Population 102,536 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Plainfield
Household size in Plainfield
| Period | Plainfield | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.36 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.39 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.36 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.24 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.12 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Plainfield is a place of big households: 3.24 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has dropped from 3.36 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only seven of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Plainfield
| Period | Plainfield | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.3 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.1 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.0 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.2 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.9 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Plainfield is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 38.2, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 33.3, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the southwest and oldest in the northeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Plainfield
| Period | Plainfield | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.5% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.0% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Plainfield (10.0%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 1.4 points, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Plainfield
Renters in Plainfield
| Period | Plainfield | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.8% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 10.2% of households in Plainfield rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 23.2% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 3.5 points, as it has nationally. Of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people, only 38 have a lower share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Plainfield
| Period | Plainfield | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.0% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 2.2% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.9 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 2.2% of homes in Plainfield are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 4.9 points, in line with the national trend. Only seven of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have a lower vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Plainfield
| Period | Plainfield | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1998 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1999 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 2000 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2000 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Plainfield is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 2000, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the east has the oldest housing. Of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people, only six have newer homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Plainfield
| Period | Plainfield | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,465 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,610 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,863 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,302 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$837 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Plainfield runs $2,302 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $837 a month since 2006–10, up 57%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 28.8% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the northwest and lowest in the northeast.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Plainfield
Bachelor's degrees in Plainfield
| Period | Plainfield | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.7% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 39.5% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.5% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 45.0% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.2 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than four in ten adults 25 and older in Plainfield (45.0%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 7.2 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the east.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Plainfield
| Period | Plainfield | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.3% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.8% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.5% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.9% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Plainfield: 94.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 1.5 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Plainfield
| Period | Plainfield | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.3% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Plainfield runs below the national rate: 4.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 1.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Plainfield compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plainfield | 3.24 | 38.2 | 10.0% | 10.2% | 2.2% | 2000 | $2,302 | 45.0% | 94.9% | 4.6% |
| Romeoville | 3.15 | 38.5 | 13.2% | 18.7% | 5.4% | 1991 | $1,859 | 29.0% | 86.3% | 5.4% |
| Crest Hill | 2.30 | 41.4 | 12.5% | 29.2% | 2.4% | 1986 | $1,753 | 24.6% | 88.1% | 4.7% |
| Shorewood | 2.82 | 43.5 | 8.1% | 5.3% | 5.4% | 1996 | $1,829 | 41.2% | 95.9% | 6.0% |
| Joliet | 2.88 | 37.0 | 15.0% | 31.2% | 7.0% | 1971 | $1,443 | 21.7% | 82.0% | 6.2% |
| Rockdale | 3.02 | 28.9 | 30.8% | 48.5% | 7.1% | 1950 | $1,268 | 13.1% | 82.8% | 8.4% |
| Oswego | 2.99 | 38.7 | 10.4% | 13.8% | 3.1% | 1997 | $2,017 | 42.6% | 95.8% | 3.2% |
| Plattville | 3.33 | 33.2 | 20.0% | 11.3% | 3.2% | 1991 | $2,022 | 31.4% | 93.9% | 6.8% |
| Bolingbrook | 3.16 | 37.5 | 12.5% | 21.3% | 3.6% | 1988 | $1,981 | 40.3% | 90.2% | 5.5% |
| Lockport | 2.75 | 40.0 | 9.0% | 15.5% | 5.2% | 1983 | $1,837 | 39.8% | 94.6% | 4.9% |
| Boulder Hill | 2.94 | 38.9 | 13.6% | 12.7% | 3.5% | 1973 | $1,542 | 22.2% | 90.1% | 10.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Augusta, GA · Ankeny, IA · Aurora, CO · Auburn, AL · Ann Arbor, MI · Albany, GA · Baltimore, MD · Alhambra, CA · Appleton, WI · Allentown, PA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Plainfield. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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