Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 278, settled in 1881.
Bristol’s median age is 57.3 years, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 39.5 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Bristol. Bristol has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 199 in 1890, a peak of 675 in 1940, 288 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 2 maps from 1973 on.
Bristol takes its name from Bristol, England, 4,070 miles across the Atlantic.
UKUK editionBristol, settled in 1881, takes its name from Bristol, a city in England.
6 more U.S. towns are named after Bristol:Bristol, CT62,341Bristol, RI21,970Bristol, PA9,970Bristol, IN1,818Bristol Township, MN449+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.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bristol, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Bristol.
At 18 of 100, Bristol’s FEMA risk score is below both South Dakota’s towns (54 of 100) and U.S. towns (44 of 100).
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Bristol for work: only 3% work in town. Bristol’s median household income is $56,000. The top destinations are Webster (15%), Aberdeen (14%) and Watertown (7%).
| Bristol | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.6% | 29% | 8% |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.3% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The July high in Bristol is 81°F. Bristol has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Bristol beats the South Dakota average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 14% of adults have diabetes in Bristol. Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Bristol.
| Bristol | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 10% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 23% |
| What stands out | Bristol | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.7% | 75.9% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 87.2% | 84.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.4% | 6.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Bristol; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Bristol residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
Where Bristol’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in South Dakota, United States
Bristol is a city located in western Day County, South Dakota, United States. It lies in Section 25 of Bristol Township, on the main line of what is now the BNSF Railway alongside U.S. Route 12. The population was 288 at the 2020 census.` Similar to many towns of the area and of the Midwest in general, Bristol came into being as a result of railroad expansion. The railroad, which first came through the area in the 1870s, identified the site which would become Bristol as Station #70. C.P. Prior, a district railroad surveyor and townsite agent, was given credit for naming Bristol in 1881. He named the town after Bristol, England.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Bristol has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.