Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Bristol run?
Bristol’s city government spent $253 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $4,236 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($8.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bristol is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Bristol’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov3GeneralTuesday · 8:30 am · City Hall Meeting Room 1-2, 111 North Main StreetStorm Water TrustAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov3GeneralTuesday · 8:30 am · City Hall Meeting Room 1-2, 111 North Main StreetStorm Water TrustMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov3Ordinance CommitteeTuesday · 5:00 pm · City Hall Meeting Room 1-1, 111 North Main StreetMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4Code Enforcement CommitteeWednesday · 9:00 am · City Hall Council Chambers, 111 North Main StreetAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4School Readiness CouncilWednesday · 12:00 pm · Edgewood Pre-Kindergarten Academy at Greene-Hills SchoolBristol Early Childhood CollaborativeMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4Board of EthicsWednesday · 6:00 pmAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov2Library Board of DirectorsMonday · 6:30 pm · Bristol Public Library, 5 High StreetAgenda ↗Minutes ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov2Conservation Commission/ Inland Wetlands & Watercourses AgencyMonday · 6:30 pm · City Hall Council Chambers, 111 North Main StreetConservation Commission/ Inland Wetlands and Watercourses AgencyAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov2Real Estate CommitteeMonday · 5:30 pm · City Hall Meeting Room 1-1, 111 North Main StreetAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct29City CouncilThursday · 12:00 pmSpecial City Council 10-29-26Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct28GeneralWednesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall, 111 North Main Street - Room 1-1 & 1-2Fair Rent CommissionAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $4,236 per resident a year, or $11.61 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 69% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Bristol runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with U.S. cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools.
$4,236 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Bristol’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,236 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 42 U.S. cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,337, and the middle half spent $3,631–$4,976. Bristol spent less than 52% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($9.3 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
U.S. cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bristol itself left out).
No trend yet
Bristol reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2023, 2024 are estimates), so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, down from 1,379 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $5,449 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.96% of the home’s value, vs 1.81% across Connecticut.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bristol’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Bristol’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bristol →
Who’s in charge in Bristol
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 44 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (59,734).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Bristol School District
Bristol’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Bristol, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $22,270 per pupil, $13,841 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Connecticut districts overall: 58% local, 35% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Bristol voted in 2024
Official results for Bristol’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican49.5%14,218 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.2%14,125 votesOthers: 1.4% (394 votes).
Most votes in Bristol: Donald J Trump
Hartford County: Harris 60.4%, Trump 37.9% · Connecticut: Harris 56.4%, Trump 41.9%
of Bristol’s 46,216 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Connecticut: 66%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Bristol: Christopher S Murphy
Hartford County: Murphy 62.2%, Corey 36.0% · Connecticut: Murphy 58.6%, Corey 39.7%
Most votes in the district: John B Larson
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Bristol, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol | 49.5% | 49.2% | 1.4% | 28,737 |
| Hartford County | 37.9% | 60.4% | 1.7% | 429,325 |
| Connecticut | 41.9% | 56.4% | 1.7% | 1,759,010 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Bristol.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.bristol.ct.us ↗
- 2Connecticut HouseBristol is split between 3 districts
- 3Connecticut SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Connecticut
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bristol compares with the towns next door
Bristol spent $4,236 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $518 to $4,246. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Burlington | $518 | $7,464 |
| Wolcott | $3,722 runs schools | $5,799 |
| Southington | $4,246 runs schools | $6,206 |
| Plainville | estimate | $4,798 |
| Plymouth | estimate | $5,819 |
| Farmington | estimate | $6,771 |
| Bristol | $4,236 | $5,449 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Bristol’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bristol’s government
How much does Bristol spend per resident?
About $4,236 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $4,236 was less than 52% of 42 U.S. cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bristol?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,449 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.96% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.81% across Connecticut. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.bristol.ct.us.
Who runs Bristol’s government?
See ci.bristol.ct.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bristol yet.
How did Bristol vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 49.5%, Kamala D Harris 49.2% (28,737 votes, official results). Hartford County: Harris 60.4%, Trump 37.9%. Connecticut: Harris 56.4%, Trump 41.9%.
How many people work for Bristol?
1,343 full-time and 488 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $11.7M (about $140.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bristol in the state legislature?
Bristol is split among 3 State House districts, so your address decides. The Connecticut Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 31 (Henri Martin). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Bristol?
The next posted meeting is General on Tuesday, November 3, at 8:30 am in City Hall Meeting Room 1-2, 111 North Main Street, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Bristol’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →