Plainfield, NJ — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·New Jersey·Plainfield

Union County · New York-Newark-Jersey City · population 56,507

Investors

Image: Wikipedia · Plainfield, New Jersey

Overview Cost of living Moving guide

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Rising

Momentum score · 0–100

Where Plainfield stands

At or near all-time high. averaging 8.2% annual growth over 5 years.

Median home $511,727

1-year +1.8%

5-yr CAGR +8.2%

vs 5-yr peak -0.3%

Population +0.9%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly

Lifestyle scores

🚶

Walkability

78/100

Very walkable

Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.

🚉

Public transit

22/100

Transit limited

Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.

💻

Remote work fit

79/100

Strong remote-work fit

Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 20.1

Lean rent

At a 20.1 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Plainfield. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →

Home YoY

59 · w22%

Home 5-yr CAGR

80 · w22%

Distance from peak

88 · w18%

Population growth

62 · w16%

Home 10-yr CAGR

92 · w10%

Long thesis

Plainfield has held up across the cycle: home values at $511,727 with +8.2% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Plainfield's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Plainfield

Plainfield is a city in Union County, New Jersey, with an estimated population of 56,507. It anchors the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area. The population grew 0.9% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Plainfield is $511,727 as of 2026-04, up 1.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +8.2% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Plainfield average $2,127 per month. The composite momentum score is 74 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Multi-year compounder: home values up an average 8.2% per year over the last 5 years — sustained, not a one-year pop.

●Held the highs: currently -0.3% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Plainfield (Wikipedia)

Plainfield is a city in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Nicknamed "The Queen City," it serves as both a regional hub for Central New Jersey and a bedroom suburb of the New York Metropolitan area, located in the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population, majority Latino for the first time, was 54,586. This was an increase of 4,778 (+9.6%) from the 2010 census count of 49,808, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,979 (+4.1%) from the 47,829 counted in the 2000 census. In 2023, the Census Bureau estimated the city's population to be 54,670.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorAdrian O. Mapp

Area5.97 sq mi

Elevation95 ft

EstablishedApril 21, 1869

NicknameThe Queen City

Density9160.3/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Union County right now.

NWS active alerts (NJ)New Jersey Emergency Management How to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Union County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.