Plainfield, Connecticut

Town · population 14,973 (2020 Census)

Median home: $272,100
Household income: $76,993
Jan low / Jul high: 17° / 80°
Snow a year: 38 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 5
Median age: 37.0

Plainfield is a town of 14,973 people, Connecticut. The median home is worth $272,100, below the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). It ranks more of a college town than 87% of Connecticut towns, easier by car than 81% of Connecticut towns.

How Plainfield ranks

Percentile among Connecticut towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Connecticut towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Plainfield is worth $272,100, below the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $76,993, which is more affordable than 56% of Connecticut towns. Median rent is $1,204 a month. 73.6% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Connecticut towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Plainfield	Typical Connecticut town
Median home value	$272,100	$376,000
Median rent	$1,204	$1,462
Median household income	$76,993	$109,167
Home value ÷ income	3.5×	3.6×
Homeownership	73.6%	80.3%
Median year built	1971	1969
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Plainfield

People	Plainfield	Typical Connecticut town
Median age	37.0	45.0
Age 65 and over	16.6%	20.6%
Under 18	19.4%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	15.0%	45.8%
Below the poverty line	8.7%	5.7%
Veterans	8.0%	—
Born outside the U.S.	4.5%	—
Work from home	10.0%	16.8%
Average commute	26.6 min	27.6 min
Homes with broadband	88.4%	93.8%

Weather in Plainfield

July highs average 80.4°F and January lows 17.4°F. About 50.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 38.0 inches of snow (typical Connecticut town: 39.0 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 142 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Hampton station (9.4 mi away); snow from Jewett City (4.4 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Plainfield since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Connecticut town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on August 18, 2023 about 9.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 13, 2023.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 13 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on July 3, 2025.

Public schools in Plainfield

3 public schools with 997 students, about 11.2 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
Plainfield Central School	6-8	445	10.6
Shepard Hill Elementary School	PK-3	284	11.4
Plainfield Memorial School	4-5	268	12.2

Towns near Plainfield

Plainfield Village, CT
1.8 mi · 2,580 people · home $232,600
Moosup, CT
2.1 mi · 3,113 people · home $270,900
Sterling, CT
4.4 mi · 3,578 people · home $283,400
Canterbury, CT
5.6 mi · 5,045 people · home $334,200
Brooklyn, CT
7.1 mi · 8,450 people · home $315,200
Jewett City, CT
7.2 mi · 3,328 people · home $196,900
Griswold, CT
7.6 mi · 11,402 people · home $275,900
Danielson, CT
7.9 mi · 4,155 people · home $224,600

Plainfield questions

Is Plainfield, Connecticut a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Plainfield scores better for retirees than 37% of Connecticut towns and quieter than 52%. 16.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.0).

How much does a house cost in Plainfield?

The median owner-occupied home in Plainfield is valued at $272,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $76,993, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is $1,204 a month.

What is the weather like in Plainfield?

July highs average 80.4°F and January lows 17.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 50.6 inches of precipitation a year and 38.0 inches of snow.

Does Plainfield get tornadoes?

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Plainfield since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on August 18, 2023. The typical Connecticut town has had 8.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Plainfield's Census boundary (GEOID 0915059980). Comparisons use the median of Connecticut towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-12.