City · South Dakota
Bristol, South Dakota
Bristol, city, in Day County, South Dakota. Bristol had 278 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.8% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 288 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 275 (±64). GEOID 4607300.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
278
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 288 · ACS 2020-2024: 275 ±64
Median household income
$56,250
±$25,289 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $75,081
Median home value
$76,400
±$17,685 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $257,400
Median gross rent
$729
±$75 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $946
Where is Bristol and what county is it in?
Bristol is a city in Day County, South Dakota. It covers 0.5 square miles of land, 552 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Bristol, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 278 people lived in Bristol on July 1, 2025, down 2.8% since 2020, while South Dakota grew 5.5%. The 2020 Census counted 288 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 275 (±64).
| Measure | Bristol | Day County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 275 ±64 | 5,437 | no clear change |
| Households | 124 ±33 | 2,371 | −46 |
| Average household size | 2.05 ±0.32 | 2.24 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 162 ±36 | 3,440 | no clear change |
Bristol's population since 2000
From 377 in 2000 to 278 in 2025: down 26.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Bristol as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Bristol?
The median resident of Bristol is 57.3 years old; 10.9% are under 18 and 36.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 92.0%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 4.4%.
| Measure | Bristol | Day County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 57.3 ±8.3 | 44.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 10.9% ±6.7 pts | 22.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 36.7% ±14.6 pts | 26.7% | – |
| Male | 55.6% ±9.7 pts | 49.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.2% ±3.1 pts | 2.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 92.0% ±5.5 pts | 83.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.2 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.4% ±3.4 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±8.7 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±9.0 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.6% ±5.9 pts | 8.6% | – |
| With a disability | 15.7% ±6.6 pts | 13.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 13.0% ±8.6 pts | 8.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.0% ±6.9 pts | 93.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 8.4% ±4.6 pts | 22.0% | −11.3 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.7% ±2.4 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 76.2% ±15.0 pts | 86.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 6.2% ±5.4 pts | 3.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Bristol earn?
Half of Bristol's 124 households earn less than $56,250 a year (±$25,289), against $66,033 in Day County and $75,081 in South Dakota. In 2015-2019 it was $58,458 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 8.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Bristol | Day County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,250 ±$25,289 | $66,033 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $76,272 ±$10,476 | $91,552 | – |
| Per capita income | $35,327 ±$6,368 | $39,593 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 8.3% ±5.2 pts | 14.8% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 14.3% ±17.0 pts | 24.5% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 3.2% ±4.1 pts | 7.1% | – |
| Households with a computer | 88.7% ±8.6 pts | 87.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 84.7% ±8.0 pts | 83.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Bristol?
Owners occupy 71.8% of Bristol's occupied homes and renters 28.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $76,400 by its owner (±$17,685). The median renter pays $729 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Bristol | Day County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $76,400 ±$17,685 | $173,600 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $729 ±$75 | $660 | +$105 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 6.7% ±9.4 pts | 22.6% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $950 ±$548 | $1,247 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 71.8% ±10.1 pts | 74.6% | −15.8 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 28.2% ±10.1 pts | 25.4% | – |
| Housing units | 162 ±36 | 3,440 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±24.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 18.6% ±17.7 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 86.4% ±7.5 pts | 85.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.6% ±2.2 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±14.3 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±14.3 pts | 9.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 42.6% ±12.6 pts | 27.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.5% ±7.5 pts | 6.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Bristol building?
Builders took permits for 2 new housing units in Bristol in 2025 (2 in single-family houses), 7.2 per 1,000 residents against 5.7 across South Dakota.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Bristol work and get to work?
73.4% of Bristol's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 20.6 minutes.
| Measure | Bristol | Day County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.2% ±13.0 pts | 57.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 8.5% ±7.9 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 73.4% ±9.7 pts | 76.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 12.9% ±9.8 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±16.4 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Walked | 5.0% ±4.1 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.6% ±7.6 pts | 12.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.6 min ±5.0 | 22.3 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Bristol?
No census tract lies mostly in Bristol; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9527Day County | 1,413 | $75,265 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Bristol) · Census block assignment files
How does Bristol compare with other places in South Dakota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Bristol is the 15,404th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 157th-most populous of 310 in South Dakota.
Bristol is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 157th | 310 |
Bristol's figures with every place in South Dakota (CSV)
Every place in South Dakota, sortable · Compare Bristol with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Bristol?
27 of the 57 figures for Bristol on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Bristol are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Bristol.