Bristol is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns
Bristol differs from Rhode Island on 11 of 40 measures. It has fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth (7.9% vs 14.2%) and fewer adults facing food insecurity (9.1% vs 15.1%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (10% vs 8.4%).
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 02809. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Bristol
Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.
Everyday habits, side by side with Rhode Island
Bristol is #9 of 38 in RI for the most active adults.
18 miles of trails across 20 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Bristol adults…
Bristol runs below RI on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Keeping up with care
Share of Bristol adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Rhode Island.
Bristol’s Health Grade: A
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Bristol is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns and 73% of Rhode Island towns.
About what its income would suggest. Bristol does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.
How the Health Grade works
- Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as the Healthiest towns in Rhode Island ranking.
- Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places): A+ is the top 5%, A the next 10%, A− the next 10%, the B range the next 30%, the C range the next 30%, D and D− the bottom 15%. There’s no F.
- Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Bristol with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
- Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
7.7% of Bristol adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.2% across Rhode Island.
Care in and near Bristol
No hospital or community health center in Bristol itself. These are the nearest.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Bristol; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How Bristol adults are doing
About the same as Rhode Island on each measure.
1 in 3 Bristol adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Bristol and the towns around it
Bristol’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 5 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health Grades next door
Tap a town to see its health pageLiving with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Bristol adults live with a disability (Rhode Island 27.9%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
All 40 CDC measures for Bristol
| Measure | Bristol | Likely range | Rhode Island | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 31.8% | 28.3–35.5% | 33.8% | about the same |
| High cholesterol | 34% | 30.4–37.8% | 34.2% | about the same |
| Obesity | 25.1% | 20.1–30.8% | 31.7% | better |
| Arthritis | 26.3% | 23.4–29.4% | 25.4% | about the same |
| Depression | 24.4% | 20.9–28.2% | 23.2% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 7.9% | 6.3–9.7% | 14.2% | better |
| Asthma | 11.1% | 9.8–12.5% | 11.9% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 10% | 9.1–11% | 8.4% | worse |
| Diabetes | 9.7% | 8.2–11.2% | 11.1% | about the same |
| COPD | 6.2% | 5.3–7.2% | 6.6% | about the same |
| Heart disease | 6.3% | 5.5–7% | 6.3% | about the same |
| Stroke | 3% | 2.7–3.4% | 3.2% | about the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.1% | 8.3–12% | 11.6% | about the same |
| Binge drink | 18.4% | 15.4–21.6% | 16.8% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 19.4% | 16–23.3% | 25.4% | better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.1% | 26.1–36.6% | 35% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 85.6% | 82.8–88.1% | 84.1% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 76.3% | 73.3–79.3% | 71.2% | better |
| Cholesterol check | 88.7% | 87–90.4% | 89.1% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 75.7% | 71.5–79.7% | 73.2% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 85.1% | 79.9–89.4% | 82.3% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 77.3% | 74.5–80% | 77.4% | about the same |
| No health insurance | 5.4% | 4.4–6.5% | 8.2% | better |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 32.7% | 28.2–37.3% | 35% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 19.9% | 16.8–23.2% | 22% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 15.7% | 13.7–17.8% | 16.7% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 14.3% | 12.2–16.6% | 17.3% | better |
| Frequent physical distress | 11.7% | 10.2–13.3% | 13.2% | about the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 9.1% | 7.5–11% | 15.1% | better |
| Housing insecurity | 7.9% | 6.6–9.4% | 13.1% | better |
| Utility shut-off threat | 5.1% | 4.3–6% | 8% | better |
| No reliable transportation | 5.8% | 4.9–6.7% | 7.9% | better |
| Receive SNAP | 7.7% | 6.2–9.4% | 13.2% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25.4% | 21.8–29.3% | 27.9% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 10.7% | 9.1–12.5% | 12.3% | |
| Thinking or memory | 12.8% | 11–14.6% | 13.9% | |
| Hearing | 6.8% | 6–7.7% | 6.5% | |
| Vision | 3.7% | 3.2–4.1% | 4.7% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 2.8% | 2.5–3.2% | 3.5% | |
| Errands alone | 6.9% | 6–7.8% | 7.8% | |
How CDC estimates town health
CDC combines a large national health survey with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Bristol door to door.
Every figure has a likely range. When the Rhode Island figure falls inside it, we don’t call Bristol better or worse.
CDC publishes towns like Bristol by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Bristol by how much of its land each one covers.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Bristol.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Rhode Island figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.