Grace Episcopal Church · Photo: Zeete · CC BY-SA 4.0Plainfield spent more per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar cities
Plainfield’s city government spent $102.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,880 per resident.
What stands out about how Plainfield is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,251 per resident in 2022: more than 88% of them
Plainfield’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,251 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 24 New Jersey cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,438, and the middle half spent $1,074–$1,954. Plainfield spent more than 88% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($22.1 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
New Jersey cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Plainfield itself left out).
About $1,880 per resident a year, or $5.15 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 19%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 9% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Plainfield reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $2,251 · 2024: $1,880. Per resident it went from $2,251 to $1,880 (down 16%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 50,011 to 54,513.
full-time in March 2025, down from 650 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $9,920 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.41% of the home’s value, vs 2.11% across New Jersey.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Plainfield’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Plainfield’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Plainfield →
Who’s in charge in Plainfield
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Plainfield’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on plainfield.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 99 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (54,513).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Plainfield City School District
Plainfield’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $24,099 per pupil, $12,897 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
New Jersey districts overall: 48% local, 46% state, 6% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Plainfield.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: plainfield.com ↗
- 2New Jersey General AssemblyState representatives
- 3New Jersey SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Jersey
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Plainfield compares with the towns next door
Plainfield spent $2,251 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $694 to $1,475. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Dunellen | $694 | $10,000+ |
| North Plainfield | $1,163 | $10,000+ |
| Watchung | $1,475 | $10,000+ |
| Scotch Plains Township | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Green Brook Township | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Plainfield | $2,251 | $9,920 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Plainfield’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Plainfield’s government
How much does Plainfield spend per resident?
About $1,880 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,251 was more than 88% of 24 New Jersey cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Plainfield?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $9,920 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.41% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.11% across New Jersey. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see plainfield.com.
Who runs Plainfield’s government?
See plainfield.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Plainfield yet.
How many people work for Plainfield?
548 full-time and 113 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $4.4M (about $53.2M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Plainfield in the state legislature?
State Senate District 22 (Nick Scutari) and General Assembly District 22 (Jim Kennedy and Linda Carter). The General Assembly district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Plainfield’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →