Should I Move To
Roughly 54,358 people live in Plainfield, New Jersey. Living here costs expensive relative to the rest of the country, 25% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,559/mo; the typical household pulls in $70,712. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 49/100 — a D, putting it at #528 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Plainfield sits at 125 — expensive when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,559/mo against $70,712 median household income), housing eats roughly 26% of a typical paycheck — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Buying-side, the median home value is $351,500.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is four-season: roughly 84°F in summer, 28°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 47 inches. Walking covers most daily life if you live in a central neighborhood; a car is helpful for longer trips but not essential. AQI runs about 42 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Plainfield isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 42/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is walkability (87/100); the soft spot is job market (12/100).
For retirees, Plainfield is workable — not standout, not weak. The profile-weighted score is 57/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is walkability (87/100); the soft spot is job market (12/100).
For remote workers, Plainfield isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 51/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is walkability (87/100); the soft spot is job market (12/100).
For young professionals, Plainfield isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 45/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is walkability (87/100); the soft spot is job market (12/100).
Our overall score for Plainfield is 49/100 — a D, sitting at #528 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Plainfield sits at 125 — expensive, 25% above the national average. Median renter pays around $1,559 a month.
Plainfield runs four-season on the weather. Summer's near 84°F, winter's near 28°F; 47 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 87/100. Walking covers most daily life if you live in a central neighborhood; a car is helpful for longer trips but not essential.
Roughly 54,358 people live here, with 23% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 33.
Drop Plainfield into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Plainfield with other New Jersey cities scored on UrbRank.
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