Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Plainfield, NJ

Population: 54,358 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

C
56/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$939.6M
Per Capita
$17,286
Total Revenue
$246.9M
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
54.6%$513.1M
Hospitals
18.3%$171.7M
Housing & Community Development
16.6%$156.0M
Public Welfare
4.9%$46.0M
Health
2.2%$20.8M
Fire Protection
2.0%$18.5M
Parks & Recreation
0.8%$7.7M
Sewerage
0.6%$5.9M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Sales Tax
0.1%$292K
Income Tax
7.9%$19.5M
Intergovernmental
100.0%$246.9M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$340/person
Parks & Recreation$141/person
Health$383/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)21/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)68/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Plainfield stacks up against another city.

vs Newark, NJvs Jersey City, NJvs Paterson, NJ
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in New Jersey

Newark, NJ

Pop. 307K

C
Total Spending
$6.2B
Per Capita
$20,014

Jersey City, NJ

Pop. 288K

B
Total Spending
$6.1B
Per Capita
$21,136

Paterson, NJ

Pop. 158K

C
Total Spending
$2.5B
Per Capita
$16,110

Elizabeth, NJ

Pop. 136K

C
Total Spending
$2.9B
Per Capita
$21,067

Compare Plainfield With

Newark, NJ

Spending: $20,014/person · Grade: C

Jersey City, NJ

Spending: $21,136/person · Grade: B

Paterson, NJ

Spending: $16,110/person · Grade: C

Elizabeth, NJ

Spending: $21,067/person · Grade: C

Frequently Asked Questions

Plainfield, NJ spends $17,286 per resident, based on total expenditures of $939.6M for a population of 54,358. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (56/100).

Plainfield, NJ has total expenditures of $939.6M and total revenue of $246.9M. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Plainfield, NJ employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Plainfield, NJ has a Fiscal Health Score of C (56/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

Last updated: