Population 27,935 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Bristol
Household size in Bristol
| Period | Bristol | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.27 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.33 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.26 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.43 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.16 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Bristol run small, averaging 2.43 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.27, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Bristol
| Period | Bristol | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.4 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.6 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.9 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.6 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.2 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 46.6, Bristol is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 41.4 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the east.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Bristol
| Period | Bristol | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.3% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Bristol than nationally: 14.3%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 4.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Bristol has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Virginia cities.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Bristol
Renters in Bristol
| Period | Bristol | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.7% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.3% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.5% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.6% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Bristol rent their homes (27.6%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Nearly half of owners (48.2%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the north. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 4.1 points, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Bristol
| Period | Bristol | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.2% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.9% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +7.7 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Bristol: 17.9% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy has risen 7.7 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Bristol
| Period | Bristol | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1970 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1971 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Bristol is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1971, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the center. Bristol has older homes than the great majority of Virginia cities.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Bristol
| Period | Bristol | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $628 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $675 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $740 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $868 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$240 | +$600 | +$606 |
Rent in Bristol runs $868 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $240 a month since 2006–10, up 38%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 27.9% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the east and lowest in the south.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Bristol
Bachelor's degrees in Bristol
| Period | Bristol | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.7% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.6% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.2% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.4% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Bristol have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.4%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 3.6 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the south.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Bristol
| Period | Bristol | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.0% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.8% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.2% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.4% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.3 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Bristol is close to the national rate: 90.4% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 10.3 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Bristol
| Period | Bristol | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.4% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.2%, unemployment in Bristol is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in Virginia overall (4.3%). Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.2 points, as it has nationally.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Bristol compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol | 2.43 | 46.6 | 14.3% | 27.6% | 17.9% | 1971 | $868 | 23.4% | 90.4% | 5.2% |
| Bristol | 2.37 | 43.3 | 12.0% | 26.9% | 10.1% | 1972 | $927 | 25.9% | 90.5% | 6.0% |
| Wyndale | 2.75 | 39.9 | 10.0% | 24.7% | 12.3% | 1984 | $1,073 | 23.1% | 93.9% | 1.0% |
| Holston Valley | 2.46 | 47.7 | 9.3% | 18.4% | 22.5% | 1978 | $953 | 21.2% | 89.5% | 7.8% |
| Emmett | 2.73 | 48.5 | 2.4% | 17.1% | 21.3% | 1980 | $1,130 | 16.9% | 81.7% | 4.7% |
| Mendota | 2.48 | 54.1 | 5.1% | 36.0% | 31.3% | 1985 | $571 | 12.0% | 91.2% | 7.4% |
| Roebuck | 2.61 | 46.8 | 9.6% | 38.0% | 27.3% | 1983 | $685 | 13.4% | 91.1% | 5.9% |
| Abingdon | 2.31 | 47.2 | 8.8% | 28.8% | 10.1% | 1985 | $924 | 32.4% | 91.9% | 2.9% |
| Collinwood | 2.43 | 49.4 | 4.6% | 15.3% | 25.1% | 1981 | $687 | 16.2% | 87.7% | 5.6% |
| McCorkle | 2.26 | 51.7 | 5.7% | 15.0% | 19.2% | 1981 | $655 | 17.3% | 90.5% | 3.7% |
| Willow Spring | 2.61 | 48.3 | 6.5% | 15.3% | 28.9% | 1982 | $783 | 10.1% | 85.5% | 7.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Jefferson, GA · Monroeville, PA · Mint Hill, NC · Milton, MA · Millsboro, DE · Mauldin, SC · Lisle, IL · Lenoir City, TN · Kingsville, TX · Jonesborough, TN
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Bristol. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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