Transportation index in Plainfield is 103.
The Utilities index in Plainfield is 109.
| Living Expense | Plainfield | New Jersey | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 118 | 122 | 100 | |
| Services | 113 | 108 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 101 | 102 | 100 | |
| Health | 104 | 97 | 100 | |
| Housing | 143 | 160 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 103 | 103 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 109 | 109 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in New Jersey, 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 $519,470.
The Median Rent in Plainfield is $1,673.
The Median Income in Plainfield is $80,334.
The Home Value To Income in Plainfield is 6.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Plainfield is 0.25x.
| Statistic | Plainfield | New Jersey | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $519,470 | $564,432 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,673 | $1,653 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $80,334 | $101,050 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.5x | 5.6x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.25x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Plainfield | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.53 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $14.53 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $20.98 | $18.0 |
| Haircut | $30.25 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $53.0 | $45.56 |
| Item | Plainfield | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.13 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.41 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.7 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.32 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.59 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.12 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.75 | $3.7 |
| Item | Plainfield | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $129.93 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $124.1 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $129.94 | $113.29 |
| Item | Plainfield | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.41 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $72.38 | $59.92 |
| Item | Plainfield | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $223.08 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $186.61 | $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:
Westfield, NJ has a cost of living index of 178, 1.5x Plainfield.
South Plainfield, NJ has a cost of living index of 132, 1.1x Plainfield.
North Plainfield, NJ has a cost of living index of 121, 1.0x Plainfield.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westfield, NJ | 30,760 | 178 | 1.5x |
| South Plainfield, NJ | 24,231 | 132 | 1.1x |
| North Plainfield, NJ | 22,667 | 121 | 1.0x |
| Colonia, NJ | 18,294 | 131 | 1.1x |
| Middlesex, NJ | 14,518 | 126 | 1.1x |
| Bradley Gardens, NJ | 14,315 | 150 | 1.3x |
| Florham Park, NJ | 13,134 | 165 | 1.4x |
| Martinsville, NJ | 12,016 | 159 | 1.3x |
| Boonton, NJ | 8,803 | 129 | 1.1x |
| Fanwood, NJ | 7,714 | 150 | 1.3x |