In Bristol, 91% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Wisconsin
Bristol’s town government spent $1.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $402 per resident.
What stands out about how Bristol is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Sun Prairie Area School District
Bristol’s K–12 school district, shared with Sun Prairie, Sun Prairie, Burke. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,847 per pupil, $8,875 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Wisconsin districts overall: 39% local, 50% state, 11% federal.
Columbus School District · $15,320 per pupil
DeForest Area School District · $14,469 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $402 per resident a year, or $1.10 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 37%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$402 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Bristol’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($402 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 127 Wisconsin towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $357, and the middle half spent $276–$438. Bristol spent more than 65% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($66,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Wisconsin towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bristol itself left out).
No trend yet
Bristol reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $6,348 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.29% of the home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bristol’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Bristol’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bristol →
Who’s in charge in Bristol
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bristol’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on tn.bristol.wi.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 794 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (3,972).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
How Bristol voted in 2024
Official results for Bristol’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat51.6%1,546 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican47.2%1,414 votesOthers: 1.2% (37 votes).
Most votes in Bristol: Kamala D Harris
Dane County: Harris 74.9%, Trump 23.4% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Bristol’s 3,297 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Bristol: Tammy Baldwin
Dane County: Baldwin 75.3%, Hovde 23.3% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Mark Pocan
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Bristol, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol | 51.6% | 47.2% | 1.2% | 2,997 |
| Dane County | 74.9% | 23.4% | 1.8% | 365,929 |
| Wisconsin | 48.7% | 49.6% | 1.7% | 3,422,918 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Bristol.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: tn.bristol.wi.gov ↗
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyState representatives
- 3Wisconsin SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Wisconsin
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bristol compares with the towns next door
Bristol spent $402 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $505 to $1,137. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Sun Prairie | $505 | $5,088 |
| Windsor | $537 | $6,250 |
| York | $538 | $4,438 |
| Hampden | $558 | $4,690 |
| Sun Prairie | $1,137 | $6,458 |
| Bristol | $402 | $6,348 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Bristol’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bristol’s government
How much does Bristol spend per resident?
About $402 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $402 was more than 65% of 127 Wisconsin towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bristol?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,348 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.29% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see tn.bristol.wi.gov.
Who runs Bristol’s government?
See tn.bristol.wi.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bristol yet.
How did Bristol vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 51.6%, Donald J Trump 47.2% (2,997 votes, official results). Dane County: Harris 74.9%, Trump 23.4%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Bristol?
5 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $26,655 (about $319,860 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bristol in the state legislature?
State Senate District 16 (Melissa Ratcliff) and Assembly District 48 (Andrew Hysell). The Assembly district also covers eight other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bristol’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →