City profile · New Hampshire · Census ACS 2023

Bristol, NH

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Bristol - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

2,157
Residents
$60,972
Median income
$192,900
Median home
$1,974
Median rent (state)

Bristol - the verdict

Bristol ranks in the 37th percentile for household income and the 26th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

37th
percentile, household income
41st
percentile, home value
83rd
percentile, median rent
26th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Bristol, NH

New Hampshire's Bristol is a small town, with 2,157 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $60,972 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 10.5%. Typical homes in Bristol are valued around $192,900, and the median resident age is 42.7 years. Educational attainment runs 16.6% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 60.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Crime here tracks close to the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 2279.7 in FBI UCR data, near the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

New Hampshire carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 104.2 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,974 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $307 across New Hampshire, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 78.2 out of 100 (High).

Population

2,157 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New Hampshire

Median Household Income

$60,972 /yr

Poverty 10.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

104.2 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, New Hampshire average

How does Bristol compare to other US cities?

Bristol measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 37% higher than other cities
Home value 41% pricier than other cities
Median rent 83% pricier than other cities
Safety 26% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to New Hampshire alone, Bristol ranks #47 of 53 New Hampshire cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Bristol against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to New Hampshire only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

New Hampshire-relative analysis

Median Home Value places Bristol toward the bottom of New Hampshire's cities

Among the 94 New Hampshire cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Bristol ranks #80 - the 15th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Bristol only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#67 of 92
27th percentile in New Hampshire
Median Gross Rent
#40 of 100
51st percentile in New Hampshire
Median Home Value
#80 of 94
15th percentile in New Hampshire
Poverty Rate
#19 of 99
81st percentile in New Hampshire
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#84 of 100
16th percentile in New Hampshire

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within New Hampshire only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

37thIncome percentile
26thSafety percentile

37th percentile nationally for median household income · 26th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Bristol's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Bristol's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 34 Avg. percentile National median
Bristol's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Bristol's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$192,900 Among the most affordable more affordable than 59% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Bristol $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. 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 ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Bristol, NH Bristol, NH's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Bristol, NH-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Bristol, NH median $60,972/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Bristol, NH's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Bristol, NH. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 16.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 10.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 60.1%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
2,157
Median Income
$60,972
Median Home Value
$192,900
Median Age
42.7
Poverty Rate
10.5%
Labor force participation
60.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
16.6%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2279.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
121.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2158.1
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
79.4%
Carpool
3.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
8.9%
Work from Home
7.8%

Based on 1,013 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for New Hampshire - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$150
avg/month
Natural Gas
$105
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$52
avg/month
Total Utilities
$307
estimated/month

Estimates reflect New Hampshire state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a New Hampshire state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Bristol sits in

Cost of Living Index
104.2
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,974/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
78.2 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in New Hampshire

Lancaster
2,264 people
Gorham
2,044 people
North Conway
2,286 people
Peterborough
2,343 people
Enfield
1,917 people
Wolfeboro
2,420 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Bristol's 2,157 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Yale, MI
2,157 people
Bellevue, IL
2,158 people
Elkton, KY
2,158 people
Colstrip, MT
2,156 people
McConnelsville, OH
2,158 people
Blacksburg, SC
2,158 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Bristol's $60,972 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Groveland, CA
$60,972 median income
Modoc, IN
$60,972 median income
Radcliff, KY
$60,976 median income
Lake Worth Beach, FL
$60,978 median income
Miami Gardens, FL
$60,979 median income
Blue Island, IL
$60,965 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Bristol, NH Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Bristol, NH - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 85.2% 8.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.6% White 85.2% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 5.2% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.3% Two or more races 8.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Bristol compares to nearby New Hampshire cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Bristol (this city) 2,157 $60,972
Lancaster 2,264 $92,525
Gorham 2,044 $60,417
North Conway 2,286 $73,344
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NH FBI UCR NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Bristol, NH?

What is the population of Bristol, NH? +

2,157 people live in Bristol, NH according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Bristol, NH? +

In Bristol, the typical household earns $60,972 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Bristol? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Bristol; the closest available measure is the New Hampshire state average, a cost of living index of 104.2 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within New Hampshire vary by metro area.

Is Bristol, NH safe? +

Bristol has a total crime rate of 2279.7 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Bristol, NH? +

The median home value in Bristol is $192,900, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.