New Brunswick vs Plainfield
New Brunswick, New Jersey versus Plainfield, New Jersey: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
New Brunswick and Plainfield score about the same overall (35 vs 38 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | New Brunswick | Plainfield |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $57k | $71k |
| Cost of Living | $60k | $63k |
| Home Value | $290k | $352k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.03% | 2.75% |
| Income Tax | 10.70% | 10.70% |
| Sales Tax | 6.60% | 6.60% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 23.15% | 26.57% |
| Unemployment | 6.5% | 10.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 31°F | 31°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 76°F | 76°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.5 in | 48.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 29.0 in | 21.4 in |
| Sunny Days | 170 days | 170 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 74 days | 73 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 76.4 | 78.4 |
| Air Quality | 48 AQI | 43 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 2307/100k | 1487/100k |
| Property Crime | 2165/100k | 1317/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 55,718 | 54,358 |
| Median Age | 24.0 | 33.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.72 | 0.68 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.09 | 1.07 |
| Political Leaning | D+22 | D+36 |
| White (%) | 27.4% | 8.1% |
| Black (%) | 13.8% | 35.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 46.9% | 52.4% |
| Asian (%) | 8.8% | 0.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.1% | 3.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 31 min |
| Walkability | 15.1/20 | 14.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 20 mi | 14 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 80.6% | 91.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 79.87 | 46.54 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is New Brunswick or Plainfield more affordable?
- New Brunswick has the lower cost of living: its index is $60k, compared with New Brunswick's $60k and Plainfield's $63k. Median rent is $2k in New Brunswick versus $2k in Plainfield.
- Is New Brunswick or Plainfield safer?
- Plainfield has the lower violent crime rate. New Brunswick reports 2307/100k and Plainfield reports 1487/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in New Brunswick or Plainfield?
- The median home value is $290k in New Brunswick and $352k in Plainfield, so homes are more affordable in New Brunswick.