Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0198 homes sold in Bristol in the last year, at a typical $647K
About one sale in 4 is a condo. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Bristol homes are listed.
Every place Bristol homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Bristol.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
A quarter of Bristol’s sales are condos, at $62K less than a house
127 houses and 50 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 127 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $375RI $309
- Days to sell
- 33
- Sold over asking
- 49%
- Listings with a price cut
- 20%
typical sale · 50 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $402RI $324
- Days to sell
- 64
- Sold over asking
- 28%
- Listings with a price cut
- 22%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 20 sold, typical $663K
Townhouses: 1 sold, typical $595K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2021, at 2.2 times the 2016 price
198 sales in the last year, against 295 in 2020 and a low of 192 in 2023. The typical sale went from $298K in 2016 to $647K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $650K buys in Bristol
Check a listing against what Bristol homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Bristol are more common than before the pandemic, but 62% fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Bristol’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 198 sales.
If you’re buying in Bristol
- Shop in May. It brings about 36 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (30% over asking).
- Some room to negotiate. 17% of listings cut their price, about as many as before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 100% of the list price on average; 42% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. 55% of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Spring brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 36 a month), but June is the most competitive: 35% of June sales close over asking. January has the least competition (24%) but only about 18 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and about like Rhode Island as a whole
| Bristol now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | RI now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 42% | 16% | 51% | 45% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 55% | 36% | 57% | 46% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 17% | 17% | 12% | 19% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 100% | 96.6% | 100.7% | 100.1% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 35 | 62 | 38 | 33 |
31 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.4 times the 2023 low (21), 62% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2014’s 150.
1 in 6 listings has cut its price
17% in the last year, against 17% in 2017–19 and 19% across Rhode Island.
Since 2019, houses are up 98%, condos 97%
A house typically sold for $668K in the last year (127 sales), a condo for $606K (50).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Bristol ranks 20th of 38 busy Rhode Island markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Bristol is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Bristol home costs about $3,975 a month
Price: Bristol’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Bristol’s 1.1% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Bristol is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 12.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $647K home, about $7,200 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Bristol, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in BristolCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Warren, Ocean Grove, Swansea and Tiverton sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Bristol, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth | 241 | $713K | $378 | 23% | 53 |
| Barrington | 217 | $758K | $389 | 43% | 27 |
| Bristol | 198 | $647K | $376 | 42% | 35 |
| Swansea | 147 | $517K | $343 | 51% | 23 |
| Warren | 111 | $402K | $253 | 31% | 22 |
| Tiverton | 92 | $514K | $310 | 30% | 35 |
| Ocean Grove | 28 | $426K | $339 | 57% | 26 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Bristol, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Bristol. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Bristol with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Bristol
What do homes sell for in Bristol, RI?
198 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $647K, $376 a square foot. Houses sold for about $668K, condos for about $606K.
Is Bristol a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 37 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 11 sold, about 3.4 months of supply. Buyers paid 100% of asking on average, and 17% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Bristol?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Bristol?
About 1.1% of a home’s value a year. On a $647K home that’s near $7,200.
Where can I see homes for sale in Bristol?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Bristol’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Bristol.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).