Bristol County, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Bristol County, MA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in Massachusetts
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B
Income Around average
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C
Education Below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in Massachusetts
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Bristol County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 582,104 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 842.3 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.55% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.6 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 233,812 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Bristol County grew by 5.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 582,104 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Bristol County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.9% of residents. That is 0.8 points above Massachusetts as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 119,571 20.5% -1.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 122,447 21.0% -0.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 127,623 21.9% +0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 102,637 17.6% +0.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Massachusetts, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.2% of the people living in Bristol County and men 48.8%.
- Women 51.2% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 48.8% Massachusetts 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Bristol County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Bristol County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Bristol County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $85,695 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.67% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Bristol County is about 18% lower than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Bristol County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $367,046 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,244 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 62.3% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Bristol County is about 24.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,244 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Bristol County spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 193 hours, about 8.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Bristol County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.2 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.4 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 193 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,994 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.1% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 12,360 | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,420 | 2,164 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Massachusetts:
Nantucket County (12.8 min), Dukes County (15.4 min), Berkshire County (16.8 min).
Slowest:
Norfolk County (31.0 min), Suffolk County (30.4 min), Middlesex County (28.4 min).
The average commute time in Bristol County is 23 minutes, shorter than the 26 minutes in Massachusetts.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Bristol County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Bristol County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.9% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Massachusetts:
Middlesex County (0.5), Norfolk County (0.4), Nantucket County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hampden County (0.3), Bristol County (0.3), Berkshire County (0.3).
Health
Bristol County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Bristol County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.5 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.4% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.8% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Massachusetts:
Middlesex County (0.8), Hampshire County (0.8), Norfolk County (0.8).
Lowest:
Hampden County (0.8), Bristol County (0.8), Worcester County (0.8).
Bristol County, MA Compared With Nearby Counties
Bristol County, MA is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 582,104 residents against a local median of 171,061. Where Bristol County, MA breaks from the counties next to it is median household income, sitting 24% below the local median of $112,759 at $85,695. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $367,046 against a local median of $456,969, 20% below it. The counties themselves spread $37,081 on median household income, so Bristol County, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Bristol County, MA has the 6th highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol County, MA | 582,104 | $85,695 #6/6 | $367,046 #4/6 | 23.2 min #3/6 |
| Bristol County, RI | 50,443 | $112,759 | $275,000 | 23.2 min |
| Newport County, RI | 84,657 | $103,981 | $456,969 | 17.9 min |
| Plymouth County, MA | 534,586 | $114,939 | $463,963 | 28.0 min |
| Norfolk County, MA | 729,949 | $131,149 | $597,016 | 31.0 min |
| Kent County, RI | 171,061 | $94,069 | $327,059 | 22.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bristol County, Massachusetts.
How big is Bristol County, Massachusetts by population?
About 582,104 people live in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in 233,812 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 41.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Bristol County, Massachusetts urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Bristol County, Massachusetts has 842 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 9.7 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Bristol County, Massachusetts an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.3 times the median household income ($367,046 against $85,695), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,244 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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