Bristol Railroad Station · National Register of Historic Places
Bristol’s story
170 years in pictures
12 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1856Bristol is settled
BristolVA
A town of 16,849, settled in 1856. A regional job hub with 10,117 jobs.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: AppalachianCentrist · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
16,849
−3.5% since 2010
Typical home
$203K
−1.5% in a year
Household income
$50K
median
Median age
43.4
years
Jobs based here
10,117
A job hub
What makes Bristol stand out
The 3 things Bristol does most differently from other towns.
10,117jobs here
Work
10,117 jobs
based in Bristol, a regional job hub
27% of working residents work in town.
$203Ktypical home
Housing
$203K typical home
51% below the VA typical home
Down 1.5% in a year.
Outdoors
#55 most trails in VA
20 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves
5.5% of the town is conserved land.
A job hub
Every workday, about 8,360 people come to Bristol for work
Where Bristol’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
10,117jobs based in Bristol
27%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Bristol’s report card
Commute11 miHalf of commuters travel lessHousing$203K51% below the VA typical homeOutdoors20 mi#55 for trails in VASafetyDLess crime than 9% of U.S. townsSchoolsC+Beats 38% of VA districtsHealthDHealthier than 15% of U.S. townsHazards12/100Very low risk of storm & flood damageClimate85°/26°Summer high · winter low · 9″ snow
Now in Bristol
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Bristol is #5 of 218 in VA for “Fastest-rising home prices”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Bristol’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →54°
Clear
H 78° · L 53°
Local news
All →- 2 people shot in Bristol, suspect in custody, police sayWCYB · Oct 1
- Two people wounded in Bristol, Va. shootingThe Bristol Herald Courier · Oct 1
- 2 people injured after shooting on Russell Street in Bristol, Va., suspect in custodyWJHL · Oct 1
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bristol. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
About one in four working residents works right in Bristol
About one in 4 of Bristol’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Bristol (11%), Abingdon (7%) and Kingsport (4%). Half commute less than 11 miles.
27%work in town
Where working residents work
In Bristol27%
Bristol11%
Abingdon7%
Kingsport4%
Johnson City4%
11 mi
median commute distance
10,117
jobs based in Bristol
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Housing
A typical Bristol home is worth about $203K
The typical Bristol home is worth about $203,000, down 1.5% in a year, 51% below the Virginia typical home.
$203KZillow home value
Typical home value
Bristol$203K
Virginia$415K
Market temperature
70
days on market
97.5%
sale-to-list price
−1.5%
value change, 1 year
26
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
5.5% of Bristol is conserved land
20 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves.
#55for trails in VA
5.5%
conserved · 457 of 8,278 acres
20 mi
of trails · 1.6 per sq mi
#111
most conserved land in VA
#118
most walkable in VA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sugar Hollow Park | 14.3 mi | 367 |
| 2. Randolph Park | — | 18 |
| 3. Mumpower Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 9% of U.S. towns
Bristol reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 91% report less.
DSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Bristol5
Virginia2.1
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Bristol26.9
Virginia13.9
U.S.15.5
9th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
8th
percentile among VA towns
80
violent crimes reported in 2025
433
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Schools
Bristol’s public schools outperform 38% of Virginia districts
The public schools Bristol’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 62% of Virginia’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
C+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Intermediate School | 2–5 | 655 | Not graded |
| Virginia Primary School | PK–1 | 422 | Not graded |
| St. Annes School Private | PK–8 | 152 | |
| Minnick School - Bristol Private | K–8 | 19 | |
| Virginia Middle | 6–8 | 452 | B− |
| Virginia High | 9–12 | 638 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduationAll 9 schools →
Health
Healthier than 15% of U.S. towns
Bristol beats the Virginia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 19.
DHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Virginia
0 better13 too close to call19 worse
| What stands out | Bristol | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.7% | 11.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.5% | 6.2% |
| More smokers | 18.1% | 12.2% |
Wellmont Bristol Regional Medical Center
5.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
14th
percentile among VA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards
Very low risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 12% of U.S. communities.
12risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesStrong wind
13
paid flood claims since 1980
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Bristol has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
9″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter28–48°
Spring43–68°
Summer62–84°
Fall44–69°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 21
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Landmarks
12 places in Bristol on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Bristol
City in Virginia, US
Bristol is an independent city in Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,219. It is the twin city of Bristol, Tennessee, just across the state line, which runs down the middle of its main street, State Street. As an independent city, Bristol is not part of any county, but it is adjacent to Washington County, Virginia. It is a principal city in the Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area, which had a population of 307,614 in 2020. The metro area is a component of the larger Tri-Cities region of Tennessee and Virginia, with a population of 508,260 in 2020.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1856
- Population
- 17,219
- Area
- 13 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,680 ft
- ZIP code
- 24201, 24202, 24203
- Area code
- 276
Bristol’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Bristol.
BristolBristol
More about Bristol
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