What is the rental vacancy rate in Plainfield, NJ?

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

The rental vacancy rate in Plainfield, NJ is 3.6% (±1.8 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 0.9% (±1.0 points).

805 (±211) homes, 4.8% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In Plainfield, the rental vacancy rate went from 3.3% in 2015–2019 to 3.6% in 2020–2024 (+0.3 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 3.6% (±1.8 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 0.9% (±1.0 points)
Vacant homes: 805 (±211)

Vacancy in Plainfield against Union County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Plainfield	Union County	New Jersey	United States
Rental vacancy rate	3.6% (±1.8 points)	3.1% (±0.5 points)	3.5% (±0.2 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.9% (±1.0 points)	1.0% (±0.3 points)	0.7% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	805 (±211)	9,108 (±841)	283,653 (±4,943)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In Plainfield, the rental vacancy rate is not measurably different from Union County (3.1%).

It is not measurably different from New Jersey (3.5%).

It is lower than the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near Plainfield

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Plainfield
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
Plainfield	—	3.6% (±1.8 points)	—
North Plainfield Borough	1.3 mi	1.8% (±2.0 points)	Not measurably different
Watchung Borough	2.2 mi	19.4% (±18.7 points)	Not measurably different
Fanwood Borough	2.4 mi	5.9% (±9.0 points)	Not measurably different
Scotch Plains Township	2.6 mi	3.4% (±4.8 points)	Not measurably different
South Plainfield Borough	2.8 mi	5.8% (±7.0 points)	Not measurably different
Dunellen Borough	3.1 mi	0.0% (±4.4 points)	Not measurably different
Green Brook Township	3.6 mi	23.7% (±19.3 points)	Higher
Berkeley Heights Township	4.2 mi	5.0% (±8.5 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Green Brook Township, NJ (23.7%).

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

Rental vacancy rate across Union County, place by place

Rank	Place	Rental vacancy rate
3	New Providence Borough	7.1% (±8.0 points)
4 (tie)	Fanwood Borough	5.9% (±9.0 points)
4 (tie)	Rahway	5.9% (±2.5 points)
6	Springfield Township (Union County)	5.1% (±4.6 points)
7	Berkeley Heights Township	5.0% (±8.5 points)
8	Hillside Township	4.5% (±4.1 points)
9	Plainfield	3.6% (±1.8 points)
10 (tie)	Scotch Plains Township	3.4% (±4.8 points)
10 (tie)	Summit	3.4% (±3.3 points)
12	Union Township (Union County)	2.9% (±1.8 points)
13	Elizabeth	2.8% (±0.7 points)
14	Westfield Town	1.6% (±2.6 points)
15	Roselle Park Borough	1.5% (±1.9 points)

Showing 13 of 21 places in Union County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Plainfield

Is it hard to find a rental in Plainfield?

The rental vacancy rate in Plainfield, NJ is 3.6% (±1.8 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

Is the rental market in Plainfield tighter than it was?

In Plainfield, the rental vacancy rate went from 3.3% in 2015–2019 to 3.6% in 2020–2024 (+0.3 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How many homes are vacant in Plainfield?

An estimated 805 (±211) housing units, 4.8% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

Sources

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 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

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.