EastBristolWisconsin, 2009
Bristol’s story
Bristol in pictures
The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1962 on.
Explore the history →Population
4,347
2025 Census estimate · −2.5% since 2020
Typical home
$647K
+4% in a year
Household income
$141K
median
Median age
43.7
years
Jobs based here
654
A commuter town
TownGrade
A−
#96 of 357 in WI
Is Bristol a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Bristol grades A− overall, 96th among Wisconsin's 357 graded towns. The median household earns $141K. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 90% of the country. The catch is cost: the typical home is worth about $647K, 7.3 years of the Madison metro’s $89K median household income. 57% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Bristol, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 32% and U.S. towns at 29%. Only 66 of Wisconsin’s 869 towns score lower on civic life. The biggest park or preserve is Deansville Wildlife Area, at 213 acres.
What makes Bristol stand out
Where Bristol beats most towns.
A growing town
Bristol has grown 15% since 2010
3,765 counted in 2010 and 4,447 in 2020; an estimated 4,347 in 2025.
Since 2020 the trend has turned: down 2.5%, after 18.1% growth in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Bristol grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Bristol is from typical.
Jobs & incomeA+Open →HealthColumbus Community Hospital 8.9 miles awayAOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 20% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →Cost of livingC−Open →SchoolsBeat 64% of Wisconsin districts on tests and graduationBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.2 of 20; 0.5% of households have no car; 3.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 2% conserved landC+Open →HistoryCOpen →Civic life0 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 33 attractions →Camp Randall Stadium and 22 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bristol. Close and well known come first.
17 mi Stadium & arenaCamp Randall Stadium
17 mi Stadium & arenaKohl Center
31 mi Park & preserveIce Age Trail
20 mi State parkAztalan State Park
30 mi State parkDevil's Lake State Park
8 mi Theme parkLittle AmerrickaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Camp Randall Stadium: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Kohl Center: Pbrown111 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Ice Age Trail: MDuchek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Aztalan State Park: Joshua Mayer - Flickr user wackybadger, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Devil's Lake State Park: CrispAir at en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 · Little Amerricka: Dklompmaker, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Bristol: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bristol, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEast Bristol Utility CoopNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet9 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBristol Town Recycling CenterDrop-off onlyTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Wisconsin you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 20 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereTown of Bristol ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes53590, 53925, 5353253590 93% · 53925 5% · 53532 2%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bristol.
Bristol has less tooth loss than most of Wisconsin and has cooler summers than most of the country, though not than most of Wisconsin; it also has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Wisconsin.
HousingCost of living grade C−
In Bristol, the median rent runs higher than in the typical Wisconsin or U.S. town
At 7.3 years of the Madison metro’s $89K median household income, the typical home (about $647K) costs more against local pay than in 96% of Wisconsin towns; that ratio is one input to its C− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $6,348, against $3,792 across Wisconsin, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Bristol’s median rent is $1,835 a month. The typical Bristol home is worth about $647,000, up 4% in a year, 92% above the Wisconsin typical home.
$647KZillow home value
| Bristol | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,835 a month | $1,076 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 92% | 74% | 73% |
Typical home value
Bristol$647K
Wisconsin$337K
+4%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthA
For health, Bristol earns an A
Its widest gap with Wisconsin is tooth loss: 6.2% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 9.9% statewide. Against the 3,480 U.S. towns with household incomes like Bristol’s, it is healthier than 63%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
26% of adults have high blood pressure in Bristol. Bristol beats the Wisconsin average on 20 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 21% of adults binge drink in Bristol.
90%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Bristol | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 33% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
20 better10 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Bristol | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.2% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 4.5% | 6.5% |
| Fewer adults getting a yearly checkup | 74.4% | 77.6% |
Columbus Community Hospital
8.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
93rd
percentile among WI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Bristol
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 80% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Bristol since 2024.
20risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 2024
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A+
Compared with most of Wisconsin and the rest of the country, fewer of Bristol’s residents live below the poverty line
Bristol has 654 jobs for its 2,284 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here grew from 377 in 2013 to 654.
1.2% of Bristol residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Bristol has added 277 jobs, to 654 in 2023. 21% of Bristol workers work from home.
2%work in town
| Bristol | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $141,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 21% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 1.2% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.5% | 8.4% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Bristol2%
Madison42%
Sun Prairie15%
Middleton2%
DeForest2%
14 mi
median commute distance
654
jobs based in Bristol
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 59% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Bristol has snowy winters and pleasant summers
July afternoons average 82.4°: cooler than most of the country, but hotter than 87% of Wisconsin places with climate records; January nights average 10.4°.
Bristol has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The January low in Bristol is 10°F. About 43 inches of snow falls in a winter.
43″snow a winter
| Bristol | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 10°F | 11°F | 22°F |
| July high | 82°F | 82°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–30°
Spring35–57°
Summer58–80°
Fall39–59°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsC+
Bristol has set aside 2.4% of its land for conservation
1.8 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves.
#274for trails in WI
| Bristol | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.4% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
2.4%
conserved · 514 of 21,331 acres
1.8 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Patrick Marsh Wildlife Area | 0.4 mi | 82 |
| 2. Deansville Wildlife Area | — | 213 |
| 3. Highland Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bristol
18pages on Bristol
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Bristol
Herzing University-MadisonUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Madison9.1 mi$13,450 tuitionMadison Area Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Madison11.4 mi$4,977 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Bristol residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Bristol for work
Where Bristol’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
654jobs based in Bristol
2%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Bristol
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Bristol is a town in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States, located just north of the city of Sun Prairie and 15 miles northeast of Madison. The population was 4,447 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated communities of Bakers Corners, East Bristol, and North Bristol are located in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 34 sq mi
- Elevation
- 909 ft
- Area code
- 608
Bristol’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Bristol.
Sun PrairieHampdenYorkWindsorSun PrairieBristol
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol | #96 | A− | C− | — | B | A |
| Sun Prairie | #149 | B+ | C− | B− | B | A |
| Hampden | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| York | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Windsor | #119 | A− | C | — | B+ | A− |
| Sun Prairie | — | — | C | — | B | A |
Sun Prairie has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Bristol, Windsor and Sun Prairie report no FBI crime data of their own. Hampden and York aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Bristol with a neighbor →
Questions about Bristol
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bristol, WI a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Bristol grades A− overall, better than 84% of U.S. towns and #96 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades A for health and B for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Bristol, WI expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.