Photo: Smallbones · Public domainBristol spent more per resident in 2022 than 86% of similar cities
Bristol’s borough government spent $12 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,249 per resident.
What stands out about how Bristol is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$1,249 per resident in 2022: more than 86% of them
Bristol’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,249 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $856, and the middle half spent $655–$1,093. Bristol spent more than 86% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.1 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 →
Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bristol itself left out).
About $1,249 per resident a year, or $3.42 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Bristol reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,257 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.57% of the home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania.
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.
Bristol’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on bristolborough.com ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 290 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (9,573).
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.
Bristol Borough School District
Bristol’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,633 per pupil, $15,449 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.
Pennsylvania districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bristol’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Bristol alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Bucks County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican49.6%198,722 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.5%198,431 votesOthers: 1.0% (3,875 votes).
Most votes in Bucks County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Bristol lies in Bucks County. Every 2024 race in Bucks County is on the county’s page.
Bucks County’s 2024 results →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: bristolborough.com ↗
- 2Pennsylvania HouseState representatives
- 3Pennsylvania SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Pennsylvania
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bristol compares with the towns next door
Bristol spent $1,249 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol Township | $719 | $4,870 |
| Bristol | $1,249 | $4,257 |
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 $1,249 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,249 was more than 86% of 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bristol?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,257 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.57% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see bristolborough.com.
Who runs Bristol’s government?
See bristolborough.com 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?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Bristol alone. Bucks County, where 100% of Bristol lies, voted Trump 49.6%, Harris 49.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bristol?
33 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $385,220 (about $4.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Bristol in the state legislature?
State Senate District 10 (Steve Santarsiero) and State House District 141 (Tina Davis). The House district also covers 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
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 →