Housing Value★★★★★★★★★★3.4 / 5Home values compared with local household income.
Living in Bristol, VA
Explore Bristol and see how it fits the life you want to build.
Overall Match6.6 / 10
Baseline match from currently available location scores. Choose priorities to personalize it.
Bristol at a Glance
Key facts and current data
Population16,849
Median Household Income$50,404
Median Home Value$184,100
Median Gross Rent$801
Median Age43.4
Average Household Size2.3
Unemployment6.3%
Work From Home11.6%
Homeownership63.6%
Housing Vacancy16.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year.
Bristol is a smaller community, so land use, housing supply and its relationship with surrounding communities can be especially important to movers.
Experience the Area
Experience Life in Bristol Before You Move
Explore Short-Term Stays in Bristol →Stay options powered by Stay22 · affiliate
NarrowTheList highly recommends you spend a week or two in Bristol and experience everyday life before deciding whether it is the right place to call home. Use that time to explore neighborhoods, drive your normal routes, shop where residents shop, and get a feel for the area at different times of day.
NarrowTheList Ratings
Data-driven starter ratings. More categories appear automatically as new datasets are added.
Housing & Cost of Living in Bristol
Current housing indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau
Median Home Value$184,100
Median Gross Rent$801
Homeownership63.6%
Housing Vacancy16.4%
Home values are moderately high relative to local household income, making neighborhood-level price differences important for buyers. The housing mix leans toward owner-occupied homes while still supporting a meaningful rental market.
Jobs, Income & Remote Work
Employment and household-income context for Bristol, VA
Median Household Income$50,404
Unemployment6.3%
Work From Home11.6%
The reported unemployment rate is elevated enough to warrant a closer look at current local employment conditions. A meaningful share of employed residents work from home.
Population & Household Profile
Who lives in Bristol and how households are structured
Population16,849
Median Age43.4
Average Household Size2.3
Bristol is a smaller community, so its relationship with nearby towns, employment centers and services can be especially important.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year. NarrowTheList presents these values as relocation context; conditions can vary within a community.
Climate & Weather in Bristol
Long-term NOAA climate normals and practical seasonal context
NOAA climate normals for Bristol point to warm summers, winters with regular freezing conditions, a wetter annual rainfall pattern and occasional snowfall.
Average Summer High84.7°F
Average Winter Low24.1°F
Annual Rainfall47.3 in.
Annual Snowfall9.2 in.
Seasonal Life in Bristol
What the long-term climate pattern may mean for everyday living.
Spring
Spring is a good time to see how wetter conditions affect drainage, yards, commuting and the usability of outdoor spaces.
Summer
Summer is warm enough that shade and cooling still matter, but the typical high is below the extreme-heat range seen in many hotter U.S. markets.
Fall
Fall marks a substantial seasonal transition here. It is a useful time to judge how quickly temperatures change and whether that seasonal swing fits the lifestyle you want.
Winter
Freezing winter lows make heating, icy conditions and cold-weather routines worth evaluating even if annual snowfall is limited.
Source: NOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Seasonal descriptions are relocation context derived from the available long-term normals, not a forecast.
Bristol is located in Bristol city County, but city-level housing, income and neighborhood conditions can differ meaningfully from countywide averages. Bristol city.
County Intelligence
Bristol & Bristol city
Data Pending
Foreclosure Activity
Bristol is located in Bristol city, Virginia.
NarrowTheList uses county-level information alongside local community data because many factors that matter when choosing a place to live are measured beyond city boundaries. Housing, property taxes, employment, healthcare access and other regional characteristics can add useful context to the picture of life in Bristol.
Current NarrowTheList data for Bristol shows a population of about 16,849. These local figures become more useful when read together with county-level tax, housing, foreclosure and demographic conditions rather than treated as isolated city statistics.
Foreclosure Activity: Data Pending. A county-specific foreclosure signal is not available yet.
For someone comparing homes, county boundaries can matter because taxes, public services, court and recording systems, assessment practices and housing-market conditions are often administered or reported at the county level. NarrowTheList keeps that county relationship attached to the community so future tax, foreclosure, housing and demographic data can be interpreted in the correct geographic context.
County relationship
Bristol city
How NarrowTheList uses it
County information is used as a supporting geographic layer, not as a substitute for local data. As more county datasets are added, NarrowTheList can use them to improve comparisons, ratings and relocation insights for Bristol.
Nearby Cities & Communities
Nearby incorporated cities, towns, villages and other municipalities shown by straight-line distance.