Bristol County, Rhode Island Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Bristol County, RI Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
A
Health Above averageHealthiest county in Rhode Island
-
B
Income Around average
-
A+
Education Top gradeBest educated county in Rhode Island
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Bristol County | Rhode Island Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 50,443 | 1,100,398 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1127.5 | 712.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.33% | 0.50% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.8 | 41.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 20,087 | 441,025 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Bristol County grew by 0.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 50,443 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Bristol County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.9% of residents. That is 2.0 points above Rhode Island as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 10,900 21.6% on par
- Millennials 29–44 9,129 18.1% -3.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 11,556 22.9% +2.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 9,798 19.4% +1.5 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 Rhode Island, 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 51.6% of the people living in Bristol County and men 48.4%.
- Women 51.6% Rhode Island 51.2%
- Men 48.4% Rhode Island 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 | Rhode Island Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $112,759 | $88,093 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.78% | 5.24% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Bristol County is about 28% higher than in Rhode Island.
Housing
| Metric | Bristol County | Rhode Island Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $275,000 | $360,248 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,528 | $1,341 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.8% | 63.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Bristol County is about 15.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,528 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 | Rhode Island Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.2 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.4 | 43.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 193 | 183 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,997 | $5,668 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.6% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,387 | 11,274 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,919 | 2,085 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Rhode Island:
Newport County (17.9 min), Providence County (21.8 min), Kent County (22.5 min).
Slowest:
Bristol County (23.2 min), Washington County (22.8 min), Kent County (22.5 min).
The average commute time in Bristol County is 23 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Rhode Island.
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 A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Bristol County | Rhode Island Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.9% | 33.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.33 | 2.38 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Rhode Island:
Bristol County (0.4), Newport County (0.4), Washington County (0.4).
Lowest:
Providence County (0.3), Kent County (0.3), Washington County (0.4).
Health
Bristol County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Bristol County | Rhode Island Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.7 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.4% | 11.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 13.6% | 14.8% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Rhode Island:
Bristol County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Newport County (0.8).
Lowest:
Providence County (0.8), Kent County (0.8), Newport County (0.8).
Bristol County, RI Compared With Nearby Counties
Bristol County, RI is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 50,443 residents against a local median of 171,061. The measure that sets Bristol County, RI apart most is median home price: $275,000, 25% below the local median of $367,046.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $112,759 against a local median of $94,069, 20% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 20% above the local median it puts Bristol County, RI at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $179,487 on median home price, so Bristol County, RI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Bristol County, RI has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol County, RI | 50,443 | $112,759 #1/6 | $275,000 #6/6 | 23.2 min #6/6 |
| Bristol County, MA | 582,104 | $85,695 | $367,046 | 23.2 min |
| Newport County, RI | 84,657 | $103,981 | $456,969 | 17.9 min |
| Kent County, RI | 171,061 | $94,069 | $327,059 | 22.5 min |
| Providence County, RI | 663,899 | $78,766 | $301,192 | 21.8 min |
| Washington County, RI | 130,338 | $108,800 | $480,679 | 22.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bristol County, Rhode Island.
What is the population of Bristol County, Rhode Island?
About 50,443 people live in Bristol County, Rhode Island, in 20,087 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 42.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Bristol County, Rhode Island?
Averaged over its land area, Bristol County, Rhode Island has 1,128 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 13 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Bristol County, Rhode Island an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.4 times the median household income ($275,000 against $112,759), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,528 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Bristol County, Rhode Island?
Unemployment in Bristol County, Rhode Island is only 3.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Bristol County, Rhode Island?
45.9% of adults in Bristol County, Rhode Island hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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