Plainfield, Pennsylvania Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 248, Plainfield's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Plainfield is a small community located in Pennsylvania, within Cumberland County. The total population is 248. It ranks as the 1652nd most populous out of 1,991 Census-designated places in Pennsylvania.

Age Demographics

The median age in Plainfield is 58.6 years. This is 43% higher than the state median of 40.9 years. Only 13.3% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 16.9% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Plainfield is $73,977. This is 5% lower than the state median of $77,971. It is also 8% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 30.6%. This is 162% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.7%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The survey records no unemployed residents in Plainfield, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $181,900. Housing costs are 29% lower than the state median of $254,500. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.5x, Plainfield is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 100.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 44% higher than the state average of 69.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Plainfield has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 98.8% of all residents. Asian residents account for 1.2%. The Asian population (1.2%) is well below the state average of 3.8%.

Education

0.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Plainfield, Pennsylvania is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Pennsylvania state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,991 Census-designated places in Pennsylvania. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.