Bristol, Connecticut

City · population 60,833 (2020 Census)

Median home: $277,800
Household income: $79,076
Jan low / Jul high: 17° / 84°
Snow a year: 39 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 15
Median age: 37.9

Bristol is a city of 60,833 people, Connecticut. The median home is worth $277,800, below the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). It ranks more vibrant than 85% of Connecticut towns, more walkable than 84% of Connecticut towns, better for cycling than 81% of Connecticut towns.

How Bristol ranks

Percentile among Connecticut towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Connecticut towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Bristol is worth $277,800, below the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $79,076, which is more affordable than 56% of Connecticut towns. Median rent is $1,338 a month. 64.9% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Connecticut towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Bristol	Typical Connecticut town
Median home value	$277,800	$376,000
Median rent	$1,338	$1,462
Median household income	$79,076	$109,167
Home value ÷ income	3.5×	3.6×
Homeownership	64.9%	80.3%
Median year built	1967	1969
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.9%	—

Who lives in Bristol

People	Bristol	Typical Connecticut town
Median age	37.9	45.0
Age 65 and over	16.2%	20.6%
Under 18	20.1%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	30.3%	45.8%
Below the poverty line	10.7%	5.7%
Veterans	5.9%	—
Born outside the U.S.	11.4%	—
Work from home	11.4%	16.8%
Average commute	23.7 min	27.6 min
Homes with broadband	92.4%	93.8%

Weather in Bristol

July highs average 83.7°F and January lows 17.0°F. About 53.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 38.6 inches of snow (typical Connecticut town: 39.0 in). Expect about 13 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 142 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Burlington station (7.8 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bristol since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Connecticut town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 24, 1962 about 7.7 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 60 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 21, 2024.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 35 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on July 4, 2026.

Public schools in Bristol

13 public schools with 7,305 students, about 13.6 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
Bristol Central High School	9-12	1,172	14.1
Bristol Eastern High School	9-12	1,041	13.7
Greene-Hills School	K-8	908	14.6
West Bristol School	K-8	842	13.8
Chippens Hill Middle School	6-8	563	11.3
South Side School	K-5	506	14.9
Ivy Drive School	K-5	372	13.8
Stafford School	K-5	353	13.6
Ellen P. Hubbell School	K-5	346	11.9
Northeast Middle School	6-8	343	11.4
Mountain View School	K-5	342	12.7
Bristol Arts and Innovation Magnet School	6-12	271	11.8

Towns near Bristol

Terryville, CT
3.5 mi · 5,202 people · home $243,800
Plainville, CT
4.5 mi · 17,525 people · home $254,000
Plymouth, CT
4.5 mi · 11,671 people · home $275,000
Burlington, CT
4.7 mi · 9,519 people · home $418,700
Southington, CT
6.1 mi · 43,501 people · home $373,800
Farmington, CT
6.1 mi · 26,712 people · home $432,700
Wolcott, CT
6.1 mi · 16,142 people · home $326,200
New Britain, CT
8.0 mi · 74,135 people · home $223,600

Bristol questions

Is Bristol, Connecticut a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Bristol scores better for retirees than 7% of Connecticut towns and quieter than 14%. 16.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.9).

How much does a house cost in Bristol?

The median owner-occupied home in Bristol is valued at $277,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $79,076, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is $1,338 a month.

What is the weather like in Bristol?

July highs average 83.7°F and January lows 17.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 53.5 inches of precipitation a year and 38.6 inches of snow.

Does Bristol get tornadoes?

15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bristol since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 24, 1962. The typical Connecticut town has had 8.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Bristol's Census boundary (GEOID 0908420). Comparisons use the median of Connecticut towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.