City comparison
Plainfield, NJ is about 20 miles (40 km) from West New York, NJ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 30 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Plainfield, NJ to West New York, NJ takes about 3 min, covering roughly 20 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Plainfield has a population of 54,358, vs 52,438 in West New York — about the same size. By land area, Plainfield covers about 6 sq mi vs 1 sq mi for West New York.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Plainfield | West New York | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,559/mo | $1,571/mo | 0.8% higher in West New York |
| Median home value | $351,500 | $407,000 | 15.8% higher in West New York |
| Median household income | $70,712 | $70,141 | 0.8% higher in Plainfield |
| Groceries index | 109.4 | 109.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 124.5 | 124.5 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 105.0 | 105.0 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 105.7 | 105.7 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Plainfield, you'd need $100,024 in West New York to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Plainfield and West New York have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Plainfield, you'd need about $80,019 in West New York to keep the same standard of living.