Photo: AppalachianCentrist · CC BY-SA 4.0255 homes sold in Bristol in the last year, at a typical $217K
Almost every sale is a house. 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.
5% of Bristol’s sales are condos, at $49K less than a house
228 houses and 13 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster.
typical sale · 228 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $137VA $222
- Days to sell
- 77
- Sold over asking
- 10%
- Listings with a price cut
- 31%
typical sale · 13 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $116VA $301
- Days to sell
- 139
- Sold over asking
- 8%
- Listings with a price cut
- 28%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 4 sold, typical $305K
Townhouses: 10 sold, typical $201K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at twice the 2016 price
255 sales in the last year, against 345 in 2021 and a low of 167 in 2014. The typical sale went from $104K in 2016 to $217K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $200K 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 back to pre-pandemic levels, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of Bristol’s home sales since 2014 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, 255 sales.
If you’re buying in Bristol
- Shop in August. It brings about 29 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (14% over asking).
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 95.4% of the list price on average; 10% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 25% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 75 days.
Summer brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
August has the most new listings (about 29 a month), but July is the most competitive: 22% of July sales close over asking. August has the least competition (14%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than Virginia
| Bristol now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | VA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 10% | 12% | 35% | 31% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 25% | 6% | 6% | 43% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 31% | — | — | 25% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 95.4% | 94.2% | 98.1% | 99.3% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 75 | 98 | 51 | 38 |
97 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s twice the 2022 low (50) and about the 2017–19 level.
1 in 3 listings has cut its price
31% in the last year, against — in 2017–19 and 25% across Virginia.
Since 2019, houses are up 99%, condos 97%
A house typically sold for $222K in the last year (228 sales), a condo for $173K (13).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Bristol ranks 176th of 179 busy Virginia markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Bristol is one of the state’s calmer markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2014 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 $1,268 a month
Price: Bristol’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Bristol’s 0.8% (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 August
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 15.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $217K home, about $1,640 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.
No busy market nearby sells for less a square foot; Blountville, Bluff City and Hunter for far more
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol | 570 | $254K | $159 | 19% | 58 |
| Bristol | 255 | $217K | $136 | 10% | 75 |
| Abingdon | 95 | $289K | $168 | 6% | 85 |
| Blountville | 58 | $314K | $176 | 24% | 59 |
| Bluff City | 39 | $302K | $179 | 18% | 62 |
| Walnut Hill | 37 | $253K | $162 | 22% | 77 |
| Hunter | 25 | $288K | $185 | 16% | 75 |
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, VA?
255 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $217K, $136 a square foot. Houses sold for about $222K, condos for about $173K.
Is Bristol a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A balanced market: 120 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 26 sold, about 4.6 months of supply. Buyers paid 95.4% of asking on average, and 31% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Bristol?
August brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Bristol?
About 0.8% of a home’s value a year. On a $217K home that’s near $1,640.
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).