Flood 2008 damage to a Railroad track near, 2008
Plainfield’s story
158 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2008.
- 1868Plainfield is settled
PlainfieldIA
A town of 394, settled in 1868.
Population
394
2025 Census estimate · +0% since 2020
Typical home
$226K
+2.3% in a year
Household income
$80K
median
Median age
43.7
years
Jobs based here
45
A commuter town
Is Plainfield a good place to live?
Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Plainfield. Plainfield has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
394 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Plainfield: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Plainfield, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPlainfield Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Plainfield’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Iowa you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBremer County AuditorBremer County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5066650666 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Plainfield.
Work & commute
With only 0.2 jobs per working resident, most people in Plainfield work out of town
For half of commuters, work is under 24 miles away. Employers in Plainfield shed 30 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 45. Its mean commuting time is 22 minutes, above the Iowa town median (19 minutes) but below the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). The top destinations are Waterloo (17%), Waverly (16%) and Cedar Falls (8%).
1%work in town
| Plainfield | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $80,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Plainfield1%
Waterloo17%
Waverly16%
Cedar Falls8%
Cedar Rapids6%
24 mi
median commute distance
45
jobs based in Plainfield
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Plainfield’s year
In July, afternoons reach 83°; in January, nights fall to 8°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a winter.
38″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–29°
Spring36–57°
Summer60–81°
Fall38–60°
Oct 9
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Plainfield is
The share of adults in Plainfield who sleep under 7 hours is 35%, where Iowa’s towns sit at 32% and U.S. towns at 36%. Plainfield: 21% of adults binge drink. Two figures for adults locally: 41% have obesity, 17% smoke cigarettes.
| Plainfield | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Waverly Health Center
8.8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Plainfield faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Since 1993, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Plainfield. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 54% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 38% come from inland flooding and 32% from drought. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Plainfield after 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2016.
54risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtCold waves
7
paid flood claims since 1993
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
The typical home in Plainfield: about $226K
Among 141 Iowa towns, just 8 have a higher home-ownership rate than Plainfield. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 2.3%.
$226KZillow home value
Typical home value
Plainfield$226K
Iowa$237K
+2.3%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Plainfield
17pages on Plainfield
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Plainfield
About 6 of every 100 Plainfield residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Plainfield for work
Where Plainfield’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
45jobs based in Plainfield
1%of working residents work in town
24 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Plainfield
City in Iowa, USA
Plainfield is a city in Bremer County, Iowa, United States. The population was 393 at the 2020 census, a decrease of 45, or 10.3%, from 438 in 2000. It is part of the Waterloo–Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Plainfield post office was established in 1868.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 942 ft
- ZIP code
- 50666
Questions about Plainfield
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Plainfield, IA a good place to live?
Plainfield has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.