To walk down Main Street in Plainfield is like taking a short walk back in time. You will walk upon the same ground as the original Quaker settlers, a former president, and all of those who have come to call Plainfield, Indiana home before your arrival. A home in Plainfield IN is a great value with homes at a median list price of $179,000 in a community with great schools, amenities, and neighbors.
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From its humble beginnings, Plainfield has grown into a vibrant, thriving town of nearly 30,000 residents. People from every background and demographic currently call the town home.
Approximately 91 percent of Plainfield residents identify as white. The remaining 9 percent are split among African Americans, Africans, Asian and Pacific Islanders, and Latinos. While this isn’t as diverse as a major urban area, it is the most diverse town in Hendricks County, which lies just west of Indianapolis. In addition, a wide range of ethnicities come to Plainfield to take advantage of new employment opportunities offered by the sudden growth of warehousing on the east side of town.
Education is important to the residents of Plainfield. Most of the residents have attained at least a high school diploma with 49 percent of the population holding bachelor’s or advanced degrees. Plainfield’s public school system, Plainfield Community School Corporation, has the unique distinction of having all of its schools receive the State of Indiana’s highest ranking, a 4-star rating, for two consecutive years. The corporation has four elementary, one middle, and one high school serving the town’s students. Two private schools, St. Susana Catholic School and Plainfield Christian School also operate elementary schools in the town.
Most Plainfield residents are considered solidly middle class with 75 percent of household incomes ranging from $30,000 to $149,000. Education and health care account for the largest percentage of civilian employment among Plainfield residents with retail, transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing coming in close behind.
Plainfield is generally regarded as a safe city and one in which it is easy to raise children. The most common type of crime reported is larceny. Very few violent crimes such as assault occur and no murders during the years analyzed.
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Plainfield makes the most of the town's natural beauty with excellently planned outdoor space. The town's park system includes nine different parks that span hundreds of acres. Hummel Park is 205 acres of open gathering space and pristine natural beauty, adorned with paved walking trails and natural hiking trails throughout. The Anderson Skate Park provides an outlet for teens and young adults who love to gather with friends and show off their skills. The park board also oversees the Al and Jan Barker Sports Complex, which hosts hundreds of Little League baseball, football, and soccer games each season.
The Vandalia and White Lick Trails provide avid runners, bikers, and even equestrians a safe, scenic place to get outdoors and engage in their sport. The Vandalia Trail currently connects Hendricks and Putnam counties, but future expansion plans will increase its length to span the entire width of the state.
Plainfield’s The Shops at Perry Crossing is a walkable outdoor, lifestyle mall. Several big name stores such as Barnes and Noble Booksellers, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Old Navy, and J.C. Penney anchor the mall. Upscale dining is available at Stone Creek Dining Company and Claddagh Irish Pub. Many residents head to the mall to catch a movie at the 18 screen cineplex, do some casual shopping, or meet up with friends.
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Plainfield's slogan, "A Community of Values," was adopted by the town in 1991. Since then, the town has promoted important community character values such as integrity, reliability, and justice each month throughout town in the community school corporation. Plainfield is a town that has lived these values since its beginning.
Tracing its roots to early western expansion, Plainfield was formed when Levi Jessup and Elias Hadley laid out the initial town plans in 1839. Beginning as a small plot of land at the intersection of the National Road and White Lick Creek, Plainfield quickly became a wealthy farming town as residents realized the reward of farming the rich soil available near town. Much of the land to the west and southwest of Plainfield is still used as farmland by local farmers.
Plainfield’s first residents were Quakers who established several churches in the area and the Western Yearly Meeting of Friends was organized with a house of worship along Main Street. Though the original structure was destroyed by fire, the replacement building still stands today in a park like setting along Main Street and is home to the weekly summer farmers’ market and the yearly Quaker Days parade and crafts fair. Today, Plainfield welcomes people of all faiths including Muslims who worship at the nearby Islamic Center of North America, Catholics who call Saint Susanna Parish their church home, and Lutherans who break bread on Sunday mornings at St. Stephen's Evangelical Lutheran Church or Living Christ Lutheran Church. The parishioners of St. Mark's Episcopal Church have long been known for their giving spirit and the food pantry through which they serve the residents of Hendricks County.
Plainfield, Indiana is a quintessential Midwestern town. The people are neighborly and live out the town's motto, "A Community of Values," each and every day.
