What kinds of homes are in Plainfield, NJ?

Name: Types of homes in Plainfield, NJ, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Plainfield, NJ has 16,712 (±610) homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is about 2,804 homes per square mile of land.

42.3% are detached single-family houses.

30.1% are in buildings of two to four units.

22.9% are in buildings of five or more units.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Housing units: 16,712 (±610)
Detached houses: 42.3%
2–4 unit buildings: 30.1%
5+ unit buildings: 22.9%

Homes in Plainfield by building size

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building type	Plainfield	Union County	New Jersey	United States
Single-family, detached	42.3% (±2.7 points)	49.7%	52.6%	61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)	4.6% (±1.3 points)	4.8%	10.0%	6.2%
2 units	18.4% (±2.5 points)	16.7%	8.6%	3.4%
3 or 4 units	11.7% (±2.2 points)	8.1%	6.1%	4.3%
5 to 9 units	4.2% (±1.0 points)	3.6%	4.6%	4.5%
10 to 19 units	2.4% (±0.9 points)	3.7%	4.9%	4.3%
20 or more units	16.3% (±2.8 points)	13.1%	12.3%	10.3%
Mobile home	0.3% (±0.3 points)	0.2%	0.9%	5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.	0.0% (±0.3 points)	0.1%	0.0%	0.1%

In Plainfield, the share of homes in buildings of five or more units is not measurably different from Union County (20.4%).

It is not measurably different from New Jersey (21.8%).

It is higher than the national figure (19.1%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units in places near Plainfield

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Plainfield
Place	Distance	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units	Compared with this place
Plainfield	—	22.9% (±3.1 points)	—
North Plainfield Borough	1.3 mi	23.7% (±6.0 points)	Not measurably different
Watchung Borough	2.2 mi	15.5% (±6.7 points)	Lower
Fanwood Borough	2.4 mi	7.9% (±4.7 points)	Lower
Scotch Plains Township	2.6 mi	12.3% (±2.1 points)	Lower
South Plainfield Borough	2.8 mi	11.0% (±2.5 points)	Lower
Dunellen Borough	3.1 mi	8.1% (±4.8 points)	Lower
Green Brook Township	3.6 mi	16.5% (±11.1 points)	Not measurably different
Berkeley Heights Township	4.2 mi	6.7% (±2.9 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Watchung Borough, NJ (15.5%), Fanwood Borough, NJ (7.9%), Scotch Plains Township, NJ (12.3%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units across Union County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units
1	Elizabeth	33.1% (±2.3 points)
2	Rahway	31.7% (±3.9 points)
3	Roselle Park Borough	26.3% (±6.1 points)
4	Plainfield	22.9% (±3.1 points)
5	New Providence Borough	22.4% (±4.2 points)
6	Springfield Township (Union County)	22.3% (±4.8 points)
7	Roselle Borough	21.3% (±4.1 points)
8	Summit	18.1% (±4.5 points)
9	Garwood Borough	17.2% (±6.8 points)
10	Linden	15.7% (±2.5 points)

Showing 10 of 21 places in Union County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Plainfield

How many homes are in Plainfield?

Plainfield, NJ has an estimated 16,712 (±610) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are most homes in Plainfield houses or apartments?

42.3% are detached houses and 4.6% attached houses, while 53.0% are in buildings of two or more units.

How many two-family and small multifamily homes are in Plainfield?

30.1% of homes in Plainfield are in buildings of two to four units, the small rental buildings that are often owner-occupied.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Plainfield city, Union County, New Jersey

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Plainfield city, Union County, New Jersey (county subdivision:59190, in state:34 county:039).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0007PE, DP04_0007PM, DP04_0008PE, DP04_0008PM, DP04_0009PE, DP04_0009PM, DP04_0010PE, DP04_0010PM, DP04_0011PE, DP04_0011PM, DP04_0012PE, DP04_0012PM, DP04_0013PE, DP04_0013PM, DP04_0014PE, DP04_0014PM, DP04_0015PE, DP04_0015PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.