Photo: Ken Gallager · CC BY-SA 3.0In Bristol, 84% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across New Hampshire
Bristol’s town government spent $6.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,904 per resident. Water and other utilities ($781,000) are counted separately.
In 125 days
Most NH towns vote that day. Check Bristol’s site for its own date.
What stands out about how Bristol is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
About $1,904 per resident a year, or $5.22 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 20%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No comparison or trend for Bristol yet
The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and Bristol’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate (it reported none of its 2022 dollars). It reported 2024 only (2022 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $4,162 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.61% of the home’s value, vs 1.66% across New Hampshire.
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 →
Most New Hampshire towns vote on March 9, 2027
Check Bristol’s own dates: some towns hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2).
Bristol’s meetings aren’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on its website.
Town website ↗Most New Hampshire towns vote on the second Tuesday in March: officers are elected and warrant articles, including the budget, are decided.
Some towns hold the business session on another day, and some vote by ballot (SB2). Check Bristol’s site for its warrant and dates.
Who’s in charge in Bristol
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 83 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (3,308).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Newfound Area School District
Bristol’s K–12 school district, shared with Alexandria, Bridgewater, Danbury, Groton, Hebron and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,003 per pupil, $11,734 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.
New Hampshire districts overall: 64% local, 27% state, 8% federal.
School year 2022–23. 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 TrumpRepublican51.3%1,049 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.8%957 votesOthers: 1.9% (39 votes).
Most votes in Bristol: Donald J Trump
Grafton County: Harris 59.0%, Trump 39.2% · New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%
of Bristol’s 2,445 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New Hampshire: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Bristol: Kelly Ayotte
Grafton County: Craig 53.3%, Ayotte 44.3% · New Hampshire: Ayotte 53.6%, Craig 44.3%
Most votes in the district: Maggie Goodlander
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Bristol, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol | 51.3% | 46.8% | 1.9% | 2,045 |
| Grafton County | 39.2% | 59.0% | 1.8% | 55,895 |
| New Hampshire | 47.9% | 50.7% | 1.5% | 826,189 |
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 townTown governmentOfficials: townofbristolnh.org ↗
- 2New Hampshire House2 districts, 2 seatsGrafton 101 seat, shared with BridgewaterGrafton 181 seat, a floterial district shared with Alexandria, Bridgewater, Canaan, Dorchester, Enfield, Grafton, Groton, Hebron and OrangeMember not listed yet
- 3New Hampshire SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Hampshire
New Hampshire elects some House members from “floterial” districts that join several towns; districts from RSA 662:5 (2022).
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bristol compares with the towns next door
Bristol’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate, so it isn’t placed among them. Neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,221 to $1,404 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandria | $1,221 | $5,021 |
| New Hampton | $1,404 | $4,973 |
| Bridgewater | estimate | $2,823 |
| Hill | estimate | $4,933 |
| Bristol | estimate | $4,162 |
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 $1,904 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau.
What is the property tax rate in Bristol?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,162 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.61% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.66% across New Hampshire. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofbristolnh.org.
Who runs Bristol’s government?
See townofbristolnh.org 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 51.3%, Kamala D Harris 46.8% (2,045 votes, official results). Grafton County: Harris 59.0%, Trump 39.2%. New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%.
How many people work for Bristol?
40 full-time and 33 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $213,762 (about $2.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bristol in the state legislature?
State Senate District 7 (Dan Innis); State House Grafton 10 (1 seat, shared with Bridgewater) and Grafton 18 (1 floterial seat shared with Alexandria, Bridgewater, Canaan, Dorchester, Enfield, Grafton, Groton, Hebron and Orange). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is town meeting in Bristol?
Most New Hampshire towns vote on the second Tuesday in March (March 9, 2027). Some hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2), so check townofbristolnh.org for Bristol’s own dates.
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), NH RSA 662:5; legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →