Population 5,215 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Bristol
Household size in Bristol
| Period | Bristol | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.52 | 2.35 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.52 | 2.36 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.42 | 2.33 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.18 | 2.31 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.33 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
Bristol is a place of small households, averaging 2.18 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.52, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the east and smallest in the center.
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 | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.5 | 40.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.4 | 42.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.6 | 43.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.1 | 44.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.7 | +3.2 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 46.1, 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 42.5 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the west and oldest in the south.
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 | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.8% | 10.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.2% | 9.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.0% | 8.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.6% | 8.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.6% of households in Bristol, well below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 6.1 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only one other Vermont city with 5,000+ people has a lower share of single-parent households.
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 | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.3% | 28.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.4% | 29.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.8% | 29.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.6% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 22.6% of households in Bristol rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. More than a third of owners (35.9%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged down 0.6 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 | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 15.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 15.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 17.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 15.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | +0.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Bristol: 5.7% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy has fallen 2.3 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1967 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1966 | 1969 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1973 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Bristol are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1979, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in Vermont as a whole, where the median home dates to 1973. The median year built has moved up from 1968 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the center.
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 | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $886 | $878 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $934 | $947 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $991 | $1,043 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,229 | $1,306 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$343 | +$428 | +$606 |
Rent in Bristol runs $1,229 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $343 a month from 2006–10, a 39% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 28.9% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the center; the most affordable are in the southeast.
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 | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.8% | 34.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 32.3% | 36.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.3% | 38.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 43.4% | 44.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +15.6 pts | +9.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than four in ten adults 25 and older in Bristol (43.4%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the national share of 35.6%. Vermont as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 15.6 points, as it has nationally.
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 | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.9% | 90.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.2% | 91.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.3% | 92.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.7% | 94.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.8 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Bristol: 96.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 8.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 5.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.9% | 6.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.5% | 3.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Bristol has been strong: just 2.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 3.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
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 | 2.18 | 46.1 | 5.6% | 22.6% | 5.7% | 1979 | $1,229 | 43.4% | 96.7% | 2.5% |
| East Monkton | 2.36 | 47.1 | 5.1% | 3.4% | 6.3% | 1988 | $1,301 | 50.0% | 97.6% | 4.5% |
| New Haven | 2.35 | 47.0 | 4.7% | 20.5% | 5.6% | 1980 | $1,180 | 35.5% | 95.6% | 4.3% |
| Lincoln | 2.40 | 45.7 | 2.8% | 11.9% | 14.4% | 1977 | $870 | 43.5% | 95.1% | 4.8% |
| Starksboro | 2.64 | 39.7 | 4.4% | 11.1% | 9.4% | 1985 | $1,299 | 38.4% | 95.1% | 2.4% |
| South Lincoln | 2.32 | 46.7 | 3.9% | 16.0% | 11.9% | 1978 | $965 | 43.1% | 96.1% | 3.9% |
| Monkton Boro | 2.36 | 47.1 | 5.1% | 3.4% | 6.3% | 1988 | $1,301 | 50.0% | 97.6% | 4.5% |
| North Ferrisburg | 2.36 | 47.1 | 5.1% | 3.4% | 6.3% | 1988 | $1,301 | 50.0% | 97.6% | 4.5% |
| Weybridge | 2.33 | 50.4 | 3.0% | 18.4% | 9.5% | 1978 | $1,206 | 49.7% | 97.2% | 3.6% |
| Ferrisburg | 2.45 | 45.3 | 3.7% | 14.8% | 21.4% | 1970 | $1,555 | 50.4% | 95.6% | 5.9% |
| Vergennes | 2.30 | 49.2 | 6.1% | 21.5% | 11.8% | 1973 | $1,256 | 41.0% | 95.3% | 2.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Nebo, GA · Carbondale, CA · Cape Neddick, ME · Tichigan, WI · New Egypt, NJ · Jamestown, RI · Campbellsport, WI · Camino, CA · Johnsonville, SC · Needles, CA
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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