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.
Nationally, Bristol sits in the 21st percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.
21st
percentile, household income
1st
percentile, home value
8th
percentile, median rent
📝 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, SD
Bristol is a small town in South Dakota, home to 245 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $51,250 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 6.3%. Home values in Bristol run a median of $61,700, and the median resident age is 52.4 years. About 13.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 61.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 2 residential building permits were authorized in Bristol (Low Activity), per Census BPS data.
Living costs in South Dakota run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts South Dakota at 88.6 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $929 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $200 across South Dakota, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 27.6 out of 100 (Very Low).
Population
245 residents
Census ACS 2023 - South Dakota
Median Household Income
$51,250/yr
Poverty 6.3%
Cost of Living Index (state)
88.6 (US=100)
Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, South Dakota average
How does Bristol compare to other US cities?
Where Bristol sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income21% higher than other cities
Home value1% pricier than other cities
Median rent8% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Bristol against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to South Dakota only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
South Dakota-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Bristol near the bottom of South Dakota's cities
Among the 303 South Dakota cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Bristol ranks #145 - the 0th 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
#217 of 285
24th percentile in South Dakota
Median Gross Rent
#145 of 303
0th percentile in South Dakota
Median Home Value
#233 of 263
11th percentile in South Dakota
Poverty Rate
#150 of 302
50th percentile in South Dakota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#223 of 303
26th percentile in South Dakota
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 South Dakota only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
21st percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Bristol's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$61,700Among the most affordablemore affordable than 99% of 15,600 US cities
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
Bristol, SD'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, SD. Diagonal = perfect equality.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)13.3%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)6.3%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)61.8%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
245
Median Income
$51,250
Median Home Value
$61,700
Median Age
52.4
Poverty Rate
6.3%
Labor force participation
61.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
13.3%
Population Change
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Bristol's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Housing Supply
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Low Activity
Total Permits (2024)
2
housing units authorized
Single-Family
2
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
8.2
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
0
0
0
-
2020
0
0
0
-
2021
0
0
0
-
2022
0
0
0
-
2023
0
0
0
-
2024
2
2
0
$0.6M
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
74.8%
Carpool
8.4%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
4.6%
Work from Home
12.2%
Based on 131 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for South Dakota - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$95
avg/month
Natural Gas
$65
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$40
avg/month
Total Utilities
$200
estimated/month
Estimates reflect South Dakota 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 South Dakota state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Bristol sits in
Census ACS 5-year FIPS SD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Bristol, SD?
What is the population of Bristol, SD?+
245 people live in Bristol, SD according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Bristol, SD?+
In Bristol, the typical household earns $51,250 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 South Dakota state average, a cost of living index of 88.6 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within South Dakota vary by metro area.
What is the median home value in Bristol, SD?+
A typical home in Bristol is worth $61,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census BPS 2024, 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.