North Plainfield, New Jersey Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
North Plainfield, NJ Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | North Plainfield | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,787 | 9,334,304 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 8078.7 | 1071.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.41% | 0.59% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.8 | 40.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,830 | 3,503,323 | 130,235,071 |
Population in North Plainfield grew by 5.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 22,787 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in North Plainfield is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 24.0% of residents. That is 2.3 points above New Jersey as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,974 21.8% +1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,476 24.0% +2.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,056 22.2% +0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,819 12.4% -4.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below New Jersey, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.4% of the people living in North Plainfield and men 48.6%.
- Women 51.4% New Jersey 50.9%
- Men 48.6% New Jersey 49.1%
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Economy
North Plainfield has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | North Plainfield | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $86,051 | $103,817 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.29% | 4.37% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.8% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in North Plainfield is about 17% lower than in New Jersey.
Housing
| Metric | North Plainfield | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $350,000 | $352,792 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,751 | $1,719 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 53.3% | 63.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in North Plainfield is about 16.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,751 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in North Plainfield spend about 56 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 232 hours, about 9.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | North Plainfield | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 27.9 | 26.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 55.8 | 52.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 232 | 218 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,207 | $6,764 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.3% | 16.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,675 | 14,317 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,881 | 2,109 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in North Plainfield is 28 minutes, longer than the 26 minutes in New Jersey.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
North Plainfield has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | North Plainfield | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.7% | 39.6% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.91 | 2.61 | 2.53 |
Health
North Plainfield has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | North Plainfield | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.0 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.4% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 13.3% | 14.2% | 19.0% |
North Plainfield, NJ Compared With Nearby Cities
How North Plainfield, NJ compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Plainfield, NJ | 22,787 | $86,051 #2/3 | $350,000 #3/3 | 27.9 min #3/3 |
| Plainfield, NJ | 55,158 | $85,453 | $436,930 | 27.8 min |
| South Plainfield, NJ | 24,492 | $132,460 | $756,250 | 27.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about North Plainfield, New Jersey.
What is the population of North Plainfield, New Jersey?
About 22,787 people live in North Plainfield, New Jersey, in 7,830 households of 2.9 people on average. The median age is 36.8, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is North Plainfield, New Jersey?
Averaged over its land area, North Plainfield, New Jersey has 8,079 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 93 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is North Plainfield, New Jersey an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.1 times the median household income ($350,000 against $86,051), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,751 a month takes about 24% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in North Plainfield, New Jersey?
Unemployment in North Plainfield, New Jersey is 8.8%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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