South Plainfield is home to 24,473 people in New Jersey. 86% of homes are owner-occupied. That puts it in the top 3% of US cities for household income. Households take in $130,239 a year at the median, 58% more than the country as a whole. The poverty rate is 3.0%, under the national 12.5%. Density works out to 2,950 people per square mile.
At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $130,239, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.7
US median: 38.9
More educated
44% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 55%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about South Plainfield
What changed most since 1990
White share84.7% → 47.9%(−36.8 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Asian share4.1% → 21.3%(+17.2 pts)US over the same years: +3.1 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree18.6% → 44.0%(+25.3 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
South Plainfield's population equals 2.8% of Middlesex County's. Its number of households without a car equals 0.8% of the county's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 1.0% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)9.5%(54)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)23.6%(134)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era29.2%(166)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War8.1%(46)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II3.9%(22)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 569 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
South Plainfield, decade by decade
South Plainfield population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
20,489
$122,879
$386,891
18.6%
34.2
2000
21,810
$122,900
$303,488
24.0%
56.0
2010
23,385
$132,727
$511,124
27.9%
75.0
2020
24,338
$131,196
$426,880
38.9%
86.4
2024
24,473
$130,239
$470,900
44.0%
85.6
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
