Bristol city, Virginia

VA · FIPS 51520 Republican

Located in Virginia, Bristol city has a population of 16,849 residents and a median age of 43.4 years, making it the #2,048 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.0%. The median home value is $184,100, and the median household income is $50,404, which is 33% below the national median.

16,849
Population
#2,048 of 3,222
$50,404
Median Income
-32.9% #2,751 of 3,222
43.4 years
Median Age
+11.6% #1,104 of 3,222
18.0%
Poverty Rate
+42.5% #2,444 of 3,222

Demographics

Bristol city has a population of 16,849, making it the #2,048 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.4 years, which is 11.6% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.8%
Native Born
2.2%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Bristol city is $50,404, ranking #2,751 out of 3,222 counties — 32.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.0% and unemployment stands at 6.3%.

Income#2,751
$50,404
-32.9%
vs nation
15th percentile
Per Capita#2,213
$31,284
-24.2%
vs nation
31th percentile
Poverty#2,444
18.0%
+42.5%
vs nation
24th percentile
Unemployment#2,633
6.3%
+19.2%
vs nation
18th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Bristol city is $184,100 (-34.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $801/mo and the homeownership rate is 63.6%.

Home Value#1,585
$184,100
-34.7%
vs nation
51th percentile
Rent#2,089
$801
-31.1%
vs nation
35th percentile
Homeownership#2,828
63.6%
-1.2%
vs nation
12th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Bristol city, 24.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 26.3% below the national average, ranking #1,256 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
24.8% −26.3% vs nation
Rank #1,256 of 3,222
61th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Bristol city is 71.7 years. 21.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,572
71.7
-4.6%
vs nation
16th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,096
21.2%
+8.4%
vs nation
33th percentile
Diabetes#2,136
12.0%
+7.8%
vs nation
32th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,543
37.5%
+0.5%
vs nation
51th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,728
6.3
+11.8%
vs nation
13th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,458
5.0
+11.5%
vs nation
22th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,176
7.9%
-24.3%
vs nation
63th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,620
26.2%
-0.7%
vs nation
49th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,354
16.6%
+15.2%
vs nation
25th percentile

Substance Use

19.6% of adults in Bristol city smoke , 41.3% are obese , and 19.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 33.1 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,185
19.6%
+9.1%
vs nation
31th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,461
41.3%
+8.9%
vs nation
22th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,547
19.9%
+0.2%
vs nation
51th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,315
33.1
+2.4%
vs nation
38th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 17.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 8.4 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,222
17.9
-9.3%
vs nation
52th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,047
15.4
-14.0%
vs nation
58th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#218
8.4
-58.3%
vs nation
92th percentile

Families & Children

31.0% of children in Bristol city live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 28.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 22.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,365
28.9
+324.4%
vs nation
0th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,742
22.8
+4.4%
vs nation
42th percentile
Child Poverty#2,894
31.0%
+63.2%
vs nation
8th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Bristol city is 58.0%. The mean commute time is 19.9 min, which is 28.0% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
58.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
19.9 min −28.0% vs nation
Rank #2,840 of 3,222
12th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Bristol city voted Republican with a margin of 39.7%. The vote was 29.8% Dem / 69.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.8 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +39.7%
29.8% 69.5%
Dem 7,479 votes Rep
2020 REP +38.9%
29.6% 68.5%
Dem 7,806 votes Rep
2016 REP +43.8%
26.3% 70.1%
Dem 6,966 votes Rep
2012 REP +31.1%
33.8% 64.9%
Dem 7,356 votes Rep
2008 REP +26.0%
36.2% 62.2%
Dem 7,359 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Bristol city, Virginia

Bristol city, Virginia has a total population of 16,849, making it the 2,048th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Bristol city is 43.4 years, which is 11.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Bristol city is $50,404, which ranks #2,751 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 32.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.3%.

The median home value in Bristol city is $184,100, 34.7% below the national median. Renters in Bristol city pay a median gross rent of $801 per month. The homeownership rate is 63.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Bristol city, 24.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 26.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 19.9 min.

Bristol city is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 84.5% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).

All data for Bristol city, Virginia comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.