Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Bristol is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns
Bristol differs from Rhode Island on 11 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 10 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 02809. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Bristol
Bristol is an active town
Only 19.4% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 25.4% across Rhode Island. The town has 17 miles of trails across 20 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
Cancer runs high in Bristol
1 in 10 adults have had cancer (10%), vs 8.4% across Rhode Island. Conditions ↓
Fewer Bristol adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Rhode Island. 1 in 11 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 7 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Rhode Island figure falls outside Bristol’s likely range; Bristol’s figures come from ZIP code 02809, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Bristol’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bristol is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns, #11 of 38 in Rhode Island. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than 95% of towns); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 72%.
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Bristol’s median household income is $97,764; among the 8,908 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($73K–$122K), it’s healthier than 92%, about where its income would put it.
Most Rhode Island towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Bristol is healthier than 73% of graded towns, against 90% nationally.
Everyday habits, side by side with Rhode Island
Share of adults, with the Rhode Island figure marked.
17 miles of trails across 20 parks and preserves
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
7.7% of Bristol adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.2% across Rhode Island.
Out of every 100 Bristol adults…
Bristol runs below RI on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Bristol
No hospital or community health center in Bristol itself. These are the nearest.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Bristol; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Bristol adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Rhode Island.
How Bristol adults are doing
About the same as Rhode Island on each measure.
1 in 3 Bristol adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Bristol and the towns around it
Bristol’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 5 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol | A | 25.1% | 9.7% | 10.1% | ZIP 02809 |
| Portsmouth | A | 26.7% | 10% | 8.4% | ZIP codes |
| Warren | A− | 27.6% | 10.9% | 12.8% | ZIP 02885 |
| Tiverton | A | 28.2% | 10.5% | 10.7% | ZIP 02878 |
| Tiverton | — | — | — | — | |
| Barrington | A+ | 24.5% | 9.1% | 7.9% | ZIP 02806 |
Tiverton: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Bristol adults live with a disability (Rhode Island 27.9%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Bristol
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Bristol is better than Rhode Island on 10 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Rhode Island figure falls inside Bristol’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Bristol | RI | U.S. | vs RI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.3%12.2–16.6 | 17.3% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.7%10.2–13.3 | 13.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.7%13.7–17.8 | 16.7% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 25.1%20.1–30.8 | 31.7% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 9.7%8.2–11.2 | 11.1% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 31.8%28.3–35.5 | 33.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34%30.4–37.8 | 34.2% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 26.3%23.4–29.4 | 25.4% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.1%9.8–12.5 | 11.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10%9.1–11 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.3%5.5–7 | 6.3% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.2%5.3–7.2 | 6.6% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3%2.7–3.4 | 3.2% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.9%6.3–9.7 | 14.2% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.1%8.3–12 | 11.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 19.4%16–23.3 | 25.4% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 18.4%15.4–21.6 | 16.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.1%26.1–36.6 | 35% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.4%4.4–6.5 | 8.2% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 85.6%82.8–88.1 | 84.1% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 76.3%73.3–79.3 | 71.2% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.7%87–90.4 | 89.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.3%74.5–80 | 77.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 75.7%71.5–79.7 | 73.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 85.1%79.9–89.4 | 82.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.4%20.9–28.2 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.7%28.2–37.3 | 35% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.9%16.8–23.2 | 22% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.1%7.5–11 | 15.1% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.9%6.6–9.4 | 13.1% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.1%4.3–6 | 8% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.8%4.9–6.7 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.7%6.2–9.4 | 13.2% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25.4%21.8–29.3 | 27.9% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.7%9.1–12.5 | 12.3% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.8%11–14.6 | 13.9% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.8%6–7.7 | 6.5% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.7%3.2–4.1 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.9%6–7.8 | 7.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.8%2.5–3.2 | 3.5% | 3.8% | Lower |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Rhode Island figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Bristol
Is Bristol a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bristol is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns: A for health, #11 of 38 in Rhode Island. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 92%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Bristol?
CDC estimates 25.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 20.1% and 30.8%, against 31.7% across Rhode Island and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Bristol?
Saint Anne's Hospital in Fall River, 5.8 miles in a straight line from Bristol’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Bristol have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.4–6.5%), against 8.2% across Rhode Island.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Bristol more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Bristol.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Rhode Island figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.