Town · Massachusetts
Plainfield, Massachusetts
Plainfield, town, in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. Plainfield had 643 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 633 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 616 (±107). GEOID 2501554030.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
643
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 633 · ACS 2020-2024: 616 ±107
Median household income
$63,500
±$13,875 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $103,960
Median home value
$309,000
±$46,806 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $562,100
Median gross rent
$1,292
±$558 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $1,762
Where is Plainfield and what county is it in?
Plainfield is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. It covers 21.1 square miles of land, 30 residents per square mile in 2020.
Plainfield is in the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Plainfield, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 643 people lived in Plainfield on July 1, 2025, up 2.1% since 2020, in line with Massachusetts (+1.7%). The 2020 Census counted 633 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 616 (±107).
| Measure | Plainfield | Hampshire County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 616±107 | 162,028 | no clear change |
| Households | 246±38 | 62,114 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.48±0.30 | 2.24 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 290±51 | 66,786 | −73 |
Plainfield's population since 2000
From 589 in 2000 to 643 in 2025: up 9.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Plainfield as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Plainfield?
The median resident of Plainfield is 50.6 years old; 19.0% are under 18 and 29.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 83.9%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 12.5%. 4.7% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Plainfield | Hampshire County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.6±9.5 | 37.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 19.0%±7.8 pts | 14.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 29.5%±6.2 pts | 19.4% | – |
| Male | 45.0%±5.7 pts | 46.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.5%±1.5 pts | 7.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 83.9%±8.4 pts | 80.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±6.7 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.5%±0.6 pts | 5.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 1.0%±2.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±6.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 12.5%±8.5 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.6%±0.9 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 4.7%±2.5 pts | 8.4% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 8.4%±4.5 pts | 12.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.2%±2.6 pts | 5.1% | – |
| With a disability | 14.1%±4.0 pts | 12.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.9%±3.1 pts | 1.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 97.6%±1.4 pts | 95.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 52.6%±7.7 pts | 51.6% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 31.2%±6.5 pts | 27.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.3%±4.0 pts | 80.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.2%±0.3 pts | 3.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Plainfield earn?
Half of Plainfield's 246 households earn less than $63,500 a year (±$13,875), against $87,001 in Hampshire County and $103,960 in Massachusetts. In 2015-2019 it was $73,072 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 16.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Plainfield | Hampshire County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,500±$13,875 | $87,001 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $95,827±$14,398 | $117,323 | – |
| Per capita income | $40,036±$6,941 | $45,568 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 16.9%±10.1 pts | 11.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 36.6%±32.2 pts | 11.5% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 6.5%±3.7 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.6%±2.0 pts | 96.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 95.9%±2.8 pts | 92.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Plainfield?
Owners occupy 98.0% of Plainfield's occupied homes and renters 2.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $309,000 by its owner (±$46,806). The median renter pays $1,292 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Plainfield | Hampshire County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $309,000±$46,806 | $390,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,292±$558 | $1,388 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0%±100.0 pts | 44.5% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,850±$145 | $2,256 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 98.0%±1.8 pts | 67.8% | +15.9 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 2.0%±1.8 pts | 32.2% | – |
| Housing units | 290±51 | 66,786 | −73 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±16.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 66.7%±36.0 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 93.1%±4.8 pts | 59.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 4.1%±4.5 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.7%±0.9 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.2%±3.5 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 26.9%±7.3 pts | 27.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.0%±15.8 pts | 7.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Plainfield building?
Builders took permits for 3 new housing units in Plainfield in 2025 (3 in single-family houses), 4.7 per 1,000 residents against 1.7 across Massachusetts.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Plainfield work and get to work?
62.1% of Plainfield's workers drive alone and 26.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 37.9 minutes.
| Measure | Plainfield | Hampshire County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 61.0%±5.9 pts | 61.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.0%±2.1 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 62.1%±8.6 pts | 64.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 9.6%±6.4 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±13.1 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Walked | 2.0%±2.2 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 26.2%±8.3 pts | 18.4% | +16.1 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 37.9 min±5.5 | 23.2 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Plainfield?
No census tract lies mostly in Plainfield; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 8227Hampshire County | 2,891 | $90,139 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Plainfield) · Census block assignment files
How does Plainfield compare with other places in Massachusetts?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Plainfield is the 9,274th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 254th-most populous of 266 in Massachusetts.
Plainfield is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 254th | 266 |
Plainfield's figures with every place in Massachusetts (CSV)
Every place in Massachusetts, sortable · Compare Plainfield with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Plainfield?
21 of the 57 figures for Plainfield on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Plainfield are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.