City safety & data profile

BristolVA

Bristol, VA is a 17K-resident city in Bristol city with a median household income of $50,404.

Bristol city, Virginia. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Bristol, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Bristol has a population larger than 35% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $184,100.

Data updated 2026-07-20

17K
Population
Top 65%
By size
$50,404
Median income
$184,100
Median home
18%
Poverty rate

The read on Bristol

Bristol posts a median household income higher than 10% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 90%
by median income, US cities

Where Bristol income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$50,404 Bottom 10% higher than 10% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. VA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Bristol, VA beyond the headline numbers

Bristol sits inside Bristol city, Virginia, at roughly 36.60°N, -82.19°W. Population 17,141, $50,404 median household income. Median home value $184,100, median rent $801. Poverty rate 18%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Bristol's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 41%, then obesity at 39.4%.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Bristol from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
17,141
Bristol
Median Income
$50,404
-26% vs avg
Median Home Value
$184,100
-19% vs avg
Median Age
43.4
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Bristol city) - Bristol's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
17K-5%
Median Income
$50,404+56%
Median Home Value
$184,100+66%
Poverty Rate
18%-14%
Unemployment
6.3%-50%

Economics

Economics indicators for Bristol, VA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$801/mo
Poverty Rate
18% +27% vs avg
Unemployment 6.3%
Bachelor's Degree+ 24.8%
Work From Home 11.6%
Public Transit 0.1%

Population

White 85.1%
African American 5.8%
Asian 0.5%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.8%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
41%
Obesity
39.4%
Short Sleep Duration
36.5%
Physical Inactivity
30.3%
Frequent Mental Distress
18.8%
Current Smoking
18.1%
Frequent Physical Distress
17.1%
Diabetes
15%
Binge Drinking
13.7%
Current Asthma
11.5%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 61.2%
Annual Checkup 79.5%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
10%
Coronary Heart Disease
8.8%
Stroke
4.6%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Bristol, VA? ▼
Bristol, VA has a population of 17,141 people, located in Bristol city, Virginia.
What is the median household income in Bristol? ▼
The median household income in Bristol, VA is $50,404 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 18%.
What is the median home value in Bristol? ▼
The median home value in Bristol, VA is $184,100. Median rent is $801/month.
What are the top health concerns in Bristol? ▼
The top health indicators in Bristol include High Blood Pressure (41%), Obesity (39.4%), Short Sleep Duration (36.5%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Bristol? ▼
The median age in Bristol, VA is 43.4 years. 24.8% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Bristol, VA is located in Bristol city, Virginia. With a population of 17K and a $50,404 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and obesity. Safety alerts for the Bristol area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Virginia

Real-time AQI for every monitored Virginia location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Bristol, TN 27K Elizabethton, TN 14K Johnson City, TN 66K Kingsport, TN 53K Boone, NC 18K Greeneville, TN 15K Lenoir, NC 18K Morganton, NC 17K
All cities in Virginia → Compare Bristol vs Bristol → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Bristol's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Bristol area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Bristol against Virginia peers on any ranking lens. Explore Virginia

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Bristol city) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.