The Town FilesPlainfield, New Hampshire
Town in Sullivan County · population 2,459 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $442,400
- Household income
- $122,656
- Jan low / Jul high
- 9° / 83°
- Snow a year
- 69 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 38.9
Plainfield is a town of 2,459 people in Sullivan County, New Hampshire. The median home is worth $442,400, above the typical New Hampshire town ($357,650). It ranks better for families than 87% of New Hampshire towns, more of a college town than 84% of New Hampshire towns, better for retirees than 80% of New Hampshire towns.
How Plainfield ranks
Percentile among New Hampshire towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New Hampshire towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Plainfield is worth $442,400, above the typical New Hampshire town ($357,650). Homes cost about 3.6 times the median household income of $122,656, which is more affordable than 60% of New Hampshire towns. Median rent is $1,674 a month. 87.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Plainfield | Typical New Hampshire town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $442,400 | $357,650 |
| Median rent | $1,674 | $1,285 |
| Median household income | $122,656 | $94,107 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.6× | 3.8× |
| Homeownership | 87.3% | 82.1% |
| Median year built | 1977 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 10.7% | — |
Who lives in Plainfield
| People | Plainfield | Typical New Hampshire town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.9 | 46.3 |
| Age 65 and over | 19.8% | 22.3% |
| Under 18 | 23.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.7% | 36.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.2% | 7.2% |
| Veterans | 12.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 4.8% | — |
| Work from home | 18.1% | 14.2% |
| Average commute | 22.0 min | 27.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 97.3% | 92.5% |
Weather in Plainfield
July highs average 82.7°F and January lows 9.3°F. About 38.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 69.3 inches of snow (typical New Hampshire town: 67.7 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 163 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Plainfield since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New Hampshire town. The strongest, an F1, struck on August 13, 1999 about 2.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 13, 1999.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 14 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on August 1, 1980.
Severe weather in Sullivan County since 1996
Sullivan County has been included in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| July 10, 2024 | Winter Storm | DR-4799: Severe Winter Storm And Flooding |
| September 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4740: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| October 4, 2021 | Flood | DR-4624: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| April 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4516: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3445: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Sullivan County
Sullivan County had 13,867 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $58,062 a year. Unemployment was 1.9% in 2023; in Plainfield itself the ACS puts it at 0.6%.
Public schools in Plainfield
1 public school with 196 students, about 9.8 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainfield Elementary School | K-8 | 196 | 9.8 |
Towns near Plainfield
- Cornish, NH5.0 mi · 1,616 people · home $296,000
- Windsor, VT6.5 mi · 2,139 people · home $170,300
- Lebanon, NH6.7 mi · 14,282 people · home $385,400
- White River Junction, VT7.5 mi · 2,532 people · home $278,800
- Grantham, NH7.6 mi · 3,404 people · home $343,100
- Hartland, VT7.6 mi · 3,446 people · home $348,600
- Windsor, VT7.9 mi · 3,559 people · home $207,500
- Hartford Village, VT8.8 mi · 754 people · home $277,600
Plainfield questions
Is Plainfield, New Hampshire a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Plainfield scores better for retirees than 80% of New Hampshire towns and quieter than 57%. 19.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.9).
How much does a house cost in Plainfield?
The median owner-occupied home in Plainfield is valued at $442,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $122,656, so homes cost about 3.6 times income. Median rent is $1,674 a month.
What is the weather like in Plainfield?
July highs average 82.7°F and January lows 9.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 38.1 inches of precipitation a year and 69.3 inches of snow.
Does Plainfield get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Plainfield since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on August 13, 1999. The typical New Hampshire town has had 5.
- 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)