Bristol is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C overall, 878th among Pennsylvania's 1032 graded towns, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is incomes: the median household earns $76K. Expect to pay for it: homes are expensive, about $271K for a typical one and 3 times the Philadelphia metro’s $91K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 100% of U.S. towns, with 9 places on the National Register. Bristol is more walkable than 95% of U.S. towns. On hazard risk, just 122 of Pennsylvania’s 1,751 towns do worse. 13% of the land in Bristol is conserved, above both the Pennsylvania town median (8.2%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%).

StrongestA⁺History AWalkability AOutdoorsWeakestC⁻Hazard risk CCost of living CSchools

What makes Bristol stand out

Where Bristol beats most towns.

Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal

HistoryA⁺

Settled in 1681

A history going back 345 years.

WalkabilityA

More walkable than 95% of U.S. towns

5.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transit

EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.

Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal · National Register of Historic Places

Bristol’s story

345 years in pictures

Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1681, comes before those of 98% of the Pennsylvania towns we grade with a known year.

Census counts: 511 in 1800, 9,861 in 2020. The archive holds 36 old photos and papers going back to 1776 and 2 maps from 1947 on.

9 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1681Bristol is settled

Explore the history →

The other Bristol

Bristol takes its name from Bristol, England, 3,420 miles across the Atlantic.

UKUK edition

EnglandBristolA city of 425,196

Photo: Robin Stott · CC BY-SA 2.0

Bristol, settled in 1681, takes its name from Bristol, a city in England.

Bristol, PA3,420 miles · Bristol, Bristol

People425,1969,970 here

Typical home£352,000$305,000 here

Listed buildings2,04950 of them Grade I

TownGradeDagainst UK townshere C against U.S. towns

Explore Bristol, Bristol

6 more U.S. towns are named after Bristol:Bristol, CT62,341 Bristol, RI21,970 Bristol, IN1,818 Bristol Township, MN449 Bristol, SD278+1 more

Named after: each U.S. town’s Wikipedia article. Grades compare each town with towns in its own country, so they aren’t a head-to-head.

How Bristol grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Bristol is from typical.

How grading works

WalkabilityEPA walkability 15.9 of 20; 10.3% of households have no carAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC⁻Open →Cost of livingCOpen →SchoolsCOpen →Jobs & incomeB⁺Open →HealthLower Bucks Hospital 0.7 miles awayC⁺Open →SafetyBOpen →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors1 mile of trailAOpen →History29 notable people born hereA⁺Open →Civic life3.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC⁻Open →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

Climate–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 38.9; 21% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

USS New Jersey and 184 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bristol. Close and well known come first.

All 349 attractions →

Big draw19 mi MuseumUSS New Jersey

Big draw15 mi MuseumLynnewood Hall

Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaLincoln Financial Field

Big draw19 mi Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year

Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaXfinity Mobile Arena

Big draw25 mi Park & preservePine Barrens

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

USS New Jersey: Camera Operator: PH3 BRYANT, Public domain · Lynnewood Hall: Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lincoln Financial Field: The original uploader was Betp at French Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Independence Hall: Mys 721tx, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Xfinity Mobile Arena: Jen Smith, CC BY 3.0 · Pine Barrens: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0

Getting set up

Moving to Bristol: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Bristol, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerPECO Energy18.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterAqua Pa BristolNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Bristol’s trash rules yet

SchoolsBristol Borough School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereBucks County Board of ElectionsBucks County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025

ZIP code1900719007 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Bristol.

Bristol trades workers with Philadelphia and other neighbors and sees little violent crime, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Pennsylvania (mostly inland flooding).

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C⁻

Top of a high hazard risk in Bristol: inland flooding

FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 95% of Pennsylvania towns, with expected losses of about $560 per resident a year; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on.

Since 1978, Bristol has seen 49 flood insurance claims paid out. In Bristol, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 77 of 100, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 30 of 100 and U.S. towns at 44 of 100. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Bristol after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2021. 77% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by earthquakes at 6%.

77risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingEarthquakes

paid flood claims since 1978

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageBristol’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesHigh risk Flood claims49 paid flood claims · Since 1978 Past disasters4 federal disasters · Paid out in Bristol Get ready4.4 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

SchoolsC

Public schools in Bristol fall behind 72% of Pennsylvania districts

Below: Two of its 4 schools, each with why it was picked. The largest public high school is Bristol HS, with 318 students. Bristol Borough SD runs its public schools.

28%of PA districts it outscoresCSchool Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Warren Snyder-John Girotti El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6	Grades PK–6	623	C
Bristol HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	318	C⁺

Full pageBristol’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsBristol Borough SD Vs. the neighborsAhead of its graded neighbor Every school4 schools · Warren Snyder-John Girotti El Sch Questions“Are Bristol’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation

Climate

Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Bristol’s year

The midsummer high for Bristol comes to 87°F.

27″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter27–44°

Spring42–64°

Summer64–85°

Fall47–67°

Oct 28

typical first frost

Apr 15

typical last frost

+2.2°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageBristol’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 87°, January lows 25°Rain & snow27″ of snow a winter · 47 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+2.2° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

HealthC⁺

Bristol is less healthy than 64% of U.S. towns

For adults in Bristol, the share who have high blood pressure is 32%. Two figures for adults here: 40% sleep under 7 hours, 18% report frequent mental distress.

36%healthier than U.S. townsC⁺Health Grade

	Bristol	Pennsylvania towns	U.S. towns
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)	19%	16%	14%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)	40%	38%	36%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	18%	16%	17%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	15%	14%	14%

26 measures vs. Pennsylvania

0 better22 too close to call4 worse

What stands out	Bristol	PA
More uninsured adults	9.8%	5.8%
More smokers	18.6%	15.8%
More adults in fair or poor health	21.8%	18.7%

Lower Bucks Hospital

0.7 mi away · emergency room

None

primary care, dental or mental-health shortage

22nd

percentile among PA towns

Full pageBristol’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore smokers Hospitals & doctors nearby0.7 miles to an ER · Lower Bucks Hospital How adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than PA on 0 of 26

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

OutdoorsA

13.3% of Bristol is conserved land

The biggest park or preserve is Silver Lake Park, at 26 acres. Walkers can cover 0.9 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.

13.3%conserved

13.3%

conserved · 166 of 1,246 acres

0.9 mi

of trails · 0.5 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Silver Lake Park	0.1 mi	26
2. Delaware Canal State Park: Bristol Lagoon	0.2 mi	14
3. Bristol Waterfront Park	0.1 mi	6

Full pageBristol’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map0.9 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk0.1 miles of trail · Silver Lake Park Conserved land13.3% conserved · 166 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Bristol?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Work & commuteJobs & income grade B⁺

For most of its workers, the job is outside Bristol

Bristol has about as many jobs (4,476) as working residents, but only 455 people both live and work here.

The top destinations are Philadelphia (14%), Bristol Township (10%) and Bensalem Township (7%). For most workers, Bristol is a place to come home to: only 9% work in town. Since 2013, Bristol has added 762 jobs, to 4,476 in 2023. Its mean commuting time stands at 32 minutes.

9%work in town

	Bristol	Pennsylvania towns	U.S. towns
Average trip to work	32 minutes	26 minutes	25 minutes
Working residents who work in town	9.3%	6.3%	8%

Where working residents work

In Bristol9%

Philadelphia14%

Bristol Township10%

Bensalem Township7%

Falls Township5%

10 mi

median commute distance

4,476

jobs based in Bristol

Balanced

jobs vs. working residents

Walkability grade: more walkable than 95% of U.S. towns

Full pageBristol’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here4,476 jobs based here · Balanced Where people work9% work in Bristol Commute times32 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 10 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

SafetyB

Bristol is safer than 55% of U.S. towns, by crime per resident

Violent crime is rare: 9 reported in 2025, 0.9 per 1,000 residents.

Pennsylvania has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Bristol sits closer to the middle. Its property offense rate comes in at 13 per 1,000 residents.

55%of U.S. towns report more crimeBSafety Grade

	Bristol	Pennsylvania towns	U.S. towns
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)	13 per 1,000 residents	5.7	9.9
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)	0.9 per 1,000 residents	0.7	1.6

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Bristol0.9

Pennsylvania2.3

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Bristol13

Pennsylvania13.6

U.S.15.5

55th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

31st

percentile among PA towns

violent crimes reported in 2025

130

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageBristol’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type0.9 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsSteady since 2023 Vs. the neighborsAhead of its graded neighbor Questions“Is Bristol, PA safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

HousingCost of living grade C

The median home in Bristol sells for about $305K

In Bristol, 61% of households own their home. Its median rent is $1,409 a month. On the market locally: a median 35 days to sell.

