PlainfieldPA
The town, settled in 1849, counts 248 residents.
Is Plainfield a good place to live?
31% of residents live below the poverty line in Plainfield, against 7.6% in Pennsylvania’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. No town among the 1,036 in Pennsylvania we compare has a higher owner-occupancy rate than Plainfield. 30% of the land in Plainfield is conserved, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 8.2% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. West Pennsboro Township Park, at 66 acres with 1.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Plainfield has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
248 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Plainfield: who provides what
Plainfield is unincorporated, so Cumberland County and regional agencies provide most services.
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.
Open space protected for good: nearly a third of Plainfield
Plainfield’s concentration of trails stands at 2.0 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. West Pennsboro Township Park | 1.2 mi | 66 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
With only 0.4 jobs per working resident, most people in Plainfield work out of town
For working residents in Plainfield, the share who work locally is 0.5%. Jobs based in Plainfield grew to 75 in 2023, 47 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Carlisle (13%), South Middleton Township (8%) and West Pennsboro Township (6%). Half the trips to work are shorter than 17 miles.
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards: low risk in Plainfield, mostly inland flooding
Expected losses in Plainfield break down as 71% from inland flooding and 11% from hurricanes. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 73% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Plainfield
Summers in Plainfield are warm, and winters chilly, snowy. Summer afternoons peak near 86° in July, and January nights bottom out around 22°; snowfall runs to about 31 inches a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Plainfield is
The share of adults in Plainfield who smoke cigarettes: 19%. The town does better than the Pennsylvania average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and worse on 5. Two figures for adults in the town: 19% binge drink, 15% report frequent physical distress.
| Plainfield | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 19% |
| What stands out | Plainfield | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.2% | 14.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.5% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument and 34 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Plainfield. Close and well known come first.
5 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
Big draw33 mi LandmarkRaven Rock Mountain Complex
34 mi Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year
27 mi Ancient siteGettysburg Battlefield
12 mi State parkPine Grove Furnace State Park
27 mi LandmarkGettysburg National CemeteryPhoto credits
Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Raven Rock Mountain Complex: US Government, Public domain · Hersheypark: Michael Gray, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Gettysburg Battlefield: Veggies, Public domain · Pine Grove Furnace State Park: Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gettysburg National Cemetery: Photo: Henryhartley at en.wikipedia Statue: Randolph Rogers (1825-1892), Public domain
Everything we know about Plainfield
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Plainfield
About 0 of every 100 Plainfield residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
100% of working residents leave Plainfield for work
Where Plainfield’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Plainfield
Unincorporated community in Pennsylvania, US
Plainfield is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 399 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 509 ft
- ZIP code
- 17081
Questions about Plainfield
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Plainfield, PA a good place to live?
Plainfield has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.