Live-In Caregivers in North Plainfield, NJ

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in North Plainfield, NJ: the local picture

198

residents 85 or older (0.9% of all residents)

1,064

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (90%)

48%

of North Plainfield homes have 3 or more bedrooms (60% in Union County)

$15.92

New Jersey minimum wage per hour

About 198 North Plainfield residents are 85 or older. Live-in care is most often arranged for this age group, when help is needed through the day and someone should be close at night.

A live-in caregiver needs a private room. 48% of homes in North Plainfield have three or more bedrooms (60% in Union County), while 27% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5 rooms.

Of North Plainfield households headed by someone 65 or older, 1,064 own their home and 124 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 67 owners and 0 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

North Plainfield compared with Union County and New Jersey

Census figure	North Plainfield	Union County	New Jersey
Residents 85 or older	0.9%	1.8%	2.1%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	18%	26%	27%
Residents 65+ with a disability	21%	28%	30%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	5.9%	9.8%	9.7%
Residents 65 or older	9.3%	15%	17%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	60%	48%	33%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$76,684	$72,306	—

Older residents in towns around North Plainfield

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Plainfield, NJ	1.3 mi	5,588	512
Watchung, NJ	1.5 mi	1,905	380
Dunellen, NJ	2.5 mi	1,053	104
Fanwood, NJ	3.2 mi	1,428	271
South Plainfield, NJ	3.5 mi	4,758	642
Middlesex, NJ	4.5 mi	2,876	256

Emergency hospitals near North Plainfield

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
University Behavioral Health Care	Piscataway, NJ	4.9 mi	not rated	(732) 235-5900
Overlook Medical Center	Summit, NJ	7.6 mi	5 of 5	(908) 522-2000
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital At Rahway	Rahway, NJ	8.3 mi	4 of 5	(732) 381-4200

Straight-line miles from the center of North Plainfield. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a live-in caregiver can help with

Help across the day: meals, housekeeping, personal care
Someone in the home overnight if help is needed
Medication reminders and appointment rides
Companionship and a steady routine

Cost

What live-in care costs in North Plainfield

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.83 an hour (the New Jersey median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,863 a month (60% of the $6,390 monthly median income of North Plainfield households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,980 a month (203% of the $6,390 monthly median income of North Plainfield households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. New Jersey's minimum wage is $15.92 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see Medicaid programs for family caregivers: who can be paid, and the rules in 12 states.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a live-in caregiver

Put the arrangement in writing: hours on duty, sleep time, days off, the room and pay (federal rules: DOL Fact Sheet 79B).

Questions worth asking: Have you lived in with a client before, and for how long? What days off and sleep time do you need? How do you handle being woken at night? More in our live-in caregivers guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Live-In Caregivers in North Plainfield: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to North Plainfield?

University Behavioral Health Care in Piscataway, about 4.9 mi in a straight line from the center of North Plainfield (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (732) 235-5900. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in North Plainfield?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.83 an hour (the New Jersey median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,863 a month (60% of the $6,390 monthly median income of North Plainfield households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,980 a month (203% of the $6,390 monthly median income of North Plainfield households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. New Jersey's minimum wage is $15.92 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in North Plainfield?

A live-in caregiver sleeps in the home and has protected sleep and break time. 24-hour care uses two or three caregivers in shifts so someone is always awake; in North Plainfield it costs more than three times as much a month (see the cost section above). Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near North Plainfield

More senior care near North Plainfield

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in North Plainfield

More for North Plainfield families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.