Village · Waushara County, Wisconsin

Plainfield, Wisconsin

Plainfield is a village in Waushara County, Wisconsin. It has 1,094 residents. Plainfield, Wisconsin has a quality-of-life score of 63 out of 100 (high), ranking #5,786 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Wisconsin it ranks #349 of 396 cities and towns. It ranks best on violent crime rate (low), public libraries (high) and home price to income ratio (low). It ranks worst on access to exercise opportunities (low), pharmacies (low) and bachelor's degree or higher (low).

63High

Quality-of-life score: #5,786 of 15,651 cities and towns
Wisconsin: #349 of 396 in WI
Population: 1,094 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 702.2 /mi²
FIPS code: 5563150

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety78#3,504/15,637
Economy35#10,136/15,631
Housing96#592/14,977
Health34#10,310/15,609
Healthcare27#11,456/15,650
Environment91#1,365/15,453
Education48#8,130/15,649
Infrastructure26#11,541/15,650
Community83#2,634/15,651
Leisure & amenities58#6,596/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Plainfield, Wisconsin ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Waushara County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Violent crime rate · low30 /100k
99/100Wisconsin 240 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationWaushara County value
Public libraries · high3.2 /10k
96/100Wisconsin 0.8 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesWaushara County value
Home price to income ratio · low1.7×
96/100Wisconsin 3.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Wisconsin 4.3 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataWaushara County value
Rent as share of income · low23.6%
93/100Wisconsin 27.2%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Social associations · high15.6 /10k
93/100Wisconsin 11.1 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWaushara County value

Weaknesses

Access to exercise opportunities · low30.9%
2/100Wisconsin 83.6%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWaushara County value
Pharmacies · low0.4 /10k
3/100Wisconsin 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsWaushara County value
Bachelor's degree or higher · low7.3%
3/100Wisconsin 33.4%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Average weekly wage · low$880
4/100Wisconsin $1,272United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsWaushara County value
New business applications · low7.5 /1k
4/100Wisconsin 12.0 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauWaushara County value
Physical inactivity · high33.4%
12/100Wisconsin 27.3%United States 26.5%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
849 (2015-2019) → 1,094 (2020-2024)
+29%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
3.9% (2015-2019) → 17.9% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
26.4% (2015-2019) → 40.0% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Unemployment rateImproving
11.6% (2015-2019) → 5.0% (2020-2024)
−6.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$45,536 (2015-2019) → $60,375 (2020-2024)
+33%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Average commute timeWorsening
20.6 min (2015-2019) → 26.2 min (2020-2024)
+27%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Plainfield, Wisconsin improved on 0 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 12 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined1

Uninsured+14 points3.9% → 17.9%

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Plainfield, Wisconsin between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	20.6 min2015-2019	26.2 min2020-2024	+5.6 min	Within the margin of error	8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	7.9%2015-2019	7.2%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Broadband subscriptions	78.1%2015-2019	74.4%2020-2024	−3.6 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Effective property tax rate	1.77%2015-2019	1.44%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	78%
High school diploma or higher	83.9%2015-2019	82.7%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Home price to income ratio	2.2×2015-2019	1.7×2020-2024	−0.5×	Within the margin of error	93%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4582015-2019	0.3742020-2024	−0.084	Within the margin of error	93%
Median household income	$45,5362015-2019	$60,3752020-2024	+33%	Within the margin of error	61%
Poverty rate	13.0%2015-2019	12.2%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	22.2%2015-2019	23.6%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Unemployment rate	11.6%2015-2019	5.0%2020-2024	−6.6 points	Within the margin of error	97%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	3.9%2015-2019	17.9%2020-2024	+14 points	Declined	1%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Plainfield, Wisconsin five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Plainfield, Wisconsin in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Plainfield, Wisconsin itself moved −0.7 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,094 residents (±186)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 10–19 women (−5.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,094 residents (±186)

Plainfield, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

White70%771
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino27%†293

Education

676 residents (±110)

Plainfield, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

No high school diploma17%†117
High school or GED53%360
Some college9.8%66

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

403 households (±75)

Plainfield, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Under $25k13%†51
$25k–50k34%†136
$50k–75k16%†63
$75k–100k7.9%†32
$100k–150k22%†89
$150k–200k5.0%†20
$200k or more3.0%†12

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−11.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

403 households (±75)

Plainfield, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Own77%310
Rent23%†93

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Rent (−14.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

93 households (±30)

Plainfield, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Under $75052%†48
$750–1,00037%†34
$1,000–1,50012%†11

Home values

310 homes (±78)

Plainfield, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Under $150k78%†243
$150k–250k14%†43
$250k–400k7.4%†23

Age of homes

410 homes (±75)

Plainfield, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

2010 or later0.7%†3
2000–20093.9%†16
1980–199920%†80

Size of homes

410 homes (±75)

Plainfield, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom10%†42
2 bedrooms34%†140

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

521 workers (±97)

Plainfield, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Drive alone80%419
Carpool12%†60
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.6%†3
Bike0.0%0
Work from home5.8%†30
Other1.7%†9

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

491 workers (±101)

Plainfield, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Under 15 min19%†92
15–29 min46%225
30–44 min24%†116

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Waushara County, the county holding most of Plainfield's residents.

Waushara County has 494 employer establishments, 197 for every 10,000 residents (0.79× the US rate of 248; 0.81× Wisconsin's), with 4,855 paid employees at an average annual pay of $45,811. The Census Bureau also counts 1,718 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 494; 1,718 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 197; US 248 · Wisconsin 244
Paid employees: 4,855
Average annual pay: $45,811; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Waushara County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	42	16.8	1.08×About typical	158	$53,658	172
Restaurants and other eating places	37	14.8	0.80×About typical	401	$16,753	11
Religious organizations	36	14.4	2.59×More than typical	173	$20,173	—
Full-service restaurants	26	10.4	1.35×More than typical	266	$16,876	5
Truck transportation	24	9.6	1.90×More than typical	155	$56,026	81
Ambulatory health care services	17	6.8	0.33×Fewer than typical	211	$58,962	43
Automotive repair and maintenance	15	6	1.19×About typical	46	$41,326	49
Building equipment contractors	15	6	1.00×About typical	50	$51,320	20
Gasoline stations	15	6	1.85×More than typical	194	$28,680	—
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	14	5.6	4.61×More than typical	54	$22,981	10
Services to buildings and dwellings	14	5.6	0.83×About typical	36	$36,833	108
Construction of buildings	13	5.2	0.69×Fewer than typical	28	$34,786	139

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Plainfield is mostly in Waushara County.

See federal money in Waushara County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Plainfield, Wisconsin is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Glenn GrothmanR-WI-6 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 2.1%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Waushara County71100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Waushara County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/5563150