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Buying a home in Plainfield, New Jersey

The typical owner-occupied home in Plainfield is worth about $410,800, 10% below the New Jersey median of $454,400 and 23% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $9,920 a year in property taxes, about 2.41% of their home's value, higher than the New Jersey rate of 2.11%. The median household earns $85,908 a year, so the median home costs 4.8 times the median income (4.4 times for New Jersey). 45% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 78% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Plainfield at a glance

Plainfield New Jersey U.S.
Median home value $410,800 $454,400 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $9,920 $9,590 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 2.41% 2.11% 0.94%
Median household income $85,908 $103,556 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 45% 64% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 78% 64% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,689 $2,829 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 25.7% 22.9% 21.0%
Median rent $1,767 $1,720 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 32.4% 30.9% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1952 1970 1980
Vacant homes 4.8% 7.5% 10.1%
Population 55,236 9,343,809 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Plainfield

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Plainfield home of $410,800 with 20% down costs about $3,207 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $3,891, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $137,442 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 45% of the median Plainfield household income of $85,908; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $257,000.

The median rent here is $1,767 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,440 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$82,160
Loan amount$328,640
Principal and interest$2,211
Property taxes (2.41% a year)$825
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$171
PMI$0
Total per month$3,207

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$14,378
Loan amount$403,359
Principal and interest$2,713
Property taxes (2.41% a year)$825
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$171
FHA mortgage insurance$182
Total per month$3,891

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Questions about home buying in Plainfield

What is the median home value in Plainfield?

About $410,800 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Plainfield?

Homeowners pay a median $9,920 a year, which is about 2.41% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Plainfield?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $3,207 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $137,442 a year.

More about Plainfield

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data