$305Kmedian sale price

	Bristol	Pennsylvania towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	61%	78%	73%
Median rent	$1,409 a month	$1,114 a month	$1,185 a month

Market temperature

days on market

98.4%

sale-to-list price

homes sold in May

Full pageBristol’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsPrices over the years Years of income to buyA typical home costs 4.0 years of income Rents$1,409 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsBehind its graded neighbor

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Bristol

20pages on Bristol

The big questions

SchoolsCBehind 72% of PA districts · 4 schools SafetyB0.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC⁺Better than PA on 0 of 26 CDC measures Cost of livingCWork & commuteB⁺$76K median household income · 4,476 jobs here Natural hazardsC⁻FEMA risk higher than 77% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

OutdoorsA1 mi of trails · 13% conserved land PlacesAttractions349 nearby · Pennsbury Manor 5 mi LibraryC⁻Library Company of Burlington CollegesCairn University-Langhorne is 5.3 mi away

The story

HistoryA⁺Settled 1681 · 9 on the National Register Famous people29 born in Bristol Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 302 residents Climate87° summer highs · 27″ of snow

Day to day

News6 recent stories about Bristol WeatherHandbookZIP code 19007 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

15 within 15 miles of the center of Bristol

Cairn University-LanghorneUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Langhorne5.3 mi$34,009 tuition Rowan College at Burlington CountyCommunity college · Public · Mount Laurel, NJ9.3 mi$6,990 in-state tuition Thomas Edison State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Trenton, NJ9.3 mi$6,838 in-state tuition

About 6 of every 100 Bristol residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Pennsylvania.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

Landmarks

9 places in Bristol on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania CanalNational Historic Landmark

Jefferson Avenue School

Grundy Mill Complex

Dorrance Mansion

Famous people from Bristol

29 notable people were born in Bristol.

See all 29 →

Poul AndersonAmerican science fiction writer · 1926–2001

Lauren HollyAmerican actress · born 1963

Daniel W. BurschAmerican astronaut · born 1957

Neal BurnsActor · 1892–1969

Ileen GetzAmerican actress · 1961–2005

Thomas GodfreyAmerican optician and inventor · 1704–1749

About Bristol

Borough in Pennsylvania, US

Official town website ↗

Bristol is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located 23 miles (37 km) northeast of Center City in Philadelphia opposite Burlington, New Jersey, on the Delaware River. Bristol was settled in 1681 and first incorporated in 1720. After 1834, it became very important to the development of the American Industrial Revolution as the terminus city of the Delaware Canal, providing greater Philadelphia with the day's high quality anthracite coal from the Lehigh Canal via Easton. The canal and a short trip on the Delaware River also gave the town access to the mineral resources available in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York via of the Morris Canal, the Delaware and Huds…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1681
Area: 2.0 sq mi
Elevation: 20 ft
ZIP code: 19007
Area code: 215

Bristol’s neighbors

3 towns share a border with Bristol.

Explore the map →

Bristol TownshipBurlingtonBurlington TownshipBristol

Bristol Township

NW · 10% of Bristol workers commute here

Visit

Burlington

Visit

Burlington Township

Visit

How the neighbors grade

Town	PA rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Bristol	#878	C	C	B	C	C⁺
Bristol Township	#925	C⁻	C	C⁺	C⁻	C⁺

Compare Bristol with a neighbor →

Questions about Bristol

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Bristol, PA a good place to live?

Bristol grades C overall, better than 30% of U.S. towns and #878 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C+ for health, B for safety and C for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.

Is Bristol, PA safe?

Yes, by national standards. Pennsylvania has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Bristol sits nearer the middle.

Is Bristol, PA expensive?

The typical home is worth about $271,000, 6% below the Pennsylvania typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.

What is Bristol, PA known for?

29 notable people were born here, including Poul Anderson and Lauren Holly.

Post to Bristol

Check your email

BristolPA

Is Bristol a good place to live?

What makes Bristol stand out

345 years in pictures

The other Bristol

How Bristol grades

USS New Jersey and 184 more within 40 miles

Moving to Bristol: who provides what

The data

Top of a high hazard risk in Bristol: inland flooding

Public schools in Bristol fall behind 72% of Pennsylvania districts

Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Bristol’s year

Typical low → high °F

Bristol is less healthy than 64% of U.S. towns

13.3% of Bristol is conserved land

For most of its workers, the job is outside Bristol

Where working residents work

Bristol is safer than 55% of U.S. towns, by crime per resident

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Property crime per 1,000 residents

The median home in Bristol sells for about $305K

Everything we know about Bristol

Colleges nearby

Landmarks

Famous people from Bristol

About Bristol

Bristol’s neighbors

Questions about Bristol