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South Plainfield, NJ

Full City Profile · New Jersey · Union County County

3.7 /5.0
B+ Good
24,231 Population 2,919/sq mi density
$126,063 Median Income $49,533 per capita
$443,900 Home Value $570,339 Zillow
$1,928 Median Rent 27.9% income on rent
55°F Avg Temperature 275 sunny days/yr
124 Violent Crime/100K 1,634 property/100K
B+
Overall
3.7 / 5.0
Good overall score based on economy, affordability, safety and education
A+
Economy
4.6 / 5.0
$126,063 median income, 5.0% unemployment
A+
Affordability
4.7 / 5.0
$443,900 home value, $1,928/mo rent
F
Safety
1.0 / 5.0
124 violent crimes/100K
A
Education
4.4 / 5.0
42.0% bachelor's degree or higher
South Plainfield experiences four distinct seasons with an average annual temperature of 55°F (13°C). Winters average 32°F in January while summers reach 77°F in July. The area gets 275 sunny days per year. Annual precipitation totals 48.7 inches. The area receives 21.4 inches of snow annually. Air quality is rated Good with a median AQI of 39.

Temperature

32°F Jan (0°C) 77°F Jul (25°C)
Annual Average54.9°F
2% above US avg
January Average32°F (0°C)
July Average77°F (25°C)
Sunny Days275 days/yr

Geography

Elevation81 ft (25 m)
Area8.3 sq mi (21.6 km²)
Population Density2,919/sq mi
Coordinates40.5744°N, 74.4148°W
TimezoneAmerica/New_York
CountyUnion County County
Nearest AirportCentral Jersey Regional (JVI)
10 miles away

Precipitation & Snow

Annual Rainfall 48.7"
28% above US avg
Snowfall 21.4"
Wettest Month (Jul) 5.12"
Driest Month (Feb) 3.03"

Air Quality

AQI Median39.0
RatingGood

Air Pollutants (EPA 2023)

NO₂ (Nitrogen Dioxide)26.6 ppb
SO₂ (Sulfur Dioxide)0.74 ppb
CO (Carbon Monoxide)0.42 ppm
PM2.5 (Fine Particles)9.8 μg/m³

Natural Hazard Risk

Overall RiskRelatively High
Risk Score95.5 / 100
Social Vulnerability55.8 / 100
Community Resilience30.3 / 100

Hazard Breakdown

Tornado Relatively Moderate
Hurricane Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Very Low
Flood Relatively High
Hail Very Low
Strong Wind Very High
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Very High
Lightning Very High
Ice Storm Very High
Drought Very Low
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Landslide Very Low
Coastal Flood Relatively Moderate
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (Dec 2025)

Earthquake History

28 earthquakes (M2.5+) within 150 km since 1990. Strongest: M4.8. Most recent: M2.8 on Aug 5, 2025.

Apr 5, 2024 2024 Tewksbury, New Jersey Earthquake M4.8 32 km
Jan 16, 1994 2 km W of Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania M4.6 140 km
Jan 16, 1994 0 km E of Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania M4.2 138 km
Apr 5, 2024 7 km WSW of Gladstone, New Jersey M3.7 31 km
Jan 9, 1992 4 km WNW of Robertsville, New Jersey M3.1 24 km
Aug 26, 2003 4 km NNW of Milford, New Jersey M3.1 58 km
Oct 28, 1991 3 km WNW of Stamford, Connecticut M3.0 89 km
Aug 3, 2025 0 km W of Little Ferry, New Jersey M3.0 44 km
Feb 3, 2009 1 km ESE of Victory Gardens, New Jersey M3.0 34 km
Jan 16, 1994 0 km SSE of Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania M2.9 138 km
May 24, 2024 6 km E of Califon, New Jersey M2.9 33 km
Apr 27, 2024 7 km WSW of Gladstone, New Jersey M2.9 31 km
May 10, 1993 1 km NW of Whitfield, Pennsylvania M2.8 138 km
Aug 5, 2025 1 km N of Hillsdale, New Jersey M2.8 58 km
Jul 1, 2009 3 km ESE of Pennsville, New Jersey M2.8 138 km
Apr 12, 1991 2 km ENE of North Castle, New York M2.7 91 km
Jan 25, 2015 4 km ESE of Downingtown, Pennsylvania M2.6 123 km
Jul 5, 1996 2 km NW of Chester Heights, Pennsylvania M2.6 118 km
Apr 5, 2024 6 km ESE of Califon, New Jersey M2.6 32 km
May 1, 2024 1 km NW of Gladstone, New Jersey M2.6 28 km
Source: USGS (M2.5+, 1990–2025)

Hurricane History

5 hurricanes (Cat 1+) within 500 km since 1980. Strongest: Category 2. Most recent: Arthur (2014, Cat 1).

Year Name Category Closest
2014 Arthur Category 1 297 km
2012 Sandy Category 1 274 km
2011 Irene Category 1 280 km
1991 Bob Category 2 190 km
1985 Gloria Category 2 94 km
Source: NOAA IBTrACS (Cat 1+, 1980–2026)

Tornado History

254 tornadoes (EF0+) within 100 km since 1950. Strongest: EF3. Total: 13 fatalities, 174 injuries.

Date Rating Distance Fatalities
Jul 29, 2021 EF3 70 km 0
May 31, 1998 EF3 99 km 0
Oct 18, 1990 EF3 32 km 0
Jul 14, 1988 EF3 85 km 0
Sep 26, 1977 EF3 24 km 0
Mar 21, 1976 EF3 79 km 0
May 28, 1973 EF3 40 km 0
May 28, 1973 EF3 26 km 0
Jun 24, 1960 EF3 45 km 0
Apr 1, 2023 EF2 60 km 0
Apr 1, 2023 EF2 48 km 0
Apr 1, 2023 EF2 47 km 0
Feb 21, 2023 EF2 41 km 0
Sep 1, 2021 EF2 87 km 1
Jul 29, 2021 EF2 93 km 0
Jul 29, 2021 EF2 52 km 0
Aug 4, 2020 EF2 72 km 0
Jul 29, 2009 EF2 81 km 0
Jul 29, 2009 EF2 77 km 0
Aug 8, 2007 EF2 27 km 0
Source: NOAA SPC (EF0+, 1950–2024)

Tsunami History

3 tsunamis recorded within 500 km. Highest wave on record: 0.3 m (1 ft).

Year Location Cause Max Wave Deaths Distance
1964 LONG ISLAND, NY Meteorological 0.3 m 114 km
1895 HIGH BRIDGE, NJ Earthquake 41 km
1840 PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA Earthquake 109 km
Source: NOAA/NCEI Historical Tsunami Database. Sorted by wave height.

Wildfire History

20 wildfires (100+ acres) within 100 km. Largest: UNNAMED (23,000 ac, 1985).

Year Name Acres Distance
1985 UNNAMED 23,000 73 km
1995 GREENWOOD STATE FOREST 21,271 83 km
2007 WARREN GROVE 15,315 98 km
2019 SPRING HILL FIRE 8,182 87 km
2016 16 MILE 7,896 93 km
1992 FORKED RIVER MOUTAIN APR 5,093 80 km
2024 JENNINGS CREEK 5,069 68 km
1992 POWER PLANT 4,928 84 km
1992 UNNAMED 4,470 65 km
2024 TEA TIME HILL 4,444 89 km
2006 UNNAMED 3,780 97 km
2023 JIMMYS WATER HOLE 3,585 63 km
1989 SIMM PLACE 3,262 88 km
2002 UNNAMED 2,824 64 km
2007 ATSION 2,705 98 km
1992 FOUR MILE COLONY 2,647 80 km
2010 FORT DIX RANGE 1-14 2,615 63 km
1990 UNNAMED 2,367 95 km
1996 UNNAMED 2,122 95 km
1993 UNNAMED 1,860 94 km
Source: NIFC/IRWIN (100+ acres)

Monthly Weather

Month Avg Temperature Precipitation Summary
January 32°F (0°C) 3.9 in Coldest
February 32°F (0°C) 3.0 in Driest
March 41°F (5°C) 4.1 in
April 51°F (10°C) 4.1 in
May 61°F (16°C) 4.6 in
June 70°F (21°C) 4.0 in
July 77°F (25°C) 5.1 in Warmest, Wettest
August 73°F (23°C) 4.4 in
September 66°F (19°C) 4.4 in
October 55°F (13°C) 3.7 in
November 45°F (7°C) 4.1 in
December 35°F (2°C) 3.8 in

South Plainfield has a seasonal temperature swing of 45°F / from 32°F in January to 77°F in July. Total annual precipitation is 49.4 inches, with July being the wettest month (5.1") and February the driest (3.0").

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