Living in Bristol, CT
Small city in Connecticut
Bristol is a small city in Connecticut, home to about 61,000 people, with 1.4 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.
Is Bristol a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Safe: violent crime is 0.2× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Mild summers: highs around 81°F
- Easy flying: BDL is 22 mi away
- Strong healthcare: 4 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
👎 Cons
- Higher taxes: about $3,118 state income tax per resident, 2.13% property tax
- Cloudier than most places
- Fewer graduates: 31% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Bristol ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Bristol: common questions
What is the cost of living in Bristol?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $363k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,210 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 100, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Bristol?
Connecticut collects about $3,118 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 2.13% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Bristol safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.2× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Bristol?
Bristol has cold winters: winter days average around 39°F and summer days around 81°F, with roughly 39″ of snow a year.
Does Bristol get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding and hurricanes: 12 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.17 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Bristol?
The nearest major airport is BDL, about 22 mi away.
How Bristol scores
Each bar compares Bristol with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Bristol
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 23 aspects.
Nearby
See all the best places to live in Connecticut.
Is Bristol right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.