Photo: Zeete · CC BY-SA 4.0How is South Plainfield run?
South Plainfield’s borough government spent $28.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,180 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau.
What stands out about how South Plainfield is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
About $1,180 per resident a year, or $3.23 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means South Plainfield collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
$1,180 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
South Plainfield’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,180 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 45 New Jersey cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,200, and the middle half spent $1,010–$1,449. South Plainfield spent less than 53% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($7.6 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; South Plainfield itself left out).
No trend yet
South Plainfield reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2023 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $8,596 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.83% 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 South 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 South Plainfield’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in South Plainfield →
Who’s in charge in South Plainfield
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
South Plainfield’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on southplainfieldnj.com ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 212 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (23,965).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
South Plainfield Borough School District
South Plainfield’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $24,143 per pupil, $14,855 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 South Plainfield.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: southplainfieldnj.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 South Plainfield compares with the towns next door
South Plainfield spent $1,180 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Piscataway Township | $1,123 | $9,018 |
| Edison Township | $4,683 runs schools | $10,000+ |
| South Plainfield | $1,180 | $8,596 |
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 South Plainfield’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about South Plainfield’s government
How much does South Plainfield spend per resident?
About $1,180 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,180 was less than 53% of 45 New Jersey cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in South Plainfield?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $8,596 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.83% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.11% across New Jersey. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see southplainfieldnj.com.
Who runs South Plainfield’s government?
See southplainfieldnj.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for South Plainfield yet.
How many people work for South Plainfield?
113 full-time and 76 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.1M (about $13.1M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents South Plainfield in the state legislature?
State Senate District 18 (Patrick Diegnan) and General Assembly District 18 (Robert Karabinchak and Sterley Stanley). The General Assembly district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about South 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 →